Friday, April 30, 2010

May Day Greetings

The Central Committee of NGOs' Association, Andaman and Nicobar Islands extends warm greetings on 'May Day' to all the workers and employees working in this Union Territory.

General Secretary
NGOs' Association

Monday, April 19, 2010

Implementation of Court Order for Promotion to the post of Lab Assistant

To

The Director of Education,

Andaman and Nicobar Islands,

Port Blair.

Sub: Implementation of Court order on the issue of

promotion to the post of Lab Assistants - regarding.

-------------

Sir,

I am to invite your kind attention towards the correspondences made by this Association with you requesting you to implement the order dated 31st August, 2007 passed by the Hon’ble CAT in OA No. 36/AN/2006 (copy enclosed for kind reference Flag A) on the above subject, copies of my letters dated 26th October, 2007(Flag B) and dated 21st July, 2008 are enclosed herewith (Flag C) for kind reference. The Hon’ble CAT had passed an order on 31st August, 2007 directing the Education Department to promote the Group D staff working under it to the posts of Lab Assistants under the promotion quota. This order was upheld by the Hon’ble Calcutta High Court.

While the contempt petition filed by the applicants (Sunder Rajan & Others –vs- Union of India & others), was pending in the Hon’ble CAT, the matter went on SLP in the Hon’ble Supreme Court by certain alleged affected persons.

It has been reported to this Association that the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide its order dated 22nd February, 2010 has now modified the interim order dated 25th July, 2008 and stated that “promotions, if any, during the pendency of this appeal, shall abide by the final result in this appeal and none of the parties shall claim any equities in their favour.” A copy of the judgement is enclosed herewith (Flag D) for kind perusal.

As mentioned in my earlier letters, the department had unusually delayed implementation of the original order passed by the Hon’ble CAT on 31st August, 2007 on one reason or other, thereby giving ample opportunity to the other party to go on appeal from one court to other.

In this connection, it is not out of place to mention here that the Asst. Secretary (Edn), A & N Administration vide his letter dated 21st September, 2007 had directed the Education Department to implement the said order within the time limit in order to avoid contempt proceedings (copy enclosed (Flag E) for kind perusal). Similarly, the Assistant Secretary (Law), A & N Administration had also directed the Education Department, vide his letter dated 26th September, 2007, to take appropriate action within the specified period (copy enclosed (Flag F) for kind reference). The Asst. Secretary (Edn), A & N Administration again vide letter dated 31st July, 2008 had directed the Education Department to take necessary action in the matter to avoid any contempt proceedings (copy enclosed (Flag ‘G’) for kind reference).

Even the 3 months time allowed by the Hon’ble CAT on the contempt application filed by the applicants (copy enclosed (Flag H) for kind perusal), after getting assurance from the Government Counsel while hearing the case, elapsed much before the filing of the SLP in the Hon’ble Supreme Court. It shows that there was a willful reluctance on the part of the department to implement the order of the Hon’ble CAT.

The order dated 22nd February, 2010 of the Hon’ble Supreme Court is crystal clear that there is no impediment on the part of the department to implement the order passed by the Hon’ble CAT. The promotions made, however, will abide by the outcome of the SLP pending in the Supreme Court.

As stated by me erlier, the applicants, numbering about 20, who have put in more than 22 years of service, have been waiting for their due and rightful promotion and denying the same to them on the pretext of pending SLP is an injustice to them which will also demoralize their functioning. Without prejudice to the pending SLP, they can be given conditional promotion so that vacant posts of Lab Assistant can be filled up. These posts are lying vacant from 2001 onwards.

I would, therefore, request you kindly to look into this matter personally and take appropriate steps to promote the applicants to the original application bearing No. OA 36/A&N/ 2006 (Sunder Rajan & Others –vs- Union of India & Others) to the vacant posts of Lab Assistants in view of the order passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court on 22nd February, 2010 and, thus, render justice to them.

Action taken in the matter may kindly be intimated to this Association.

Yours faithfully,

Encl: As above.

(D. Ayyappan)

General Secretary

Cell: 9434260430

B.Ed. through IGNOU

To

The Principal Secretary (Education),

Andaman and Nicobar Administration,

Port Blair.

