Lok Sabha Question No. 3450 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-22
Subject: Grameen Dak Sevaks
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: RAHUL KASWAN, RAMESH BIDHURI, BALABHADRA MAJHI, TAMRADHWAJ SAHU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3450 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND   MARCH, 2017

## GRAMEEN DAK SEVAKS

†3450. SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

SHRI RAMESH BIDHURI:

SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI:

SHRI TAMRADHWAJ SAHU:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of postal circles in the country and the number of GPOs, SPOs and EDBOs functioning  under  these  circles  alongwith  number  of  these  post  offices  located  in rural and urban regions separately;
- (b) the number of post offices manned by Grameen Dak Sevaks (GDSs) State/UT-wise alongwith the details about the monthly salary of the GDS;
- (c) whether Grameen Dak Sevaks (GDSs) are eligible for pension like other Government employees and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether  Government  is  contemplating  to  constitute  any  Committee  to  look  into  the salary  structure  and  other  service  matters  of  Grameen  Dak  Sevaks  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (e) whether the said committee has submitted its said report and if so, the salient features of the said report; and
- (f) the time by which it is likely to be implemented?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) Madam, the total number of Postal Circles in the country is 23. The total number of GPOs is 24, the total number of Sub Post Offices (SPOs) is 24753, the total number of Extra Departmental Branch Offices (EDBOs) is 129346. The details of these post offices rural and urban regions wise is enclosed at Annexure-I.
- (b) The number of post offices which are manned by Gramin Dak Sewaks (GDS) is given in the Annexure-II. Details of the monthly wages admissible to various categories of Gramin Dak Sewaks are given in the Annexure-III.

- (c) No,  Madam. The  legal  status  of  the  Gramin  Dak  Sevaks  as  held  in  1977  by  Apex Court  is  that  they  are  holders  of  the  civil  posts  outside  the  regular  civil  service.  Being  a distinct and separate category, CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 are not applicable in the case of Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS).
- (d) Yes, Madam. To examine the system of Branch Post Offices, engagement conditions, existing  structure  of  allowances  and  all  other  welfare  issues  pertaining  to  Gramin  Dak Sevaks, a one-man Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri Kamlesh Chandra, Retired Member Postal Services Board was set up.
- (e) Yes, Madam. The committee has submitted its report. The salient feature of the report is given in the Annexure-IV.
- (f) The  recommendations  of  the  committee  are  being  examined  by  the  Department  of Posts. No timeline is specified to implement the recommendations of the Committee.

