MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE GDS COMMITTEE UNDER
THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF SHRI KAMALESH CHANDRA.
The Committee’s major recommendations are summarized below.
1. 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.
New Wage Scales
1. 10,000
- 24,470 (Other than BPM Level 1)
2.
12,000
- 29,380 (Other
than BPM Level 2 &
BPM
Level 1)
3.
14,500 -
35,480 (BPM Level 2)
2. The
minimum working hours of GDS Post offices and GDSs is
increased to 4 hours from 3 hours.
3. The
new working hours for GDS Post Offices will be 4 hours
and 5 hours only.
4. The
Level 1 GDS Post Offices/GDSs will have 4 hours as
working hours and Level- 2 will have 5 hours
as working
hours.
5. The
Point System for assessment of workload of BPMs has
been abolished.
6. 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
which presently have 15% anticipated income
norms.
7. 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.
8. The
GDSs BPMs will be paid Revenue Linked Allowance @10%
beyond Level 2 wage scale if they will be
successful in
achieving revenue beyond prescribed norms.
9. 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. The
Committee has recommended a set of actions for
each
category of GDS Post Offices.
10. The six approved
categories of GDs 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.
11. The
job profile of Multi Tasking GDS is expanded to include
work such as Business Development and
Marketing etc. Their
jobs will no more be confined to their old
designations. The
Assistant BPM will assist BPMs for increasing
revenue
generation.
12. 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).
13. The
minimum wage has been increased to Rs.10000/- per
month and maximum to Rs.35,480/- per month.
14. The
rate of annual increase is recommended as 3%.
15. 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.
16. Children
Education Allowance @ Rs.6000/- per child per annum
has
been introduced for GDSs.
17. Risk
& Hardship Allowance@ Rs.500/- per month for GDSs
working in the special areas has also been
introduced.
18. A
Financial upgradation has been introduced at 12 years, 24
years and 36 years of services in form of two
advance
additional annual increases.
19. The
Celling of ex-gratia gratuity has been increased from
Rs.60,000 to Rs.5,00,000/-.
20. 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.
21. The
coverage of GDS Group Insurance Scheme has been
enhanced from Rs.50,000/- to Rs.5,00,000/-.
22. The
contribution of Department in Circle Welfare Fund (CWF)
has been increased from Rs.100/- per annum to
Rs.300/- per
annum.
23. The
scope of CWF is extended to cover immediate family
members such as spouse; daughters, sons and
dependent
daughters in law in the scheme.
24. The
Committee also recommended 10% hike in the prescribed
limits of financial grants and assistance in
the Circle Welfare
Fund.
25. The
Committee has recommended addition of Rs.10,000/- for
purchase of Tablet/Mobile from the Circle
Welfare Fund in the
head “Financial Assistance from Fund by way of
loans with
lower rate of interest (5%)”.
26. Provision
of 26 weeks of Maternity Leave for women GDSs has
been recommended.
27. The
wages for the entire period of Maternity Leave is
recommended to be paid from salary head from
where wages
of
GDSs are paid.
28. The
Committee has also recommended one week of Paternity
Leave.
29. The
Committee has recommended 5 days of emergency leave
per annum.
30. Leave
accumulation and encashment facility up to 180 days has
been introduced.
31. Online
system of engagement has been recommended.
32. The
maximum age limit of 50 years for Direct Recruitment of
GDSs has been abolished.
33. Minimum
one year of GDS service will now be required for
GDSs for Direct Recruitment into Department
cadres such as
MTS/Postman/Mail Guard.
34. Alternate
livelihood condition for engagement of GDSs has been
relaxed.
35. Voluntary
Discharge Scheme has been recommended.
36. The
Discharge age has been retained at 65 years.
37. 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
power for transfer
has been delegated to the concerned Divisional
head.
38. 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.
39. The
Committee has recommended preferring transfer before
put off duty.
40. The
Compassionate Engagement of GDSs has been relaxed to
give benefits to eligible dependents in all
cases of death of GDS
while in service.