Sub: Arrangements for training of graduate PSTs of

Education Department through IGNOU - regarding

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Madam,

As you may, perhaps, be aware, there are a large number of Primary School Teachers working under the Education Department of A & N Administration who are graduates/post graduates but not having the B.Ed training. The central government had banned B. Ed training through correspondence courses all over the country except the IGNOU which offers a B.Ed correspondence course for those candidates who are having teaching experience. This course is especially designed and intended for the benefit of the serving teachers with two years experience in recognized schools who do not possess the B.Ed training.

This Association has been taking up this matter with the authorities in the Administration and IGNOU for the last several years. We had requested the IGNOU and A & N Administration to start a Study Centre for B.Ed at Port Blair. During 2006, the IGNOU had conducted an entrance test for candidates having teaching experience for selection for B.Ed correspondence course, at Port Blair. About 300 teacher candidates belonging to the Education Department of these islands appeared in the said test and a large number of them qualified, but due to certain administrative and/or technical reasons, successful candidates were not given admission by the IGNOU, thereby creating discontentment among the candidates. Thereafter, no step was taken either by the IGNOU or the Administration to conduct an entrance test for B.Ed correspondence course at Port Blair despite this Association’s repeated requests. In this connection, it is stated that certain percentage of posts of GTT and PGT are earmarked for the qualified departmental candidates.

It has been noticed that in many of the subjects particularly in Tamil/Telugu/Bengali medium, suitable teachers are not available and this problem can be solved if the serving Primary School Teachers who are graduates are trained in B.Ed course through the correspondence course of IGNOU. Besides, the Education Department has a moral obligation to help its teachers to enhance their qualification which will definitely increase the quality of teaching.

Under the circumstances, I would request your goodself kindly to look into this issue and take appropriate steps to provide B.Ed training through IGNOU to all the graduate Primary School Teachers working under the Education Department and, thus, help them to enhance their educational qualification which will, in turn, improve the teaching-learning process in the schools.

Yours faithfully,

(D. Ayyappan)

General Secretary

Cell: 9434260430.

Central Committee Office Bearers and Members

To

The Chief Secretary,

Andaman and Nicobar Administration,

Port Blair.

Sir,

The Annual Conference of the Non-Gazetted Government Officers’ Association, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, held on 10-11 April, 2010 at Port Blair has elected the following as office bearers and Central Executive Committee Members of the Association:

President - Shri S.C. Biswas

Vice Presidents - 1. Shri P. Viswanathan

2. Shri SK Afser Ali

General Secretary - Shri D. Ayyappan

Asst. General Secretaries - 1. Shri TS Sreekumar

2. Shri P. Sathyapal

Finance Secretary - Shri DS Clement Stephen

Organising Secretaries - 1. Shri NK Paul

2. Shri Santhosh Kumar Roy

3. Shri Sadanand

4. Shri G. Sujathan

5. Smt Rekha Sharma

Office Secretary - Shri R. Rajendran

Executive Committee Members

1. Shri K.P.Paul (Diglipur) 2. Shri Ajay Kumar (M/Bunder)

3. Shri Badal Kumar Paul(Tugapur) 4. Shri B.P.Roy (Billiground)

5. Shri Dipak Karmakar(Rangat) 6. Shri Daniel C. Mathew(Rangat)

7. Shri Pradeep Singh(Kadamtala) 8. Shri. Gopal Ghosh (Neil Island)

9. Smt Kalpana Singh (L/Andaman) 10. Shri S. Karuppaiah (Edn Deptt Group D).

11. Shri Malai Bowmic (SATB) 12. Shri HB Choudhury (SATB)

13. Shri SP Bagchi (SATB) 14.Shri K. Mohan Kumar (W/gunj)

15. Smt Magdali Xess(Secretariat) 16. Shri B. Raja Rao (Secretariat)

17. Shri C. Mohammed Ali (Fisheries) 18. Shri T. Chandra Raju

19. Shri RK Nag (Forest) 20. Shri E.A Johnson (JNRM)

21. Shri B. Madhusudanan Nair (Rural Dev.)

This is for your kind information please.

Yours faithfully,

(D. Ayyappan)

General Secretary

Issues of Librarians highlighted

To

The Director of Education,

Andaman and Nicobar Islands,

Port Blair.