Contd…3/-

## Annexure-I

| DISTRIBUTION OF RURAL AND URBAN POST OFFICES AS ON 31.03.2016  (in number)  Circles  Departmental Post Office  Gramin Dak Sewak Post Office  Total Post Office  Head Post Office  Sub Post Office  Total  ED Sub Post Office  ED Branch Post Office  Total  Rural  Urban  Total  Rural  Urban  Total  Rural  Urban  Total  Rural  Urban  Total  Rural  Urban  Total  Rural  Urban  Total  Rural  Urban  Total  Andhra  Pradesh  4  55  59  944  581  1525  948  636  1584  0  0  0  8594  144  8738  8594  144  8738  9542  780  10322  Assam  0  19  19  385  221  606  385  240  625  0  0  0  3246  141  3387  3246  141  3387  3631  381  4012  Bihar  0  32  32  637  386  1023  637  418  1055  0  0  0  7936  46  7982  7936  46  7982  8573  464  9037  Chhattisgarh  0  10  10  99  239  338  99  249  348  0  0  0  2789  20  2809  2789  20  2809  2888  269  3157  Delhi  0  12  12  6  389  395  6  401  407  0  0  0  78  69  147  78  69  147  84  470  554  Gujarat  0  34  34  644  663  1307  644  697  1341  0  0  0  7524  118  7642  7524  118  7642  8168  815  8983  Haryana  0  16  16  177  309  486  177  325  502  0  0  0  2138  44  2182  2138  44  2182  2315  369  2684  Himachal  Pradesh  3  15  18  353  97  450  356  112  468  0  0  0  2310  7  2317  2310  7  2317  2666  119  2785  Jammu &  Kashmir  0  9  9  94  163  257  94  172  266  0  0  0  1409  26  1435  1409  26  1435  1503  198  1701  Jharkhand  0  13  13  229  218  447  229  231  460  0  0  0  2610  39  2649  2610  39  2649  2839  270  3109  Karnataka  0  58  58  839  815  1654  839  873  1712  0  0  0  7770  181  7951  7770  181  7951  8609  1054  9663  Kerala  6  45  51  977  480  1457  983  525  1508  0  0  0  3224  335  3559  3224  335  3559  4207  860  5067  Madhya  Pradesh  0  43  43  327  658  985  327  701  1028  0  0  0  7148  110  7258  7148  110  7258  7475  811  8286  Maharashtra  1  60  61  1031  1124  2155  1032  1184  2216  0  0  0  10538  105  10643  10538  105  10643  11570  1289  12859  North East  0  9  9  186  142  328  186  151  337  0  0  0  2500  86  2586  2500  86  2586  2686  237  2923  Odisha  0  35  35  666  500  1166  666  535  1201  1  0  1  6906  61  6967  6907  61  6968  7573  596  8169  Punjab  0  22  22  328  416  744  328  438  766  0  0  0  3081  14  3095  3081  14  3095  3409  452  3861  Rajasthan  1  47  48  722  570  1292  723  617  1340  0  0  0  8952  26  8978  8952  26  8978  9675  643  10318  Tamil Nadu  0  94  94  1330  1406  2736  1330  1500  2830  0  0  0  8945  356  9301  8945  356  9301  10275  1856  12131  Telangana  1  35  36  433  392  825  434  427  861  0  0  0  4815  159  4974  4815  159  4974  5249  586  5835  Uttarakhand  0  13  13  197  182  379  197  195  392  0  0  0  2315  14  2329  2315  14  2329  2512  209  2721  Uttar  Pradesh  0  72  72  877  1602  2479  877  1674  2551  0  0  0  14852  259  15111  14852  259  15111  15729  1933  17662  West Bengal  0  47  47  681  1038  1719  681  1085  1766  0  0  0  7096  209  7305  7096  209  7305  7777  1294  9071  Total  16  795  811  12162  12591  24753  12178  13386  25564  1  0  1  126776  2569  129345  126777  2569  129346  138955  15955  154910   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

## Contd…4/-

| STATE WISE LIST OF NUMBER OF POST OFFICES MANNED BY GRAMIN DAK SEWAKS   | STATE WISE LIST OF NUMBER OF POST OFFICES MANNED BY GRAMIN DAK SEWAKS   | STATE WISE LIST OF NUMBER OF POST OFFICES MANNED BY GRAMIN DAK SEWAKS   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                 | Name of the State                                                       | Number of Post Offices manned by Gramin Dak Sewaks                      |
| 1                                                                       | Andhra Pradesh                                                          | 8738                                                                    |
| 2                                                                       | Arunachal Pradesh                                                       | 253                                                                     |
| 3                                                                       | Assam                                                                   | 3387                                                                    |
| 4                                                                       | Bihar                                                                   | 7982                                                                    |
| 5                                                                       | Chhattisgarh                                                            | 2809                                                                    |
| 6                                                                       | Delhi                                                                   | 147                                                                     |
| 7                                                                       | Goa                                                                     | 153                                                                     |
| 8                                                                       | Gujarat                                                                 | 7596                                                                    |
| 9                                                                       | Haryana                                                                 | 2182                                                                    |
| 10                                                                      | Himachal Pradesh                                                        | 2317                                                                    |
| 11                                                                      | Jammu & Kashmir                                                         | 1435                                                                    |
| 12                                                                      | Jharkhand                                                               | 2649                                                                    |
| 13                                                                      | Karnataka                                                               | 7951                                                                    |
| 14                                                                      | Kerala                                                                  | 3558                                                                    |
| 15                                                                      | Madhya Pradesh                                                          | 7258                                                                    |
| 16                                                                      | Maharashtra                                                             | 10490                                                                   |
| 17                                                                      | Manipur                                                                 | 645                                                                     |
| 18                                                                      | Meghalaya                                                               | 423                                                                     |
| 19                                                                      | Mizoram                                                                 | 350                                                                     |
| 20                                                                      | Nagaland                                                                | 287                                                                     |
| 21                                                                      | Odisha                                                                  | 6968                                                                    |
| 22                                                                      | Punjab                                                                  | 3087                                                                    |
| 23                                                                      | Rajasthan                                                               | 8978                                                                    |
| 24                                                                      | Sikkim                                                                  | 186                                                                     |
| 25                                                                      | Tamil Nadu                                                              | 9241                                                                    |
| 26                                                                      | Telangana                                                               | 4974                                                                    |
| 27                                                                      | Tripura                                                                 | 628                                                                     |
| 28                                                                      | Uttar Pradesh                                                           | 15111                                                                   |
| 29                                                                      | Uttarakhand                                                             | 2329                                                                    |
| 30                                                                      | West Bengal                                                             | 7046                                                                    |

