GDS : Implementation of Kamlesh Chandra Committee Report

GDS : Implementation of Kamlesh Chandra Committee Report

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 6073
ANSWERED ON: 04.04.2018

Kamlesh Chandra Committee

KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY
VINOD KUMAR BOIANAPALLI

Will the Minister of

COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:-

(a) whether Kamlesh Chandra Committee has submitted its report on the conditions of Gramin Dak Sevaks across the country and if so, the details and the major recommendations thereof;

(b) whether the Government proposes to implement the said recommendations of the Committee and if so, the details thereof and the time by which it is likely to be done;

(c) whether the Government proposes to regularise the Gramin Dak Sevaks in the near future and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(d) whether the Government has taken note of the agitation made by Rural Postal Employees seeking implementation of Kamlesh Chandra Committee recommendations, if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the reaction of the Government thereto?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS &
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) Yes Madam. The details and the major recommendations are attached as Annexure-I.

(b) Yes Madam. The recommendations made by the Committee constituted to look into the salary structure, other service matters and problems of Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDSs) have been considered by the Department. These are currently under approval within the Government. Once necessary approvals have been obtained, the recommendations will be implemented.

(c) No Madam. At present there is no proposal to regularize the Gramin Dak Sevaks. GDSs cannot be regularized for the following reasons :-

i. The Gramin Branch Post Offices function where the workload and traffic does not justify opening of a departmental post office irrespective of the element of profitability. The Gramin Dak Sevaks are engaged by the department for a maximum of five hours in a day and are paid remuneration based on actual work load. The GDS are not wholly dependent upon allowances paid by the Department. Allowances paid by the department are only supplement to the livelihood (main source of income) of GDS. Therefore, one of the conditions for their engagement is that they are mandatorily required to possess independent source of income for livelihood of themselves and their family before they are engaged as GDS.

ii. The legal status of the Gramin Dak Sevaks as held by Apex Court in 1977 is that they are holders of the civil posts outside the regular civil service. The Extra departmental agents (now re-designated as Gramin Dak Sevaks) are governed by non-statutory rules called Gramin Dak Sevaks (Conduct & Engagement) Rules, 2011 which are not framed under Article 309 of the constitution.

(d) & (e) Yes Madam. Department of Posts has taken note of the agitation by Rural Postal Employees seeking implementation of Kamlesh Chandra Committee recommendations. The recommendations of the Kamlesh Chandra Committee have been considered by the Department. These are currently under approval within the Government. Once necessary approvals have been obtained, the recommendations will be implemented. The Department has already informed the Gramin Dak Sevaks unions that the implementation of Kamlesh Chandra Committee Report is under active consideration and appealed to them to withdraw the agitation.

Source – lok sabha