Joint Committee on Standard Pay Scales of E2, E3 Etc for Jtos, Sdes Etc

Joint committee on standard pay scales of E2, E3 etc for JTOs, SDEs etc

Background:

1. The 2nd wage revision order was issued by DPE vide letter No. 2(70)/08-DPE(WC) dated 26.11.2008 with revised pay scales from E0 to E9. There was no replacement scales for the intermediary pay scales of E1A, E2A etc in the DPE order. Again DPE vide letter No. 2(70)/08-DPE(WC)-GL-VII/09 dated 02.04.2009 clarified that: “There will be no change in the ten pay scales of below Board level posts as indicated in OM dated 26.11.2008 and there is no justification for introducing intermediary pay scales. If there have been any aberrations, they need to be corrected. Every officer has to be fitted into the corresponding new pay scale”.

2. BSNL Board approved replacement pay scales of E1A, E2A, E3, ------etc and send it to the Administrative Ministry, DoT. The replacement scales proposed by BSNL for intermediary pay scales of E1A and E2A was Rs 18850-40500 and Rs 22800-46500 respectively.

3. In 2000, the pay scales are negotiated one to facilitate absorption. Moreover intermediary pay scales are allowed by DPE during that time for other CPSUs also. But on 01.01.2007, all the scales should be the replacement scale, the minimum of the revised pay scale is arrived by multiplying the minimum of pre-revised scale with the multiplication factor. The multiplication factor used by DPE and BSNL for arriving at revised E1A, E2A and E3 scales was 1.91.

4. The minimum of replacement scale of E1A and E2A cannot be less than Rs 18850 and Rs 22800 since on multiplying 9850 with 1.91, it reaches 18850 and 11875 with 1.91 reaches 22800.

5. DoT approved the proposed pay scales except the intermediary pay scales of E1A, E2A and E9A and issued the presidential directive vide letter No.61-01/2009-SU dated 27.02.2009. In the case of intermediary pay scales, DoT mentioned that it will be considered separately.

6. BSNL issued the presidential order dated 05.03.2009 and it is stated that in respect of Executives in E1A and E2A pay scales, their pay may be fixed in the revised E1 and E2 pay scales respectively ----, till the time new scales are notified. BSNL operated E1 and E2 scales in place of E1A and E2A provisionally till the time new scales are notified.

7. BSNL recruited JTOs in 2007 and 2008 with an assurance through the paper notification that “the pay is likely to be revised upwards”.

8. To address the issue of reduction of pay on implementation of E1 pay scales provisionally instead of E1A, Pillai committee recommended 5 increments and fixed then at Rs 19020 as an interim measure till the pay scales are finalized. 9. DoT rejected the intermediary pay scales of E1A and E2A thrice and communicated the same to BSNL. 10. A Joint committee consists of members from official side and General secretaries of SNEA(I), AIBSNLEA and AIGETOA has been constituted on 28.02.2012 with specific terms of reference. One of the terms of reference of the committee was “Due to non approval of E1A and E2A pay scales by Government, to examine the introduction of E2 and E3 pay scales for JTOs, SDEs and equivalent cadres”.

11. BSNL further taken up the E1A and E2A scales with DoT and DoT referred the matter to DPE.

12. DPE vide letter No. W-08/0002/2014-DPE(WC) dated 09.07.2014 turn down the proposal of replacement scales for the intermediary pay scales of E1A and E2A and directed that every officer has to be fixed into standard pay scales. The same has been communicated to BSNL by DoT.

13. The Joint committee has been reconstituted on 08.05.2015 with Sri Mohd Ashraf Khan, ED(NB) as Chairman, Smt Madhu Arora, GM(Estt) and Smt Smita Choudhary, GM(EF) as members.

The terms of reference of the committee are: a. Due to non approval of E1A and E2A pay scales by the Government, to examine the introduction of E2 and E3 pay scales for JTOs, SDE and equivalent cadres. b. To examine the introduction of CPSU cadre hierarchy viz-a-viz present set up. c. To examine the implementation of first time bound promotion uniformly after 4 years w.e.f 01.10.2000.

The committee has given time upto 15.08.2015 to submit its recommendations.

The committee may consider the following facts also:

The replacement scales for the intermediary pay scales of E1A and E2A approved by BSNL Board has been rejected by DoT and DPE and DPE order stipulates that only standard pay scales approved by Govt and notified by DPE on 26.11.2008 has to be implemented by every CPSU and every Executive has to be fixed into standard pay scales.

The multiplication factor used by DPE and BSNL for arriving at revised E1A and E2A scales was 1.91. So the minimum of revised scales of E1A and E2A cannot be less than Rs 18850 and Rs 22800 respectively.

Mandate given to the committee is very much limited: "----- to examine the introduction of E2 and E3 pay scales for JTOs, SDEs and equivalent cadres”. Committee may note that other CPSUs like NTPC, BHEL, ONGC where intermediary pay scales were introduced prior to 01.01.2007 switched over to standard pay scales w.e.f 01.01.2007. All such PSUs switched over to the next higher standard pay scales as the replacement scale cannot be less than that of the replacement scales arriving after the multiplication factor. Examples of NTPC and BHEL given below: NTPC Grade Pre revised scale Revised scale E2 E2 & E3 11225-17250 E3 24900-50500 E2A E3 & E4 12000-17500 E3 24900-50500 E3 E3 & E4 13750-18700 E4 29100-54500 E7 E7 & E8 19000-24750 E8 E7A E7 & E8 19500-25600 E8 51300-73000 E8 E8 20500-26500 E8 BHEL Grade Pre revised scale Revised scale E1 E2 & E3 11225-450-17525 E3 24900-50500 E2 E3 & E4 13750-500-18300 E4 29100-54500 E6A E7 & E8 19500-780-25300 E8 E7 E7 & E8 20000-800-25700 E8 51300-73000 E8 E8 20500-820-26500 E8 Committee may also note that such CPSUs in which intermediary pay scales were available, after the switching over to the standard pay scales, retained more than one grade in the same pay scales in order to continue with the promotional avenues and promotions offered from one grade to the next higher grade on the same scale.

For example: a) NTPC giving promotions from E1 to E2 grade and E2 to E2A grade in the same pay scale of Rs. 24900-50500 (E3 scale). b) From E6 to E7, E7 to E7A and E7A to E8 grades in the same pay scale of Rs. 51300- 73000 (E8 scale). c) BHEL giving promotions from E4 to E5 grade and E5 to E6 grade in the same pay scale of Rs. 43200-66000 (E7 scale). d) From E6 to E6A, E6A to E7 and E7 to E8 grades in the same pay scale of Rs. 51300- 73000 (E8 scale).

Necessary changes in the TBP order dated 18.01.2007 and RRs of JTO, SDE and equivalent cadres can be done by the respective cadre controlling authorities.

The committee may consider the fact that the recommendations shall pass the test of a) Management committee of BSNL Board, b) The full BSNL Board with DoT/External directors and the scrutiny of DoT for issuing the presidential orders.

The recommendation of the committee is going to decide the future of about 10,000 young Executives. A positive decision will motivate about 10,000 executives for another 25 to 30 years of their service and a negative decision will demotivate and demoralize them for the same period of 25 to 30 years.