No.41/NDGBGOA/OA-871 Dt.17/10/2014
To
The DGOF & CHAIRMAN
Ordnance Factory Board
10-A, S.K.Bose Road
Kolkatt700 001
Respected Sir,
Sub:Submission of Memorandum/statement to the
Hon’ble DGOF & CHAIRMAN on Cadre Review of JWM cadre by the “applicant” K.K.Velayudhan
during the “hearing”
on 17.10.2014 held at O.F.Board.
Ref:1)
Contempt Application No.310/00083 of 2014 filed by NDGBGOA, OFT Branch Before Hon’ble Madras Bench CAT arising out
of OA No. 871 of 2013.
2) Detailed Memorandum submitted to DGOF& CHAIRMAN, O.F.Board from
all units On 20.12.2013 regarding
the deprived position of JWM cadre with proposal fo Cadre Review.
3) OFB I.D. No.
NGO/CADRE REVIEW/A/NG dated 24-12-2013
While
acknowledging the receipt of OFB Fax
intimating about the hearing, I extend my sincere thanks to the DGOF &
CHAIRMAN, as Secretary of NDGBGOA OFT
Branch and also as the applicant for allowing me the “hearing”, towards smooth
settlement of Cadre Review of Group B Gazetted Officers in Ordnance Factories.
Sir, I wish to submit that as an applicant, I feel it is my foremost and bound duty to explain
the facts and background that lead to the extreme situation of approaching the
Hon’ble Court which otherwise would have avoided and hence is brought below for your kind perusal please.
The
Government Instruction to conduct the Cadre Review was issued in the
year 2011 (to mitigate the problem of stagnation, particularly in the posts
which were “merged” as perthe
recommendation of 6th CPC) vide Letter No. 35034/9/2010-Estt.(D)
dt.10th Feb.2011 to all departments.
In response to the above instruction almost all other departments have
completed the Cadre Review.
The cadre review was completed in respect of
Industrial Employees even in our organisation which was implemented in the year
2012 with retrospective effect from 01/01/2006.
OFB
has constituted a Cadre Review Committee under the chairmanship of Shri Ralegankar (Present General Manger, OF Korwah),and the
committee also submitted its report on
07/09/2012, it is regretted to submit that neither any reference to the report and its
recommendations nor the proposal suggested by the affected cadre associations has
been taken into consideration in the Cdre Review proposal submitted by OFB to
MOD. The Raleganker committee, has made alarming observations regarding stagnation
of JWM cadre that goes adversely towards the effectiveness of the organization
and also the carrier prospects of the JWM cadre as well. The report also
emphasize the need to follow DOPT norms to be followed to avoid litigations. In
para 7.2 of its report, It says:7.2
IOFS CADRE REVIEW SHALL BE BASED ON JWM
STRENGTH “JWMs
strength shall be taken into account in assessing and increasing the number of
JTS/STS and so on. This will improve the prospects of JWMs/IOFS and also effectiveness of shop floor administration at
critical level of Head of Section in OFs.
The above is required as
per GOI/DOPT instructions. JTS is the promotional grade just above JWM.
Threshold analysis is required in an organization between any two levels and
there after structural ratio between the promotional higher grade and the
feeder grade is to be determined. Threshold analysis brings out time span of
10-15 years/15-20 years in the existing profile/pyramid. The existing ratio
between JWMs and AWM promotional quota is 7000:185 (38:1),this is phenomenally abnormal.
The steepness causes frustration and adversely affects the effectiveness of
organisation at a critical level. Legally it is violation of Art 14 and Art 16 as (adequate)
promotional opportunities do not exist.
Managerially
the pyramid is ineffective. Viewed from any angle, the ratio between JWM and
AWM (promotes) is required to be changed . As per DOPT norms it is 3-5 times of higher grade in case of
selection method of promotion. By that norm even if JWM strength is reduced to
3000,AWM strength shall increased to 600 for PR quota thus total posts becoming
1200 (600+600 DR + Promotion)”
In spite of the above alarming position
still allowed to continue as a violation
of DOPT norms, OFB has not shown any sign of attempt to increase the AWM posts,
through Cadre Review of JWM/IOFS
till date.
It is imperative to mention here that
the discussion along with the cadre Associations were conducted but the minutes
of the discussions were not recorded for reason whatsoever. Even the instruction given by JS/MOD in a
similar discussion (conducted on 12.03.2014 at Cossipore IB) to increase the number of posts in PB-3(5400
GP) from 1000 posts to 1300 posts, as an amendment to the present proposal, was
agreed by OFB officials who were present in the meeting but the same has not been
done till date, which can be seen as an advantage of not recording the minutes
of the meeting/discussions conducted with service associations. As per the DOPT norms it is necessary to consult the service
associations and to reach a consensus before finalising the cadre review for
submission to competent authority.