Sub: Settlement of issues pertaining to Librarians –

Regarding

----------

Sir,

Kindly refer to the letter bearing No. 2-2/SATB/ Gen/ 2010 /21 dated the 23rd March, 2010 addressed to you with copy endorsed to me from the Secretary, South Andaman Teachers’ Branch of this Association on the above subject.

As per the Recruitment Rules for the posts of Librarian Grade I and II, published in the Official Gazette on 1st August, 2008, six posts of Librarian Grade I are shown to have been available in the Education Department which are to be filled up by 100% promotion from the feeder post of Librarian Grade II. However, it has been reported to us that all the six posts of Librarian Grade I are being kept vacant for the reason best known to the department. This has not only created heart-burning among the incumbents holding the feeder posts, but has also violated the instructions of the Administration to fill up all the vacant posts in a time-bound manner.

It has further been observed that the CBSE guidelines for the staff pattern and postings of Librarians/ Asst. Librarians/ Library Attendants in Senior Secondary Schools and Secondary Schools, on the basis of enrolment, are not being followed in the schools of these islands.

It was further reported to us that the only Gazetted Post in the Librarian Cadre viz. Information Officer, State Library is lying vacant since long. Immediate steps are required to be taken to fill up this post by promotion from among the Librarians.

Similarly, the Librarians are not included in the Part B of the CCS (RP) Rules, 2008 thereby depriving them of the upgraded Grade Pay granted to the teaching staff. This issue has to be further pursued with the Govt. of India vigorously so that the left-out categories of teaching and miscellaneous teaching staff including the Librarians will also get the upgraded Grade Pay.

I would, therefore, request you kindly to look into the above issues and take appropriate steps to resolve it which will be of great relief to the entire cadre of Librarians working under the Education Department.

Action taken in the matter may please be intimated to this Association.

Yours faithfully,

(D. Ayyappan)

General Secretary

Cell: 9434260430

Copy to:

1. The Principal Secretary (Edn), A & N Administration, Port Blair, for kind necessary action.

2. All Branch Committees of NGOs’ Association.

General Secretary

To

Smt Sushma Nath,

Secretary (Expenditure),

Ministry of Finance

Government of India, North Block,

New Delhi – 110 001.

Sub: Upgradation of scale of pay/Grade Pay for the post of

Agriculture Assistant and Soil Conservation Assistant

in the Department of Agriculture, A & N Islands

regarding

------------

Madam,

I am to bring to your kind notice a specific case of grave injustice meted out to a section of employees working under the Agriculture Department of the Andaman & Nicobar Administration. The educational qualification for appointment to the posts of Agriculture Assistant and Soil Conservation Assistant in the Department of Agriculture under the A & N Administration is B.Sc (Agri), a 4-year professional degree. The Agriculture Assistants and Soil Conservation Assistants were given a lower scale of pay of Rs. 4500-7000 by the Fifth Central Pay Commission.

While the IV Central Pay Commission placed Agriculture Inspectors/Soil Conservation Assistants, Junior Engineers, Head Clerks, Forest Rangers, Police Sub Inspectors, Graduate Trained Teachers, etc. in the scale of pay of Rs. 1400 – 2600, after the introduction of the V Central Pay Commission, the Agriculture Inspectors (now Agricultural Assistants)/Soil Conservation Assistants were placed at the scale of pay of Rs. 4500 - 7000 and the rest of the above mentioned categories were placed at higher scales of pay. The Forest Rangers and Sub Inspectors of Police, Graduate Trained Teachers were placed at the scale of pay of Rs. 5500-9000 and Head Clerk, Junior Engineers, etc. were given the scale of pay of Rs. 5000 – 8000. Similarly, in the Animal Husbandry & Vety. Services Department, the post of Asst. Veterinary Surgeon whose qualification is only B.V.Sc., a 4-year course, was placed in the entry grade scale of pay of Rs. 8000 - 12000 (Group A) by the Vth CPC.

Despite forceful requests made by the Administration and Service Associations the Sixth CPC also did not enhance the scale of pay/Grade Pay of the above two posts.

