Confederation meeting held at Pune - Minutes

CONFEDERATION OF AUDIT & ACCOUNTS EMPLOYEES & OFFICERS’ ORGANISATIONS

15/31 (1^st Floor), VASUNDHARA, P.O. VASUNDHARA-201012

CAMP: PUNE DATE: 28 NOVEMBER 2016

The Executive Committee of the Confederation of Audit & Accounts Employees and Officers’ Organisations held a meeting at National Defence Academy of Financial Management (Regional Training Centre), Pune. Shri Arun Vidwans presided over the meeting.  The following members participated in the meeting:

1.      Shri Arun Vidwans               President

2.      Shri A. B. Sen                       Secretary General

3.      Shri Suhash Safai                 Additional Secretary General

4.      Shri S. S. Prabhakar             Finance Secretary

5.      Smt.  Prasanna Kumari       Assistant Secretary

6.      Shri N. D. Bloch                   Zonal Secretary (West Zone)

7.      Shri K.S.Dubey                     Zonal Secretary (Central Zone)

8.      Shri Anil Khaparde              Additional Secretary, NAF

9.      Smt. A. Parekh                    Audit & Accounts Pensioners Association

10.  Smt. N.Prabhakar               Audit & Accounts Pensioners Association

11.  Shri C. S. Chouhan-             Audit & Accounts Pensioners Association 

12.  Shri Liladhar Bathan-         Postal Accounts                                                   9425923459

At the outset all the members participated in well attended open meeting held here to felicitate Shri Suhash Safai who is going to retire from government service on 30^th November 2016, after attaining the age of superannuation. In speeches delivered by the dignitaries and colleagues of Shri Safai it is observed that Shri Safai led a memorable active Service period in the Defence Accounts service. He earned love and respect from employees and officers. As per compulsion of CCS (RSA) Rules, Shri Safai will hand over responsibility of the Association to his successor after retirement.

The meeting took up the following agenda for discussion:-

1.      To discuss the deficiencies noticed in implementation of 7CPC recommendations regarding Audit and Organised Accounts cadres.

2.      To felicitate Shri Suhas Safai on his superannuation from government service.

3.      To discuss an agitation program for realization of important demands of Audit and Accounts personnel.

4.      To discuss about formation of Pensioners’ Association for Audit and Accounts Department’s pensioners.

5.      Any other matter with permission of the Chair.

The 7^th CPC has made contradictory recommendations regarding pay scales of Organised Accounts Departments and IA&AD leading to undesirable implementation decisions by the government. Some instances are noted below:-

We demanded merger of posts of Accountants / auditors with Senior Accountants / Senior Auditors respectively. The Commission has not accepted our demand, however, in IA&AD Chapter it has recommended grant of Grade Pay of 4200 to Auditors/ Accountants with a rider of recruitment rules having interview after written examination for graduates in direct entry system. This condition is fulfilled only in case of direct recruits in the posts of JAO in Railways. The Railway Recruitment Board only holds interview of successful candidates in written examination.

1.      The IV th CPC recommended parity in pay scales of Audit and Accounts cadres and the same was accepted by the government. Therefore, implementation of the recommendation in case of JAOs of Railway Accounts can only be legitimately lead to extension of the same benefit to all similarly placed Accountants/ Auditors in the same pay sale by grant of 4200 in pre-revised pay scale. The present government has not implemented this yet. We have already taken up this matter with the government; the NFIR has taken up this issue with the Railway Board on the request of AIRASA.

2.      The 7CPC has recommended parity in pay scale of Senior Auditors/ Senior Accountants and Accounts Assistants of Railway Accounts with Assistants of the Central Secretariat Service. The Government has not accepted this. We have written letter to PM seeking his intervention to ensure implementation of the 7CPC report in this case.

3.      A section of bureaucracy has antagonistic attitude towards Audit and accounts to such extent that they did not even care to implement the decision of the Cabinet in 2008 while Government approved grant of GP of 5400 to AAOs after completion of 4 years of service. The matter was taken up by the AAOs of Defence Accounts Department in Principal bench of CAT, New Delhi. This came to our notice when the Pay Commission was finalizing there report. We immediately brought to the notice of the CPC and they have incorporated this in their recommendation. However, the government has not yet implemented the recommendation. We have written to the PM for his personal attention to this matter and cause action to ensure implementation of the recommendation of the CPC without further delay.

