Reckoning Grade Pay Rs.4200/- Level 6 of 7th CPC Pay Matrix as entry Grade Pay for granting financial upgradation under MACPS to Station Master Category in Railways

Reckoning Grade Pay Rs.4200/- Level 6 of 7th CPC Pay Matrix as entry Grade Pay for granting financial upgradation under MACPS to Station Master Category in Railways.

NFIR

National Federation of Indian Railwaymen
3, CHELMSFORD ROAD, NEW DELHI – 110055

Affiliated to :
Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)
International Transport Workers: federation (ITF)

No. IV/MACPS/09/2019

Dated: 09/04/2019

The Secretary (E),
Railway Board,
New Delhi

Dear Sir,

Sub: Reckoning Grade Pay Rs.4200/- Level 6 of 7th CPC Pay Matrix as entry Grade Pay for granting financial upgradation under MACPS to Station Master Category in Railways – Reg.

Ref: (i) NFIR’s PNM Item No. 15/2017.
(ii) Railway Board’s letter No. PC-VII/2016/RSRP/2 dated 02/08/2016
[Annexure-B Note 2/RBE No. 93/2016].
(iii) Railway Board’s letter No. PC-V/2009/ACP/2 dated 10/06/2009.
(iv) NFIR’s letter No.IV/NFIR/MACPS/2009/Part II dated 28/05/2017 & 04/01/2018
(v) NFIR’S letter No.IV/MACPS/09/Part II dated 29/01/2018.

Kind attention of Railway Board is invited to Federation’s PNM Agenda Item No. 15/2017, proposing grant of 3rd financial upgradation under MACP Scheme to the Station Masters entered in GP 2800 which got merged with GP 4200 / Level-6 w.e.f. 01/01/2016 vide Railway Board’s instructions dated
02/08/2016 (RBE No. 93/2016), pursuant to acceptance of 7th CPC recommendation. Federation is however disappointed that the Railway Board has not yet considered for granting GP 5400 / Level-9 as financial upgradation to those Station Masters who have completed 30 years of service.

Federation has however learnt that the Railway Board vide letter No. PC-V/2009/ACP/5/CR dated 11/12/2017 has issued a clarification to the General Manager (P), Central Railway stating that the upgradation of ASM in GP 2800 to the post of SM in GP 4200 has to be counted as promotion for the
purpose of MACPS and therefore the GP 4200 (now Pay Level-6) cannot be treated as entry Grade. This clarification of the Railway Board is totally unjustified due to the fact that the said decision violates policy instructions as mentioned below:-

• The Railway Board have cited Item No. 31 of Board’s letter No. PC-V/99/I/1/1 dated,19/02/2002 to deny the benefit. The Federation on going through the contents of Item No. 31 of Board’s letter dated, 19/02/2002 found following provision.

“Where all the posts are placed in a higher scale of pay, with or without a change in the designation; without requirement of any new qualification for holding the post in the higher grade, not specified in the Recruitment Rules for the existing post, and without involving any change in responsibilities and duties, then placement of all the incumbents against such upgraded posts is not be treated as promotion/upgradation”.

Since the upgradation of ASMs GP 2800 to GP 4200 as SM has been done as a result of acceptance of 7th CPC recommendation by the Government with slight change in the designation but without change in the qualification and any change in responsibilities and duties, therefore, the placement of all such incumbents against the upgraded posts cannot be treated as promotion / upgradation.

• Federation fur1her desires to clarify that the later part of the conditions mentioned against Item No.31 are not at all relevant to the case of Station Master category.
• Further in Board’s letter dated 02/08/2016 (93/2016), it has clearly been mentioned vide Item No. 2.1 of Annexure ‘B’ that in the case of ASMs GP 2800, their Grade Pay has to be revised to Gp 4200, therefore they are to be fitted in Pay Level-6 of 7th CPC. Note at Item No. 2 clearly states that ASMs in GP 2800 should be upgraded to 4200 and then fitted in the revised pay Matrix and the designation of ASM shall stand abolished and the post of ASMs shall stand merged with the post of Station Master (GP 4200) along with functions. However, the Note further states that the revised AVC, inter-se-seniority, recruitment rules, classification as decided by the Board, will be issued through separate letters. There are no instructions to treat such upgradation as promotion particularly for those ASMs who have been recruited in GP 2800/-.
• Federation also brings to the notice of Railway Board the condition no. 5 mentioned in Annexure to Board’s letter dated 10/06/2009 (RBE No. 101/2009) which stipulates as under:-

“Promotions earned/upgradations granted under the ACP Scheme in the past to those grades which now carry the same Grade Pay due to merger of pay scales/upgradations of posts by the 6th Pay Commission shall be ignored for the purpise of granting upgradation under MACPS”.

Federation further states that based on the above position, Railway Board have issued clarification vide letter dated 10/06/2009 (RBE No. 17/2009), that on the analogy of Para 5 of the Annexure to Board’s letter dated 10/06/2009, that promotions earned or upgradations granted under ACP Scheme of 01/01/1999 in the past to the four pay scales mentioned above, which now carry the Grade Pay of Rs.1800 shall be ignored for the purpose of MACPS.

Federation requests the Railway Board to kindly review the case denovo, taking into account the points raised above as also the PNM Agenda Item No. 15/2017 and grant 3rd MACP to the Station Masters in GP 5400/ Pay Level-9 on completion of 30 years service. The subject will be discussed in the ensuing PNM meeting with the Railway Board on 25th/26th April. 2019.

Yours faithfully,
(Dr.M.Raghavaiah)
General Secretary

Source: NFIR