It is regretted to say that except the posts of Agriculture Assistant and Soil Conservation Assistant, almost all other posts with the entry level educational qualification of 4-year professional degree, have been placed in the Pay Band-2 and given the Grade Pay of Rs. 4200 and above. The Ministry of Finance (Deptt of Expdr) vide OM dated 18th November, 2009 has issued an order enhancing the Grade Pay of Pharmacists.

Some of the identical posts like Plant Protection Assistant, Horticulture Assistant, etc. in the Govt. of NCT of Delhi have been placed in the Pay Band-2 while the same benefit has been denied to the Agricultural Assistants working in these islands. Thus, it is a clear case of anomaly in the Grade Pay of identical posts in Delhi and A & N Islands. It is learnt that in some of the central institutes under the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, the employees with professional qualifications like B.Sc (Agri) have been granted higher scale of pay.

I would, therefore, request you kindly to examine the above proposal and extend the enhanced pre-revised scale of pay of Rs. 5000 – 150 – 8000 (Pay Band 2 with Grade Pay of Rs. 4200) to the posts of Agricultural Assistants and Soil Conservation Assistants in the Agriculture Department of Andaman and Nicobar Administration in order to end the anomaly prevailing among the identical posts and, thus, render justice to the employees holding the above posts.

Action taken in the matter may please be intimated to this Association.

Yours faithfully,

(D. Ayyappan)

General Secretary

Cell: 9434260430

Copy to:

1. The Secretary (Agriculture & Cooperation), Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi – 1 with the request to take up the matter with the Ministry of Finance.

2. Comrade KKN Kutty, Secretary General, Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers, A/2-95, Manishinath Bhavan, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi – 110 027 with the request to take up the matter with the authorities.

3. The Chief Secretary, A & N Administration, Port Blair.

General Secretary

Exorbitant rates charged byANIDCO

To

The Chief Secretary,

Andaman and Nicobar Administration,

Port Blair.

Sir,

I am to invite your kind attention towards the functioning of the Green Shops/vegetable shops being run by the ANIIDCO Ltd. at various places of these islands. On getting complaints from government employees about the exorbitant rates being charged by the ANIIDCO for vegetables and fruits sold through the Green shops/vegetable shops, office bearers of this Association has made an on-the-spot inquiry into the issue and found that fruits and vegetables are sold at higher rates than those sold at the open market.

It has been noticed that grapes are sold at Rs. 150 per Kg. by ANIIDCO while it is only Rs. 130 in the open market. Apple is sold at Rs. 120 per Kg. by ANIIDCO while it is available at Rs. 90 –Rs. 100 in the open market. Similarly, carrot, beetroot, beans, etc. are also sold at higher rates by ANIIDCO.

While we appreciate the initiative taken by the ANIIDCO Ltd. to open Green Shops with a view to control the prices of vegetables and fruits in the open market, the very purpose of opening such shops has been defeated due to the above reason. The whole process of bulk purchasing of vegetables and fruits on the mainland by ANIIDCO officials, its transportation and distribution, etc. is to be reviewed and appropriate steps to be taken to ensure that the market intervention by ANIIDCO Ltd. is effective and beneficial to the general public in these islands.

I would, therefore, request your goodself kindly to take appropriate action in the matter so that fruits, vegetables, etc. can be sold through Green Shops of ANIIDCO at reasonable prices which will be of great help to the islanders during these hard days of price rise.

Yours faithfully,

(D. Ayyappan)

General Secretary

Cell: 9434260430

Copy to:

  1. The Managing Director, ANIIDCO Ltd., Port Blair.
  2. The General Manager, ANIIDCO Ltd., Port Blair.

General Secretary

Issues of AC Cadre highlighted

To

The Secretary (Perl),

Andaman and Nicobar Administration,

Port Blair.

