The GDS Committee Report

Committee's General Observations / recommendations are:

A) The GDS Post Offices also serves small savings needs of rural people who, as customers, are not adequately entertained by banks and thus GDS POs play a very important role in Financial Inclusion and Financial Literacy in the rural areas. The poor people especially women, feel more comfortable in approaching the village Post Offices rather than travelling to banks, because of their trust and confidence in local branch postmaster 

B) The Committee, however, observed that there is tendency to withold the legitimate demands of GDS which are due to them, based on the apprehension that they will get closer to regular employees and their claim for regularization will be strengthened in the court of law, is such demands are allowed. The Committee finds this as unreasonable and counterproductive for the Department. It also deprives them for living a happy life in the changed situation where financial dependence on GDS position is increasing day by day because of shrinking alternate means of livelihood. The Committee has recommended the Department should overcome this unfounded apprehension and accept reasonable demands of GDS in its own interest within the broad policy frame work of GDS system by keeping contractual nature of their duties intact till final decision of the Court on the legal status becomes known.  The Department should take suitable steps to increase the security of the job, prevent exploitation and increase income of GDS system within existing legal status. 

C) The Observation of the committee is, contrary to the perception which exist in many quarters that GDS POs are largely responsible for the deficit of the Department, as the committee found that total expenditure on GDS system is far less than deficit of the Department.

D) The committee further observed, that GDS Post Offices as a whole is nearly viable, as these offices are able to recover substantial amount of revenue to make good the expenditure incurred by the Department on GDS network. The committee therefore, is convinced that future survival of Department will largely depend on the successful management of GDS Post Offices, which effectively from its “soul”. It would be difficult for the Department to survive without the soul.

The Committee’s major recommendations are summarized below.

1.      The old system of payment of Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA) is dispensed with and replaced with a new wage payment system. Under the new wage payment system, 11 TRCA slabs are subsumed into 3 Wage Scales with two Levels each for BPMs and for other than BPMs One wage scale would be common for both the categories of GDSs.

New Wage Scales

1. 10,000               -           24,470 (Other than BPM Level 1)

2. 12,000               -           29,380 (Other than BPM Level 2 & BPM Level 1)

3. 14,500               -           35,480 (BPM Level 2)

2.      The minimum working hours of GDS Post offices and GDSs is increased to 4 hours from 3 hours.

3.      The new working hours for GDS Post Offices will be 4 hours and 5 hours only.

4.      The Level 1 GDS Post Offices/GDSs will have 4 hours as working hours and Level- 2 will have 5 hours as working hours.

5.      The Point System for assessment of workload of BPMs has been abolished.

6.      The new wage payment system is linked to revenue generation of GDS Post Offices. Under the new system, there will be no increase in wages of BPMs from Level – 1 to Level – 2 on the basis of workload but the same will be increased based on achievement of prescribed revenue norms which is fixed at 100% for normal areas and 50% for special areas which presently have 15% anticipated income norms.

7.      The GDS Post Offices not achieving the prescribed revenue norm within the given working hours will have to open GDS Post Offices for minimum of additional 30 minutes beyond the prescribed working hours.

8.      The GDSs BPMs will be paid Revenue Linked Allowance @10% beyond Level 2 wage scale if they will be successful in achieving revenue beyond prescribed norms.

9.      The GDS Post Offices has been categorized into A, B, C and D categories based on the revenue generation norms. The GDS Post Office in A category will achieve 100% revenue. The Committee has recommended a set of actions for each category of GDS Post Offices.

10.  The six approved categories of GDs are subsumed into two categories only. One category will be Branch Post Master and all other 5 categories of GDSs are subsumed into one Multi Tasking Category.

11.  The job profile of Multi Tasking GDS is expanded to include work such as Business Development and Marketing etc. Their jobs will no more be confined to their old designations. The Assistant BPM will assist BPMs for increasing revenue generation.

12.  The GDSs working in the GDS Post Offices will be known as Assistant Branch Post Master (ABPMs) and those working in the Departmental Post Offices will be known as Dak Sevak (DS).

13.  The minimum wage has been increased to Rs.10000/- per month and maximum to Rs.35,480/- per month.

14.  The rate of annual increase is recommended as 3%.

15.  A Composite Allowance comprising of support for hiring accommodation for GDS Post Offices as well as mandatory residence, office maintenance, mobile and electricity usage charges etc. has been introduced for the first time.

16.  Children Education Allowance @ Rs.6000/- per child per annum has been introduced for GDSs.

17.  Risk & Hardship Allowance@ Rs.500/- per month for GDSs working in the special areas has also been introduced.

18.  A Financial upgradation has been introduced at 12 years, 24 years and 36 years of services in form of two advance additional annual increases.

19.  The Celling of ex-gratia gratuity has been increased from Rs.60,000 to Rs.5,00,000/-.

20.  The GDS Contribution for Service Discharge Benefit Scheme (SDBS) should be enhanced maximum up to 10% and minimum up to 3% of the basic wage per month, whereas the Department should contribute a fixed contribution of 3% of the basic wage of the GDSs.

21.  The coverage of GDS Group Insurance Scheme has been enhanced from Rs.50,000/- to Rs.5,00,000/-.

22.  The contribution of Department in Circle Welfare Fund (CWF) has been increased from Rs.100/- per annum to Rs.300/- per annum.

23.  The scope of CWF is extended to cover immediate family members such as spouse; daughters, sons and dependent daughters in law in the scheme.

24.  The Committee also recommended 10% hike in the prescribed limits of financial grants and assistance in the Circle Welfare Fund.

25.  The Committee has recommended addition of Rs.10,000/- for purchase of Tablet/Mobile from the Circle Welfare Fund in the head “Financial Assistance from Fund by way of loans with lower rate of interest (5%)”.

26.  Provision of 26 weeks of Maternity Leave for women GDSs has been recommended.

27.  The wages for the entire period of Maternity Leave is recommended to be paid from salary head from where wages of GDSs are paid.

28.  The Committee has also recommended one week of Paternity Leave.

29.  The Committee has recommended 5 days of emergency leave per annum.

30.  Leave accumulation and encashment facility up to 180 days has been introduced.

31.  Online system of engagement has been recommended.

32.  The maximum age limit of 50 years for Direct Recruitment of GDSs has been abolished.

33.  Minimum one year of GDS service will now be required for GDSs for Direct Recruitment into Department cadres such as MTS/Postman/Mail Guard.

34.  Alternate livelihood condition for engagement of GDSs has been relaxed.

35.  Voluntary Discharge Scheme has been recommended.

36.  The Discharge age has been retained at 65 years.

37.  The Limited Transfer Facility has been relaxed from 1 time to 3 times for male GDSs. There will be no restriction on number of chances for transfer of women GDSs. The power for transfer has been delegated to the concerned Divisional head.

38.  The ex-gratia payment during put off period should be revised to 35% from 25% of the wage and DA drawn immediately before put off.

39.  The Committee has recommended preferring transfer before put off duty.

40.  The Compassionate Engagement of GDSs has been relaxed to give benefits to eligible dependents in all cases of death of GDS while in service.