4.      Regarding pay scale of EDP, the Commission has left the matter for decision by the government. No effective decision has been taken till date by the government.

5.      HRA, Transport Allowance and Daily Allowance. Despite clear recommendations of the CPC the government has adopted delay tactic and referred the issues to a committee to decide. It is apprehended that the date of effect will also be from a subsequent date and not from 1.1. 2016. This meeting feels the date of effect should be effective from 1. 1. 2016.

6.      MACP should be effective from 1. 1. 2016.

7.      Recommendation of the 7CPC on Stepping up issue has to be accepted by the government.

We feel, to get the above demands clinched, a systematic agitation is required to be launched by audit & Accounts organisations.  The following steps may be taken by the constituent federations under intimation to this Confederation.

1.      The Federations should write to the Secretary, Department of Expenditure, and Ministry of Finance for fulfillment of the above demands by 15^th of December 2016.

2.      Observe Demands Day on 22^nd December 2016 by holding General Body Meeting and passing resolution which may be forwarded to the Secretary, Department of Expenditure through proper channel.

3.      Observe postcard campaign on the above demands from 9^th to 13^th January 2017 involving all members. The post cards to be addressed to the Finance Minister of India.

4.      Day long Dharna may be observed on 8^th February 2017 respective office premises demanding immediate settlement of the demands.

The next phase of program shall be decided after review of the progress by the National Executive Committee during second week of February 2017.

The distress faced by employees and officers working in central government Departments and the Pensioners due to demonitisation was discussed and it was decided that this Confederation shall demand payment of salary and pension in cash till the situation regarding cash availability is resolved.

On Formation of Audit and Accounts Pensioners Association.

The issue of formation of Audit and Accounts Pensioner’s was discussed and it was felt that to take up issues relating to retired personnel from Audit and Accounts Departments, a separate platform is need of the hour. After detailed discussion it was decided that an Ad-hoc committee would be formed to take up necessary steps to prepare a constitution, contact retired personnel from Audit and Accounts Department and convene next meeting to give final shape.

To start with there shall be three tier organisations, (1) Central Level Organisation (2) Departmental Level Organisation (3) State /station Level organisation of each Department.

The Central Level Organisation is constituted with the following members:

Chairman: Shri S.K.Safai

Convener:  Shri S. S. Prabhakar

Executive Members

1.      Shri Bhopal Singh

2.      Shri P. K. Shakhuja

3.      Shri C.B.P.Singh

4.      Shri Swapan Majumder

5.      Shri Santosh Choudhuri

6.      Shri G. C. Parida

7.      Smt. A. Parekh

8.      Smt. N.Prabhakar

9.      Shri Bhagwan Singh Parmar

10.  Shri Kripashankar Srivastav

11.  K. Kuppu Rao

12.  Taizuddin Ahmed

13.  M. S. Rathi

14.  Shri R.C.P.Singh

(Arun Vidwans)

President.

CONFEDERATION OF AUDIT & ACCOUNTS EMPLOYEES & OFFICERS’ ORGANISATIONS

15/31 (1^st Floor), VASUNDHARA, P.O. VASUNDHARA-201012

(M) 9899983035

Ref: Confd./Cir./12/16                                                                         Date: December 4, 2016

Dear friends.

Enclosed please find the copy of minutes of the NE meeting held at Pune on 28^th November 2016. The meeting was very successful as well as productive, as some decisions have been taken to build up movement in protest against government’s apathy towards legitimate claims of the personnel belonging to Organised Accounts Departments and IA&AD. The constituent Federations are requested to implement the programs unanimously decided in the meeting.

Regarding the issue of grant of upgraded pay scale to AAOs as per recommendations of the 7^th CPC, it is learnt that Railway Board has requested the government to implement the recommendation of the Commission by grant of GP Rs.5400 in pre-revised scale to AAOs on completion of 4 years of service. We are expecting to receive a copy of the letter of the Railway Board through good offices of the NFIR.

All he constituents are requested to send reports of implementation of the programs to the Confederation for further necessary action.

With warm greetings,

Fraternally yours,

(A.   B. Sen)

Secretary General.