| UNION TERRITORY WISE LIST OF NUMBER OF POSTOFFICES MANNED BY GRAMIN DAK SEWAKS   | UNION TERRITORY WISE LIST OF NUMBER OF POSTOFFICES MANNED BY GRAMIN DAK SEWAKS   | UNION TERRITORY WISE LIST OF NUMBER OF POSTOFFICES MANNED BY GRAMIN DAK SEWAKS   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| SL. No.                                                                          | Name of the Union Territory                                                      | Number of Post Offices manned by Gramin Dak Sewaks                               |
| 1                                                                                | Andaman and Nicobar                                                              | 73                                                                               |
| 2                                                                                | Chandigarh                                                                       | 08                                                                               |
| 3                                                                                | Daman and Diu                                                                    | 12                                                                               |
| 4                                                                                | Dadar and Nagar Haveli                                                           | 34                                                                               |
| 5                                                                                | Lakshdweep                                                                       | 01                                                                               |
| 6                                                                                | Puducherry                                                                       | 60                                                                               |

Contd….5/-

## DETAILS OF THE MONTHLY WAGES ADMISSIBLE TO VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS

|   S.No. | Category Gramin Sevaks            | of Dak   | Time Related Continuity Allowance   | Work load in hours                          |
|---------|-----------------------------------|----------|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
|       1 | GDS Postmaster                    | Sub      | Rs. 4575-85-7125                    | 4 - 5 hours                                 |
|       2 | GDS Postmaster                    | Branch   | Rs 2745-50-4245                     | Up to 3 hours work                          |
|       2 | GDS Postmaster                    | Branch   | Rs 3200-60-5000                     | More than 3 hours up to 3 hrs.30 min        |
|       2 | GDS Postmaster                    | Branch   | Rs 3660-70-5760                     | Up to4 hours.                               |
|       2 | GDS Postmaster                    | Branch   | Rs 4115-75-6365                     | More than 4 hours up to 4 hour 30 min       |
|       2 | GDS Postmaster                    | Branch   | Rs. 4575-85-7125                    | More than 4.hrs 30 min up to 5 hours        |
|       3 | GDS Mail deliverer/ Stamp vendor  |          | Rs 2665-50-4165                     | For work up to 3 hrs for new entrants       |
|       3 | GDS Mail deliverer/ Stamp vendor  |          | Rs 3330-60-5130                     | For Work load Up to 3 hours 45 minutes      |
|       3 | GDS Mail deliverer/ Stamp vendor  |          | Rs 4220-75-6470                     | More than 3 hours 45 minutes up to 5 hours  |
|       4 | GDS Mail Carrier/ Packer/ Mailman |          | Rs 2295-45-3695                     | For work up to 3 hrs for new entrants       |
|       4 | GDS Mail Carrier/ Packer/ Mailman |          | Rs2870-50-4370                      | More than 3 hrs up to 3 hrs 45 min          |
|       4 | GDS Mail Carrier/ Packer/ Mailman |          | Rs 3635-65-5585                     | More than 3 hours 45 minutes up to 5 hours. |