Sir,

While welcoming you to these serene and historic islands, this Association takes this opportunity to place before you the following issues/problems of employees belonging to the Amalgamated Clerical Cadre of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration:

1. Enhancement of the scale of pay/Grade Pay of

LGCs/HGCs:

This Association has been demanding enhancement of the scales of pay of Lower Grade Clerks and Higher Grade Clerks working under the A & N Administration on the reason of higher entry grade qualification (Class XII) for LGCs, nature of duties and higher responsibilities they are required to perform. The Administration had recommended to the Govt. of India and 6th CPC for enhancement of the scales of pay of LGCs and HGCs. The sixth CPC, however, did not consider the demand. The Grade Pay of LGCs is Rs. 1900 while that of HGC it is Rs. 2400. With the introduction of MACP and upgradation of erstwhile Group D posts to Group C, there is widespread discontentment among the LGCs and HGCs. This Association has recently taken up this matter again with the Govt. of India (a copy is enclosed herewith for kind perusal). Your goodself may kindly re-examine this issue and take up the matter with the Govt. of India considering the changed situation following the introduction of Sixth CPC.

2. Re-structuring of Amalgamated Clerical Cadre:

With the ban on creation of posts for the last 11 years, there is all-round stagnation among the clerical cadre staff. LGC is getting first promotion to the post of HGC after 22 years of service, to wait another 10-13 years for the next promotion. We had demanded a restructuring of the cadre as recommended by the Fifth CPC. Former Secretary (Perl) had assured us that a proposal in this regard will be sent to the Govt. of India, but the same is yet to be done. We request you kindly to examine this matter sympathetically and do the needful for the re-structuring of the cadre in order to remove stagnation among the staff.

3. ACP/MACP cases:

Financial upgradation under ACP/MACP is due for a large number of LGCs/HGCs under the AC Cadre. Despite our requests made to successive Secretaries of the Personnel Department and the efforts made by the Personnel Wing during the last three years in this regard, the affected employees are yet to get the financial upgradation, causing discontentment among them. Non-receipt of information from Heads of Departments/ Offices where these employees are posted is reportedly the reason for this delay. This Association had also requested the Heads of Deptts/Heads of Offices concerned, through letters, to furnish the information sought for by the Admn. Despite this, complete information/ACRs from some of the HoDs/Heads of Offices are yet to be furnished to the Admn. We would request you kindly to take stringent measures to compel the erring departments to furnish the required information/ACRs of LGCs/HGCs working under them.

I would, therefore, request your goodself kindly to examine the above issues and take suitable action so that affected employees will get their due benefits without any further delay.

Yours faithfully,

Encl: As above.

(D. Ayyappan)

General Secretary

Cell: 9434260430

Sunday, April 11, 2010

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2010





News Item

The Delegate Session of the Annual Conference of the Non-Gazetted Government Officers’ Association was held today (11.04.2010) at Atul Smrity Samity hall, Port Blair. In his presidential address, Shri SC Biswas, President of the Association called upon the government employees to strengthen the Association in order to fight for various pending demands of government employees in these islands. The Delegate Session, at the outset, paid homage to the memory of trade union leaders and other government employees, who passed away during the period since last Conference in April, 2009. Thereafter, Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary presented the working report of the Association for the last one year while Shri P. Haridas, Finance Secretary of the Association presented the Audited Accounts. General Secretary’s report contained an overview of the international, national and local situations. Delegates from various Branches and Sub-Committees actively participated in the discussion on the General Secretary’s Report and Audited Accounts which were later on adopted unanimously. Addressing the Delegate Session, Shri P. Banerjee, former President of the Association recalled the valiant struggles conducted by the government employees in the country. Shri Clement Steephen, presented draft resolutions on various issues and problems affecting the government employees which were adopted after discussed. About 175 delegates and observers from various outstations and Port Blair/South Andaman, representing thousands of employees, attended the Delegate Session. A presidium comprising SC Biswas, P. Viswanathan and Raj Kumar Saw conducted the proceedings of the Delegate Session. Shri TS Sreekumar, proposed Vote of Thanks.

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Sd/-

(D. Ayyappan)

General Secretary

NGOs’ Association

Cell: 9434260430

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The Annual Conference 2010 of NGOs' Association is to be held on 10th and 11th April 2010 at ATUL SMRITI SAMITI (Bengali Club). Shri. Anadi Kumar Sahu, Hon'ble Minister Incharge of Labour & ESI, Govt. of West Bengal will grace the occasion as Chief Guest and will inaugurate the Conference on 10th April at 4 p.m. All are requested to attend the Inaugural Session.


General Secretary
NGOs' Association