Travelling Allowance (TA) requires change in FCI
Swarup Mukherjee
FCI Hqrs. Vide Circular no. EP-13-2009-07 dated 26.02.2009 has reviseded the travelling allowance (TA) entitlement of its staff and officers w.e.f 26.02.2009. However certain deviation of norms followed earlier in respect of TA entitlement has given rise to some amount of discontentment and dissents, especially amongst the Cat-II executives who has been placed in somewhat disadvantageous position in respect of earlier entitlements. How the entitlements have been arrived upon, is not clear since it i. did not follow thepatterns adopted earlier ii. neither, it followed the CDA- IDA parity in arriving upon the entitlements. Thus FCI Officers Association may kindly take up the matter with the management and try to implement a revised circular on the matter.
1. In FCI Daily allowance (DA) and travelling allowance (TA) for staff in IDA pattern are not traditionally linked with recommendations for CDA staff. For example, in FCI there existed difference between TA entitlement between CDA and IDA pattern employees, before 2009, IDA being placed in an advantageous position, as given under:
CDA employees in FCI
Journey by Rail
Pay Range (1) Entitlement (2)
Rs.6,500/- and above but less than Rs.8,OOO First Class/II AC III-Tier Sleeper /AC Chair Car
Travel by Rajadhani Express Trains
Pay Range Entitlement
(1) (2)
All other drawing pay AC Chair Car
below Rs. 8,000/-
IDA employees in FCI
Journey by Rail
Pay Range Entitlement
Rs. 9,100/- and above but below Rs.18,000/- lI nd AC - 2 Tier Sleeper
Rs. 8,600/- and above but below Rs.9,100 First class/AC-II Tire Sleeper / AC Chair Car.
Travel by Rajdhani Express Trains:
Pay Range Entitlement
As. 9,100/- and above II AC-2 Tier Sleeper
but below Rs. 18,000/-
2. As can be seen here, there is no relativity in travelling entitlement between IDA and CDA pattern in II AC-2 Tier Sleeper . Similar discrepancy also existed in case of travelling entitlement in Journey by Sea or By River Steamer:
Pay Range Entitlement
(i) Rs. 9,100/- and above Highest Class
(ii) Rs. 8,600/- and above If there are two classes only
but below 9,100/- in the steamer, the lower class.
Travel by Ships operated by Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., between the Main Land & Andaman & Nicobar Group Islands I Lakshadweep Group of Islands:
Pay Range Entitlement
(i) Executive drawing pay of Delux Class
Rs. 9,100/- and above
But for CDA employee the these were the entitlement of scale Rs.8000/-
3. Thus, a Cat –II officer (i.e. Manager) in IDA had the entitlement for those classes after a service of 2 years. While the same was available to a CDA officer in Cat II after a period of 8 years.
4. But this year (2009) the revised TA entitlement has been based entirely and are completely linked with travelling allowance (TA) for staff in CDA pattern and followed the 6th CPC recommendations, ignoring the traditional edge IDA pattern employees had over CDA STAFFS in FCI.
5. For example, the prevailing entitlement of Central Govt. Staff (CDA) is now as under
CDA (Central Govt. Employees)
Grade pay (1) Entitlement (2)
Rs. 5400/- and Rs. 6600/- Economy class by Air/AC II by Train
Rs. 4200/-, Rs.4600/- and Rs. 4800/- II AC 2 Tier Sleeper
Below Rs.4200/- First Class/II AC III-Tier Sleeper /AC Chair Car
Both IDA and CDA employees) in FCI
Designation (1) Entitlement (2)
Category I Economy class by Air/AC II by Train
Manager and AG I II AC 2 Tier Sleeper
AG-II & AG-III First Class/II AC III-Tier Sleeper /AC Chair Car
Similarly for journey in sea or river Steamer, the entitlements are as under:
CDA (Central Govt. Employees)
Grade pay (1) Entitlement (2)
Rs. 5400/- and above Highest Class
Rs. 4200/-, Rs.4600/- and Rs. 4800/- If there are two classes only in the steamer, the lower class
Both IDA and CDA employees) in FCI
Designation (1) Entitlement (2)
Category I Highest Class
Manager and AG I If there are two classes only in the steamer, the lower class
Travel by Ships operated by Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., between the Main Land & Andaman & Nicobar Group Islands I Lakshadweep Group of Islands:
CDA (Central Govt. Employees)
Grade pay (1) Entitlement (2)
Rs. 5400/- and above Delux Class
Rs. 4200/-, Rs.4600/- and Rs. 4800/- First/ “A” cabin
Both IDA and CDA employees) in FCI
Designation (1) Entitlement (2)
Category I Delux Class
Manager and AG I First/ “A” cabin
6. It is clearly evident that the travel entitlement in FCI has not been differentiated for CDA and IDA staffs, which in general following the pattern for central Govt. staffs, but differs it in the sense that in Central Govt. the entitlement is liked with grade pay and not with any post. Thus if a post has an opportunity to get higher grade pay in future, the entitlement of such employees may also be enhanced (as we will find later). But in FCI such approach is not followed, parhaps because of absence of grade pay.
