GRANT OF OFFICIATING PAY AND ALLOWANCES TO SELECTION GRADE OFFICIALS - REG.

D.G. Posts No. 137-64/2010-SPB.II Dated 28th July, 2011

I am directed to say that the matter regarding grant of officiating pay to Selection Grade officials who held the Selection Grade posts on officiating basis has been under consideration in consultation with Estt. Branch of the Department.

2. As regards filling up the posts of short term vacancies, it has been laid down in Department of Personnel & Training vide their OM No. 28036/8/87-Estt (D) dated 30.3.1988 and Om No. AB.14017/54/2003-Estt (RR) dated 4.12.2003 circulated vide this Department letter No. 137-2/2004-SPB.II dated 13/13th January, 2004 and No. 137-99/2009-SPB.II dated 32.12.2009 that hose employees in the feeder grade who fulfill the eligibility conditions prescribed in the Recruitment Rules should be considered for ad-hoc promotion.

3. Rule 27 of Postal Manual Volume IV provides that for officiating appointments once the list of approved officers are prepared by Department Promotion Committee and finally approved by Government or the appointing authority, no departur4e from the order in the list should ordinarily be made provided that when administrative exigencies require it, a person not in the list or not the first in order in the list , may be appointed for a period not exceeding three months.

4. Rule 50 of Postal Manual Vol. IV provides for officiating arrangement for filling up of vacancies of short duration i.e. not more than one month`s duration and more that four month`s duration in the cadres in which promotion is made from officials working in different stations, sub –divisions or divisions in a circle and in the cadres in which promotion is made from officials in the same office of station. In the case of vacancies of not more than one month`s duration in a Division , officiating arrangement may be confined to the officials at the station where the vacancy occurs even if this involves the supersession of a senior qualified official by a junior official who is actually appointed to act. In the case of a station where there are more offices than one each independent of the others, the officiating promotion may, at the discretion of the sanctioning authority , be confined to the office where the vacancy occurs. In the case of vacancies of more than one month but not exceeding four month`s duration , officiating arrangement may be confined to the officials in the office, sub-division or Division where the vacancy occurs on the same conditions as in the case of preceding clause.

5. Rule 50 also states that in special circumstances in which strict adherence to the above procedure may not be practicable or desirable from the administrative point of view, the sanctioning authority may at his discretion make acting arrangement as per administrative requirements.

6. In view of the above position, officiating arrangements may be made in accordance with Rule 27 or 50 0of Postal Manual Vol. IV or as per the instructions of DOP&T and Ministry of Finance, as the case may be. Such an official who fulfills the criteria laid down in the Recruitment Rules prescribed for such post and is thus eligible to be appointed to higher post is posted to officiate against the norm based supervisory post in LSG, HSG-II and HSG-I cadre on a whole time basis should be remunerated by allowing the pay and allowances in the pay scale/pay band + Grade pay attached to the higher posts, for the period the official continues to officiate in it, provided the provisions of FR-35 are not invoked by the appointing authority, which is normally done in case of ineligible officials appointed to the higher posts in exigency of service.

7. Fundamental Rule (FR-) 49 provides for appointment of a Government servant already holding a post in a substantive or officiating capacity to officiate as temporary measure in one or more of their independent posts at one time and admissibility of pay for holding such post. Appointment under FR 49 normally does not arise in case of operative offices in the Department of Posts such as Post Offices and Mail Offices in respect of Gr. C posts. However, if there are any isolated case and /or exception is there, the provisions contained in FR-49 may be invoked. In such cases, when a Postal Assistant (not granted financial upgradation under TBOP) being eligible is appointed to officiate for whole time in a norms based LSG (SPM/.APM) etc. post which is in the line of promotion, in addition to his duties in PA/SA posts, he may be allowed the pay attached to the norm based LSG post without any additional pay/allowance for performing the duties of lower posts of PA/SA. If the government servant is directed to hold the dual charge of two posts in the same cadre carrying identical scales of pay, no additional pay is admissible except special pay, if any attached to the additional post.

8. No additional pay and /or special pay/allowance are admissible for holding current charge of the routine duties of another post.

