Purely in-justice done by DOP to the Postmaster Cadre

This is regarding issue related to Department of Posts, in which some officials are deprived of the legitimate opportunity as a Citizen/Employee as per the Constitution and against to the Article 14 and 16 of Indian Constitution.  The Details are narrated below.

W.r.t. to Memo No. 4-17/2008-SPB-II issued by the DOP dated 22-11-2011, it is mentioned in the letter that consequent on induction of technology in Postal Operations there is a requirement of Professional Managers to manage the key post offices and hence the cadre of Postmaster is created carving out the posts from the existing LSG, HSG II, HSG III. 

Precisely the in-justice done the Postmaster Cadre is as follows.

1.       Postmaster Grade I posts are Carved out from LSG Vacancies.  The duties and responsibilities of Postmaster Grade I and LSG Postmaster are same even more for Postmaster Grade I to live up to the spirit of creation of Post master Cadre.

But

1.       LSG Official is eligible to appear IPO examination but Postmaster Grade I official could not appear

2.       LSG Official is eligible to appear for PSS Group B examination with 5 years of service but the Postmaster Grade I official is not eligible

3.       LSG Official is eligible to decline the promotion but the Postmaster Grade I official is not eligible

4.       LSG Official is vested with Financial and Disciplinary Power but the Postmaster Grade I official do not have.

It is common that the Cadre with more expectation should be offered to more opportunities but in contra the Cadre is deprived of all the Legitimate Opportunities.  Just a kind and inclined view on this Cadre will give Charishma to this cadre which will become encouraging factor for many of the upcoming official to maintain utmost Customer Satisfaction.

Point no. 5 of the above mentioned letter it is clearly mentioned that a separate cadre of Postmaster is created at the level of LSG, HSG II, HSG I and PSS Group ‘B by carving out the posts from the existing General Line Cadre Posts in Postal Wing and designated as PM Grade I, PM Grade II, PM Grade III and Senior Postmaster. 

                Hence it is clear that the carved out posts from LSG, HSG II, HSG I and PSS Group B cadre are just designated as PM Grade  I, PM Grade II, PM Grade II I and Senior PM.

                Some of the PM Grade I vacancies were filled up through a limited departmental competitive examination held in June 2011. The Recruitment rules are published through Gazette Notification. In the letter mentioned above regarding creation of Postmaster Cadre,  it is clearly mentioned as follows.

1.       The Pm Cadre Posts are carved out from LSG/HSGII/HSGIII/PSS Group ‘B’ Vacancies.

2.       The Pm Cadre is created at the level of LSG/HSGII/HSGIII/Group ‘B”

3.       The Pm Cadre is created to meet the present day technology induction and new initiatives in postal operations

From the above to facts it is clear and a common man will expect that all the powers/opportunities in LSG/HSGII/HSGIII/PSS Group ‘B’  will be inherited to the Pm Cadre also and even it should be more.

In the Gazette notification also there is no mentioning about non-inheritance of powers/opportunities to the Pm Cadre from LSG Cadre, for that matter there is no mentioning about curtailment of powers/opportunities to the PM cadre which are there in LSG/HSG II/HSG III/PSS Group ‘B’. 

But after conducting the examination for Pm Grade I and appointing the existing LSG/HSG II officials as Pm Grade I/Pm Grade II, the DOP has clarified that the Pm Grade officials not eligible to decline their promotion, Not eligible to appear for IPO examination on par with LSG officials, they are not eligible to appear for PSS Group ‘B’ Examination on par with LSG Officials, showing the sentence that “the officials will get promotion in this hierarchy only” as hindrance,  Actually  as it is the situation is that the posts are carved out from LSG/HSGII/HSG I,  it has to be interpreted in such a way that they will get promotion in this hierarchy only and they cannot claim for LSG/HSGII/HSG I posts.   But giving a different interpretation to the sentence and to the word of hierarchy, the Postmaster Grade officials are deprived of their legitimate opportunities. 

On the other side The Inspector Posts who is appointed through Limited Departmental Competitive Examinations just like Postmaster Grade Officials can decline their promotion at any time and can happily join back at one’s post, IPO can appear for PSS Group B examination deviating the hierarchy of IPO-ASP-SP(PSS Group B), Surprisingly he can be promoted as Senior Postmaster also. 

There is no loss to the Government or DOP if the Postmaster Cadre is blessed with all the possible opportunities.

In addition if the above opportunities were given more number of officials will come to face the challenges and to improve the customer satisfaction in postal operations as their moral spirit will be boosted.

                But because of this unkind view on the Cadre career of thousands of the officials were cursed.  Please look in to the matter with a kind heart to uphold the spirit of Article 14 and 16 of Constitution.