7. Even the traditional edge IDA employees used to have is dispensed with in the new system. Here comes a peculiar situation, when managers having basic pay of Rs. 9100/- and above were already entitled for journey by certain classes, are no longer entitled to it. However, it is an established principle that once an employee has a certain entitlement, it cannot be reduced to such entitlements which is disadvantageous to such employees. In fact, the spirit of recommendations in 6th CPC is to enhance the entitlements and entitlements of not a single class of employees have been reduced.
8. It is also not clear that how the relativity between FCI designations and corresponding grades in CDA pattern is arrived upon. It may be pertinent to show the relativity of designation in FCI with that of CDA pattern.
Description of post Corresponding categories of posts in the Directorate Genl. Of Food
(As per FCI Staff Regulation)
Dy. Genl.Manager Director
Asstt. Genl.Manager Dy. Director
Manager Office Superintendent/Section Officer
Assistant Grade.I Assistant superintendents, Accountants
Assistant Grade.II Sr. Clerks, Deputy Accountants
Assistant Grade.III Jr. Clerks, (who do not know typing) Comptometer operator
9. It may also be pertinent to show the revised and upgraded pay pattern of the above post under CDA pattern. (ref: Para 3.1.9 of the report of 6th CPC “Recommendations)
3.1.9 Accordingly, the Commission recommends upgradation of the entry scale of Section Officers in all Secretariat Services (including CSS as well as non participating ministries/departments/organizations) to Rs.7500-12000 corresponding to the revised pay band PB 2 of Rs.8700-34800 along with grade pay of Rs.4800. Further, on par with the dispensation already available in CSS, the Section Officers in other Secretariat Offices, which have always had an established parity with CSS/CSSS, shall be extended the scale of Rs.8000-13500 in Group B corresponding to the revised pay band PB 2 of Rs.8700-34800 along with grade pay of Rs.4800 on completion of four years service in the lower grade. This will ensure full parity between all Secretariat Offices. It is clarified that the pay band PB 2 of Rs.8700- 34800 along with grade pay of Rs.4800 is being recommended for the post of Section Officer in these services solely to maintain the existing relativities which were disturbed when the scale was extended only to the Section Officers in CSS. The grade carrying grade pay of Rs.4800 in pay band PB-2 is, otherwise, not to be treated as a regular grade and should not be extended to any other category of employees. These recommendations shall apply mutatis-mutandis to post of Private Secretary/equivalent in these services as well. The structure of posts in Secretariat Offices would now be as under:-
|
Post scale |
Pre revised pay
|
Corresponding revised pay band and grade pay |
|
LDC |
Rs.3050-4590 |
PB-1 of Rs.4860-20200 along with grade pay of Rs.1900 |
|
UDC |
Rs.4000-6000 |
PB-1 of Rs.4860-20200 along with grade pay of Rs.2400 |
|
Assistant |
Rs.6500-10500 |
PB-2 of Rs.8700-34800 along with grade pay of Rs.4200 |
|
Section Officer
|
Rs.7500-12000 Rs.8000-13500* (on completion of four years) |
PB-2 of Rs.8700-34800 along with grade pay of Rs.4800. PB-2 of Rs.8700-34800 along with grade pay of Rs.5400* (on completion of four years)
|
10. Thus, the scale Rs. 6500/- 10500/-, which was earlier the scale of SO has become the scale of Assitants, and the S/O scale has been upgraded to Rs.7500-12000 - Rs.8000-13500* (on completion of four years). Since posts in FCI are having historical relativity and parity with these CDA scales, relativity of scale of that of managers should be treated as Rs.7500-12000 - Rs.8000-13500* (on completion of four years). Hence, all the entitlements of Managers should also be realigned with entitlement of the said scale in CDA, if such entitlements in FCI are primarily based upon CDA pattern.
11. Since, grade pay of S/O is upgraded from 4800/- to 5400/- after 4 years, entitlement of managers should also be realigned to such stage after 4 years. Thus, Managers should also be entitled for Air joiurney, at least after four years of service, if the FCI Revised TA entitlement circular is primarily based upon the spirit of CDA pattern.
12. However, it is desirable that FCI Officers Assotiation should strive to restore the earlier approach of TA entitlement where IDA employees were having the edge and present system of entletlement being linked with the designation should also be dispensed with by the earlier system of pay scale/stage based entitlements.
--
-Swarup@Shillong
saikat ghosh
Right now, the focus of the Association is to ensure that the FCI Officers get their proper dues in the pay revision process and get all benefits allowed by the DPE.
It would perhaps be better to take up other issues only thereafter.
Saikat Ghosh