All India Postal Employees Union Postmen and MTS

PERMISSION TO OPT FOR PAY FIXATION IN THE REVISED PAY STRUCTURE ON A DATE AFTER THE DATE OF ISSUE OF CCS (REVISED PAY) RULES 2016 NOTIFICATION DATED 25.07.2016 DEMAND OF THE JCM NATIONAL COUNCIL STAFF SIDE REJECTED BY GOVERNMENT.

JCM national council, Staff Side, has demanded that under the existing orders the option to come over to revised pay structure from the date of promotion is available only for those employees who are promoted before 25.07.2016. The staff side has demanded that such an option of fixation of pay for coming over to revised pay scale may be given to employees promoted after 25.07.2016 also. The staff side has contended that not giving such an option to an employee who was due for promotion on a date after 25.07.2016 (say on 26.07.2016) will be discriminatory. Government has considered the demand and rejected. The following is the reply of the Finance Ministry, Department of Expenditure.

(M. Krishnan)

Secretary General

Confederation

Mob: 09447068125

Email:  mkrishnan6854@gmail.com

DEPARTMENT OF EXPENDITURE VIDE OM DATED 30.08.2017

The position on action taken in respect of item regarding permission to opt for pay fixation in the revised pay structure on a date after the issue of CCS (RP) Rules 2016 (notification on 25.07.2016) in the case of employees whose promotion becomes due after 25.07.2016 is given below:

In the said item the staff side has demanded that under the existing orders the option to come over to revised pay scale from the date of promotion is available only for those employees who are promoted before 25.07.2016, the date of notification of CCS (RP) Rules 2016. The staff side has demanded that such an option of fixation of pay for coming over to revised pay scale may be given to employees promoted after 25.07.2016 also. The staff side has contended that not giving such an option to an employee who was due for promotion on 26.07.2016 (one day after the date of notification) and afterwards will be discriminatory.

The revised Pay rules contained in CCS (RP) Rules 2016 are effective from 01.01.2016. A person holding a particular post as on 01.01.2016 has an option to come over to revised pay scale applicable to that post either straight away on 01.01.2016 or from a date later than that such an option is clearly mentioned in provisio 1 and provisio 2 of Rule 5. A combined reading of provisio 1 and provisio 2 to Rule 5 provided that a Government  Servant may elect to continue to draw pay in the existing pay structure until the date on which he earns his next or any subsequent increment in the existing pay structure or until he vacates his post or ceases to draw pay in the existing pay structure.

But, in cases where a Government servant has been placed in a higher grade pay or scale between 01.01.2016 and the date of notification of CCS (RP) Rules 2016 on account of promotion or upgradation, the Government servant may elect to switch over to the revised pay structure from the date of such promotion or upgradation.

Therefore the rules provide while in respect of post held by a Government Servant as on 01.01.2016, the concerned Government Servant may elect to come over to revised pay scaleapplicable to that post either from 01.01.2016 or from a date later than 01.01.2016, in case he is promoted to a post not held by him on 01.01.2016 on a date later than that, then he can opt to come over to revised pay scale from the date of promotion provided such promotion takes place between 01.01.2016 and the date of notification. Thus the date of notification of the Rules on 25.07.2016 which are effective from 01.01.2016 is the outer limit for option in cases the option is from date of promotion. The similar was the provisions in the Rules pertaining to the 6^th CPC in terms of CCs (RP) Rules 2008. This is the fair and time tested rule, as it seeks to allow option in case of promotion during the retrospective effect of the Rules. There has to be outer date and that date is the date of notification of CCS (RP) Rules 2016, which is objective and of fair application. No such objective date beyond 25.07.2016 could be of fair application.

Accordingly it is not possible to agree to the demand of the staff-side.