9. Keeping in view the above , it has been decided with the approval of competent authority that in case a Postal Assistant (PA) or sorting Assistant (SA) as the case may be (who was not granted financial upgradation under TBOP or BCR Scheme) was appointed to officiate/hold full charge of a norm based supervisory Lower grade Selection Grade (LSG) post in accordance with the Rule 27 or 50, he /she maybe allowed the pay and allowances attached to the higher post subject to the satisfaction of all other relevant conditions. Similarly, in case of an official holding LSG or HSG-II norm based post on regular basis was appointed to officiate /hold full charge of a norm based higher/supervisory Higher Selection Grade –II (HSG-II) or Higher Selection Grade-I (HSG-I) post, respectively, in accordance with Rule 27 or 50 , he /she may also be allowed the pay and allowances attached to higher post.

10. Further as regards past cases of PA/SA granted financial upgradation under TBOP scheme appointed to officiate /hold full charge of a supervisory norm based LSG as per Rule 27 or 50, he/she was entitled to draw pay and allowances permissible under TBOP scheme which happened to be in the pay scale of LSG post. Similarly, if an regular LSG official granted financial upgradation under BCR scheme was appointed to officiate /hold full charge of supervisory norm based HSG-II post, as per Rule 27 or 50, he/she was entitled to draw pay and allowance permissible under BCR scheme which happened to be in the pay scale of HSG-II. In case, a regularly appointed HSG-II official was appointed to officiate /hold full charge of supervisory norm based HSG-I post, as per Rule 27 or 50, he/she was entitled to draw pay and allowances attached to the post of HSG-I.

11. The TBOP/BCR schemes have since been abolished w.e.f. 1.9.2008 on introduction of MACP scheme. The scheme envisaged merely placement in immediate next higher grade pay in the hierarchy of the recommended revised pay bands and grade pay as given in the CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008, counted from the direct entry grade on completion of 10,20 and 30 years service respectively and is admissible wherever a person has spent 10 years continuously in the same grade pay. Thus, the grade pay at the time of financial upgradation under MACP scheme, in certain cases differ than what is available at the time of regular promotion. In such cases, the higher grade pay attached to the next promotion post in the hierarchy of the concerned cadre will be given only at the time of regular promotion.

12. In view of the position mentioned in the above paragraph, in case, a regular appointed PA/SA granted financial upgradation under MACP-I is appointed as per Rule 27 or 50 to officiate/hold full charge of norm based LSG post, he/she will be entitled to draw pay and allowances attached to the post of LSG as both MACP-1 and LSG carry the same grade pay of Rs.2800/-. However, if such PA/SA granted MACP-II or MACP-III is appointed to norm based LSG post, he/she will be entitled to draw pay and grade pay attached to MACP-II or MACP-III as the case may be subject to the satisfaction of all other/relevant terms and conditions.

13. Similarly, in case an officials holding the norm based LSG post on regular basis who is in receipt of MACP-II or MACP-III, as the case may be , is appointed to officiate/hold full charge of supervisory HSG-II post, in accordance with Rule 27 or 50 , he /she would be entitled to continue to draw the pay and grade pay etc. attached to MACP-II or MACP-III as the case may be subject to the satisfaction of all other/relevant terms and conditions.

14. In case, an official holding the norm based HSG-II post on regular basis was already in receipt of MACP-II is appointed to official/hold full charge of a norm based supervisory HSG-I post, in accordance with Rule 27 or 50, he /she would be entitled to continue to draw the pay and grade, etc. pay attached to HSG-I post subject to the satisfaction of all other/relevant terms and conditions. If such HSG-II official who in receipt of MACP-III is appointed to officiate/hold full charge of norm based HSG-I post in accordance with Rule 27 or 50, he or she would be entitled to continue to draw the pay and grade pay , etc. attached to HSG-I post subject to the satisfaction of all other/relevant terms and conditions.

15. The above illustration is given in cases of PA/SA who are appointed recruit as Direct Recruits. There could be cases where Multitasking Staff (MTS) or Postman/Mailguard who have reached the level of PA/SA by promotion are detailed to officiate on higher post as mentioned above. In such cases also, care may be taken to fix their officiating pay under rule 27 o9r 50 after taking into account the upgradation under MACP and / or promotion granted to them.

16. The past cases, if any may also be regulated accordingly.