Grant of appropriate Pay Scale & Status to DEOs working in Civil Accounts setup of CBEC – NFCAA

Central Office: – Address for Communication:-

16-A, Akbar Road Hutments, 17/2 – C, P & T Quarters,New Delhi: – 110011 Kali Bari Marg, New Delhi-110001

No: AICAEA/HQ/A-29/2012/2008-009

Dated: 15th November, 2012

To,

1. The Controller General of Accounts,

Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure,

Loknayak Bhawan, Khan Market, New Delhi – 110003

2. The Principal Chief Controller of Accounts,

Central Board of Excise & Customs, A.G.C.R. Building, 1st Floor, ‘A’ Wing,

I.P. Estate, New Delhi – 110002

Subject: Grant of appropriate Pay Scale & Status to DEOs working in Civil Accounts setup of CBEC.

Sir,

I would like to draw your kind attention to the following few lines for your kind consideration and favourable action:-

A. Posts of Key-Punch-Operators (KPO) were created in different Pay and Accounts Offices of CBEC setup by downgrading the posts of Accountants in the year 1985/86. The persons recruited against those posts had been initially placed in the pay scale of Rs. 950-1500 with a special pay of Rs. 40/-(Rupees Forty only).

B.   After implementation of recommendations of 4th CPC, the posts of KPOS were re-designated as Data Entry Operators (DEOs) Grade ‘A’  and placed in the Pay Scale of Rs. 1150-1500 with effect from 11.09.1989. The date of effect was however, subsequently changed to 01.01.1986 by your office on the basis of the judgment passed by the Pr.CAT, New Delhi in this respect.

C.   After the 5th Pay Commission, DEOs were granted the scale of Rs. 4000-6000 from 01.01.1996 instead of pay scale of Rs. 3050-4590, the replacement pay scale of Rs. 1150-1500.

D.  Against 1st Financial Up-gradation under ACP Scheme 1999, DEOs were placed in the scale of Rs. 4500-7000. Subsequently they have been granted Grade Pay of Rs. 2800 with Pay in the PB-I (Rs. 5200-20200) being the replacement scale of Rs. 4500-7000 under CCS (Revise Pay) Rules, 2007. Further

E.   The DEOs have been granted grade Pay of Rs. 4200 in the PB-II (Rs. 9300-34800) as 2nd Financial Up-gradation under MACP scheme with effect from 01.09.2008. Both the Grade Pay of Rs. 2800 & 4200 identify the erstwhile hierarchy in the post of UDC/Accountant/Auditor in the Pre-Revise Pay Scale.

F.   The existing provisions of the Recruitment rules of DEO do not provide any scope for their career advancement. None of the DEOs have ever been promoted to next higher grade from the date of their initial recruitment – which is the exceptional situation for the cadre. In order to remove this stalemate in the career prospects of DEOs, this Association has been demanding for last two decades to merge this cadre with the cadre of Accountant/Senior Accountant not only on the ground that DEOs should have promotional benefits but due to the fact that functionally DEOs are not required in the Civil Accounts Organization as majority of them have been deployed in such type of works which are generally done by the Accountant/ Sr. Accountants.

G.  Job evaluation of a post is the primary criterion for determination of pay scale for the post and not educational qualification. Methodology followed by all Commission/Committee for determination of Pay Scale appears to be scientific as main determination factor is the job content of the particular post. It has been noted that the 6th Central Pay Commission took opinion of some specialized institutions in this regard.  According to views of such institutions the question of educational qualification, experience etc. arises at a later stage at the time of framing of Recruitment Rules for the particular post. To regulate the promotion in different cadres of the by the Government Departments such procedure is being followed. Similarly, for promotion from the feeder grade of DEO Grade “A” in the pay scale of Rs. 1150-1500 to Grade B in the pay scale of Rs. 1350-2200 there is no condition of possessing a Degree.

H.  In this context it may be stated here that  the Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO) had started functioning in the 1990s under the control of CGA and the DEO’s in the office concerned were recruited from February 1990 onwards.  The DEO’s in this office were directly recruited in the Pay Scale of Rs. 1150-1500 as DEO Grade ‘A’. Out of 49 DEO’s listed in the Office only 10 had joined in CPAO in February, 1990. Remaining DEO’s joined thereafter. In the Central Pension Accounting Office DEO Grade “A” and DEO Grade “B” were granted the scale of Rs. 1350-2200 from the date of their initial appointment.  Since the Pay and Accounts Offices of CBEC and Central Pension Accounting Office are under the control of the Controller General of Accounts for all purpose and as par the recruitment rules DEOs framed by CGA, the service conditions of DEOs of CBEC and CPAO are one and the same, there cannot be two different set of pay scales for the DEOs working these two setups.

I.     Further, the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) has granted the Pay Scale of Rs. 1350-2200 DEO  to Grade ‘A’ from 01.01.1986. The Defence Accounts is a part of Organized Accounting Services and pay scales of all cadres of Defence Accounts Department and Civil Accounts organization are same. As such the DEOs should not have different pay scales in two departments.

Therefore, on behalf of this Association, I request you to kindly consider the above discussed facts and bring the DEOs of CBEC set up on par with the DEOs of CPAO of Civil Accounts organization and the Defence Accounts Department by granting them the pre-revised pay scale of Rs.1350 – 2200 with effect from 01-01-1986.

This Association shall be thankful if an early favourable response to this letter is given.

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,

Sd/-

(V.Bhattacharjee)

Secretary General