A delegation of GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES FEDERATION,
A&N Islands consisting of Shri. P.KANNAN, President, Shri. S. K. Majumdar, General Secretary, Shri.
H.A.Siddique Vice President and other Office Bearers with Revenue staff of Port
Blair Municipal Council, led by its
President Shri. P.KANNAN
met the Secretary, port Blair Municipal council, in his chamber on 3.10.2012 and submitted a memorandum of demands for up-gradation of Pay Band and
Grade Pay of Revenue Section staff of PBMC.
The Secretary
had discussed in details and assured the delegation for taking appropriate
action on the issue. The President on behalf of the Federation and staff of
Revenue Section of PBMC, has expressed his gratitude to the Secretary for the
assurance given by him.
*******
GEF/ANI/2012/72
03.10.2012
To
The
Secretary,
Port
Blair Municipal Council,
Port Blair.
Subject
:- Request for up-gradation of Pay Band and Grade Pay of
Revenue Section staff of PBMC-
regarding.
Sir,
Its our pleasure to submit a genuine
demand of Revenue Section Staff of your good organization for up-gradation of
their Pay Band and Grade Pay having considering their nature of duties and
responsibilities, which is beyond comparable with that of any other department
of A&N Administration. It is also a fact that, the revenue section staff of
PBMC are generating approximately 60% of total revenue of the Council in the
form of Octroi, water tax, Conservancy tax and property tax etc. which is being
utilized for the smooth functioning of Council and development of the city i.e.
Municipal areas. The taxing officials viz., Tax Collector, Tax Inspector,
Assessors, Assistant Revenue officers and Revenue Officer are heartily
performing credible service in the Council for the reason the Council has a
balanced expenditure, but their basis salary is comparatively lower as compared
to other cadre staff including the ministerial staff working in the PBMC and
the department of A&N Administration. The promotional avenues available for
this cadre staff in the higher running is also less and as a result of which
they are stagnated in the grade without any promotion and some are
retiring from entry grade itself.
The present scale of pay and grade
pay of Revenue Section Staff attached to PBMC are given below :-
|
Sl. No.
|
Name of Post
|
Pay Band + GP
|
Strength
of staff appro.
|
|
1
|
Tax Collector
|
5200-20200 + 1900
|
37
|
|
2
|
Tax Inspector
|
5200-20200 + 2400
|
05
|
|
3
|
Tax Assessor
|
5200-20200 + 2800
|
03
|
|
4
|
Assistant Revenue officer (ARO)
|
9300-34800 + 4200
|
02
|
|
5
|
Revenue officer (RO)
|
9300-34800 + 4600
|
01
|
As may be seen from the above
statement, there is huge variation in the sanctioned strength between the entry
grade viz., Tax Collector and other
higher posts for the reason, promotional avenues are bare minimum. The
Sixth CPC though introduced MACP in place of ACP, it become fall back option.
Therefore, promotion is the ultimate need of hour.
In the past, the PBMC revised the
scale of pay of its employees keeping in view of their counterparts working in
other departments of A&N Administration who were getting higher scale of
pay, on the basis of recommendation made by Sub-Committee of PBMC. The details
are as under :-
|
Sl. No.
|
Name of Post
|
Existing Scale of Pay in Rs.
|
Revised Scale of Pay in Rs.
|
|
1
|
Care Taker
|
2750-4400
|
3050-4590
|
|
2
|
Senior Care Taker
|
3050-4590
|
4000-6000
|
|
3
|
Videographers
|
3050-4590
|
4000-6000
|
|
4
|
Telephone Operator
|
2750-4400
|
3050-4590
|
|
5
|
Data Entry Operator
|
3050-4590
|
4500-7000
|
Sir,
it would be appropriate to mention here that, the staff of revenue section are
deprived of scale of pay and most neglected staff of the PBMC because they
cannot be compared with any other staff of A&N Administration as because their
nature of duties and responsibilities are different and higher in nature
with that of any other revenue collectors. The Tax Collectors have no normal
working hours even though the Govt. has prescribed normal duty hours. If a tax
collector is posted in an Octroi Naka, he use to work extra hours without any extra remuneration or benefits on
the arrival of ships / flights failing which the tax on goods arrived in the
Naka will be evaded. Thus, a Tax Collector performs his duty on odd hours and
on such situations he performs his duty
in a strenuous condition, but they are deprived of getting the remuneration
what they deserve to get even though they extend better values in the Council’s
economy.
Time and again the employees as well
as Municipal Employees Union have been representating to consider their genuine demand for
up-gradation of their pay structure considering their high value of services
rendered, but at no point of time, the Council had examined their grievances
and as result, these category of staff are truly neglected.
As you are aware that the cost of
living of these Islands are much higher
than compared to any other parts of India and these employees having performed
higher value of services are mentally depressed and deserve for up-gradation of
their Pay Band and Grade Pay. Thus, in recognition of their commendable job
done in increasing the revenue from
Rs. 20 crores during 2002-03 into Rs. 80
crore in the year 2011-12, the
up-gradation in pay structure of taxing staff
of PBMC is basically acceptable in the below manner :-
|
Sl. No.
|
Name of Post
|
Pay Band + GP
|
|
1
|
Tax Collector
|
5200-20200 + 2400
|
|
2
|
Tax Inspector
|
5200-20200 + 2800
|
|
3
|
Tax Assessor
|
5200-20200 + 4200
|
|
4
|
Assistant Revenue officer (ARO)
|
9300-34800 + 4600
|
|
5
|
Revenue officer (RO)
|
9300-34800 + 5400
|
The total strength of Revenue staff
is 48 Nos. out of which 37 Nos. are Tax Collectors. There will not be much
financial implication, if the above
Grade Pay is granted to them because most of them have already reached to the next level of Scale / Grade
pay on account of grant of ACP/ MACP.
Therefore, we request your
goodself to kindly examine the matter
and take appropriate action for up-gradation of Pay Band and Grade Pay of
Revenue Staff on merit basis considering the facts and circumstances mentioned
above. Further, we would like to say that, it is well under the purview of the
Council for grant of financial benefits
to their staff.
Thanking You.
Encl :
A/A. Yours faithfully,
( P.KANNAN )
PRESIDENT.
Copy
forwarded to General Secretary, Municipal Employees Union, Port Blair for kind
information.
PRESIDENT.