The present deprived position of JWM Cadre has occurred purely due to
erroneous status maintained in the SRO as “Ministerial” by which the 5th
& 6th CPC awarded inferior pay and status to the JWM Cadre.
While the direct recruitment to this cadre is through UPSC with an essential
qualification as Degree/Technical Degree in Engineering, it can not be termed
to “ministerial” which means purely of clerical duties.
In the Memorandum/report submitted by OFB
to 7th CPC vide No.02/7th CPC/Q/PCC Dated 27 Aug 2014 ,
through para 5.15.2, it is mentioned
that “ the post of JWM was wrongly
treated as one of the supervisory levels. But the fact is that JWMs do perform
the managerial role in the shop floor and offices in OFs.”
Because of the above misguided
position, the 6th CPC also
recommended merging of this managerial gazette cadre with supervisory cadre of
Asst. Foreman (Non-Gazetted). Due to
this wrong doing JWMs are losing their due financial benefit in proper payband
and Grade pay with effect from 01.01.2006 which is warranting the necessity to
implement the cadre review w.e.f. 01.01.2006 as the cadre review done for industrial
cadre in the OFs.
The erstwhile Foreman(existed till 4th
CPC) was an NGO Post bestowed with all allowances including Overtime and was drawing the pay almost equal to the
pay of General Mangers. Further the pay scale of Foreman was also above the pay
scale of Group A entrants i.e AWM(OP).
Being
the case in the name of up gradation from Non-Gazetted to Gazetted, all allowances were withdrawn and also the
pay scale was brought down below the pay scale of Group A entrants i.e. AWM(OP).
This has also resulted the hitherto followed practice of providing training to
Group A entrants AWM(OP) by the most experienced and technocrats in the shop
floors i.e. Foreman is now made to report to the newly recruited AWM(OP) who
does not have practical exposure to the industrial/administrative atmosphere and it
is from this very point onwards the hierarchy was disturbed and the
Organisation become ineffective. The purpose of upgrading of Foreman in the
year 1994 from NGO to GO is to be seen as a reason only to disallow allowances such
as OT,Bonus etc.to the cadre.
It is high time that OFB should
realize that such tactics of making profit by demoralising their own
subordinates will only lead to organizational ineffectiveness. While neglecting
the richness of skill and experience we are in the process of neglecting our
own existence in the present competitive world.
Today our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modiji, regularly emphasizes the importance of preserving skill to
make India to meet global challenges in the manufacturing sector which is to be
viewed as a relevant factor to our organization also, particularly as we have
to cater the defence preparedness of our country with world class weapons and
equipments in a strategic time of disturbing line of borders. IOFS cadre are
the leaders of our organization, mending the executives (IOFS new entrants)
with practical exposure in the state of the art technology already in place
with our infrastructure, is a very much warranted one and by the most
experienced FM/JWM, as a practice followed till 4th CPC, we can
achieve the target as envisioned by our hon’ble Prime Minister. OFB at least at
this stage should realize these facts and endeavour to reinstate the JWM cadre
appropriately to bring the erstwhile system back towards achieving the goal.
The
present Cadre Review Proposal submitted by OFB, if implemented, will adverse
the present scope of benefit attained through ACP/MACP scheme, and hence it is
necessary to take the 3 financial up gradations in thirty years of existing
ACP/MACP scheme of Govt. (introduced as
a temporary measure to alleviate the stagnation/promotions not taking place in
time) is to considered as a minimum benchmark for the present cadre review.
In view of the above the following are to be
implemented through cadre review for effective functioning of the Organisation
and better prospective for middle management cadre.
1 The promotional
post of the JTS is to be increased as per the recommendation of Shri. Ralegaonkar Committee Report
in proportion to JWM strength and also as per the DOPT norms which is 3 to 5
times of the promotional post.
2. The erstwhile
status of Foreman is to be restored to meet the international challenges and to
improve the organization for the present scenario.
3. Time bound
promotion to JWM Cadre and Non Functional up gradation at par with Gr.A cadre.
4. Pay scale of JWM
should be made analytical with previous CPCs, which is on an average, is more than that of the present Matron, and
Hindi Officers who were drawing lesser pay than JWM in previous CPS’s, but now
awarded higher Grade Pay i.e. Rs 5400/- in PB-III.
5. The cadre review
should be done taking ACP/MACP as a minimum bench mark.
6. The cadre review
should be done with effect from 01/01/2006 since OFB itself has come out with
an opinion that merging of JWM with AF was wrongly done as mentioned in the
report submitted to 7th CPC by OFB vide para 5.1.2. and also the
cadre review of Industrial Employees have already been implemented with
effected 01/01/2006.
7. Cadre Review
should be implemented without any further delay and all out efforts had to be
taken on a war footing to complete the same as JWMs are put to severe financial
loss from 01.01.2006 onwards and are the most affected/deprived cadre.
Thanking
you,
Yours faithfully.
-SD-
(K.K. Velayudhan)
Secretary/NDGBGOA/OFT Branch