## Salient features of the Report

- o The old system of payment of Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA) is dispensed with and replaced with a new wage payment system. Under the new wage payment system, 11 TRCA slabs are subsumed into 3 Wage Scales with two Levels each for BPMs and for other than BPMs. One wage scale would be common for both the categories of GDSs.
- o The minimum working hours of GDS Post Offices and GDSs are increased to 4 hours from 3 hours.
- o The new working hours for GDS Post Offices will be 4 hours and 5 hours only.
- o The Level 1 GDS Post Offices / GDSs will have 4 hours as working hours and Level - 2 will have 5 hours as working hours.
- o The Point System for assessment of workload of BPMs has been abolished.
- o The new wage payment system is linked to revenue generation of GDS Post Offices.  Under  the  new  system,  there  will  be  no  increase  in  wages  of  BPMs from  Level  -1  to  Level  -2  on  the  basis  of  workload  but  the  same  will  be increased based on achievement of prescribed revenue norms which is fixed at 100% for normal areas and 50% for special areas.
- o The GDS Post Offices not achieving the prescribed revenue norm within the given  working  hours  will  have  to  open  GDS  Post  Offices  for  minimum  of additional 30 minutes beyond the prescribed working hours.
- o The GDS BPMs will be paid Revenue Linked Allowance @10% beyond level-2 wage scale if they will be successful in achieving revenue beyond prescribed norms
- o The  GDS  Post  Offices  has  been  categorized  into  A,  B;  C  and  D  categories based on the revenue generation norms. The GDS Post Office in A category will  achieve 100% revenue norm. The Committee has recommended a set of actions for each category of GDS Post Offices.
- o The six approved categories of GDSs are subsumed into two categories only. One category will be Branch Post Master and all other 5 categories of GDSs are subsumed into one Multi Tasking Category.
- o The GDSs working in the GDS Post Offices will be known as Assistant Branch Post Master (ABPMs) and those working in the Departmental Post Offices will be known as Dak Sevak (DS).
- o The  minimum  wage  has  been  increased  to  Rs.  10000/-  per  month  and maximum pay to Rs. 35480/- per month.

- o The rate of annual increase is recommended as 3%.
- o A  Composite  Allowance  comprising  of  support  for  hiring  accommodation  for GDS Post Offices as well as mandatory residence, office maintenance, mobile and electricity usage charges etc. has been introduced for the first time.
- o Children  Education  Allowance  @Rs.  6000/-  per  child  per  annum  has  been introduced for GDSs.
- o Risk  &  Hardship  Allowance  @Rs.  500/-  per  month  for  GDS  working  in  the special areas has also been introduced.
- o A  Financial  upgradation  has  been  introduced  at  12  years,  24  years  and  36 years of services in form of two advance additional annual increases.
- o The  Ceiling  of  ex-gratia  gratuity  has  been  increased  from  Rs.  60,000  to  Rs. 5,00,000
- o The GDS Contribution for Service Discharge Benefit Scheme (SDBS)  should be enhanced maximum up to 10% and minimum up to 3% of the basic wage per  month,  whereas  the  Department  should  contribute  a fixed  contribution  of 3% of the basic wage of the GDSs.
- o The coverage of GDS Group Insurance Scheme has been enhanced from Rs. 50000/- to Rs. 5,00,000/
- o The  contribution  of  Department  in  Circle  Welfare  Fund  (CWF)  has  been increased from Rs. 100/ per annum to Rs. 300/ per annum.
- o The scope of CWF is extended to cover immediate family members such as spouse; daughters, sons and dependent daughters in law in the scheme.
- o The  Committee  also  recommended  10%  hike  in  the  prescribed  limits  of financial grants and assistances in the Circle Welfare Funds.
- o The  Committee  has  recommended  addition  of  Rs.  10,000/  for  purchase  of Tablet  /  Mobile  from  the  Circle  Welfare  in  the  head  'Financial  Assistance  of Fund by way of loans with lower rate of interest (5%)'.
- o Provision  of  26  weeks  of  Maternity  Leave  for  women  GDS  has  been recommended.
- o The wages for the entire period of Maternity Leave is recommended to be paid from salary head from where wages of GDSs are paid.
- o The Committee has also recommended one week of paternity leave.
- o Leave  accumulation  and  encashment  facility  up  to  180  days  has  been introduced.

- o Online system of engagement has been recommended.
- o Alternate livelihood condition for engagement of GDSs has been relaxed.
- o Voluntary Discharge scheme has been recommended.
- o The Discharge age has been retained at 65 years.
- o The Limited Transfer Facility has been relaxed from 1 time to 3 times for male GDSs. There will be no restriction on number of chances for transfer of women GDSs. The powers for transfer has been delegated to the concerned Divisional head.
- o The  ex-gratia  payment  during  put  off  period  should  be  revised  to  35%  from 25% of the wage and DA drawn immediately before put off.
- o The Committee has recommended preferring transfer before put off duty.

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