SIXTH CENTRAL PAY COMMISSION
Response of All India Customs Preventive Service Federation
5. Relativities
5.1 Employees in the Secretariat and analogous establishments are entitled to higher pay scales than the corresponding field functionaries. This was supposed to compensate them for the loss of certain facilities available to them in field assignments and the extra effort required for decision making at the policy level. Are these factors valid even today particularly in the contest of decentralization and devolution of administrative powers? Is this discrimination between field and secretariat functionaries even justified today?
Ans. There is absolutely 'No Justification' in discriminating between employees of Central Secretariat and their counterparts in the field formation. In fact the roles of these two sections are complementary to each other, so much so that, one has the power to render the other ineffective. Hence, equal pay for employees of the Secretariat and its analogous establishments and field functionaries is the need of the hour, in the interest of equity and overall efficiency. Further, this will be in consonance with the spirit of Article 14 & 16 of the Constitution of India.
6. Group - 'A' Services
6.1 Is there a case for a Unified Civil Service, merging therein all Central (both technical and non-technical) and All India Services, allowing vertical and horizontal movement? Or should there be two distinct Streams, one embracing all the technical services and the other for non-technical services?
Ans. There cannot be a unified civil service as job requirements are different.
6.2 Do you feel that the pattern of pay scales for all Group A Services should be re-designated so as to attract candidates of the requisite caliber? Keeping in view some of the compensation packages being offered to fresh professionals by the private sector, what emoluments would you suggest for an entrant to a Group A Service in Government?
Ans. An Officer in the Government is exposed so much of crisis management and other functions, much tougher than their counterpart in private sector. With advent of globalization, there are umpteen instances of flight of talent from Govt. to Private Sector and the main factor is the attractive compensation package. If this trend is not halted, core functions of the Government will be starved of efficient and competent officers.
Nowadays, Graduates from IITs, IIMs, Doctors, Chartered Accountants and other professionals are entering Group A service in the Government in considerable numbers. Even those who are appointed to Group-A by promotion come with very rich experience of 15 to 20 years in the Government. But the entry level pay for these officers is very low in comparison with the officers of public/private sector. Therefore, to keep up the dignity and morale of these civil servants, the pay of the Group-A officer, at entry level should be comparable with those prevailing in public/private sector.
In view of the above, Pay scales of Group 'A' need to be re-designated. The Basic pay for Group 'A' at the entry level should be around Rs. 50,000/-. Here, it needs to be reiterated that talent needs to be retained and attracted for all services and not to be restricted to only Group A Service, such that all limbs of the Government function more effectively.
7. Professional personnel
7.1 Should there be a higher compensation package for scientists in certain specialized streams/departments like Department of Space, Department of Atomic Energy? If so, what should be the reasonable package in their case?
Ans. Yes. There cannot be a single package as each Department needs different talents, varying in degree and category. Here the guiding principle should be to stem brain-drain or losing of existing and / or potential talents
8. Classification of posts
8.1 Presently, civilian posts in the Central Government are classified into four Groups ("A", "B", "C", & "D") with reference to their scales of pay. The Fifth Central Pay Commission had recommended their reclassification into Executive, Supervisory, Supporting and Auxiliary Staff. Would you suggest any changes in the existing classification or should the classification recommended by Fifth Central Pay Commission be adopted with/without modifications?
Ans. Job pattern of Group B officers and those at the entry level in Group A, in almost all the Government Departments, are very much similar and there could be hardly any reason except the legacy of India's colonial past, behind the present model of persisting with two class of officers in the Government (During the days of British Raj, these two class were for differentiating between White & Brown Sahibs). Hence, this system has no place in Independent India. It only instills sense of class difference in the officer Cadre, which has thoroughly demoralises the officers at cutting edge level, striking a fatal blow at the very roots of quality governance. Accordingly, this Hon'ble Commission must recommend to the Government to have only two cadres viz. Gazetted and Non-Gazetted. Attempt in this direction has already been made in West Bengal Sales Tax Dept, Railway Protection Force and Postal Department.
Civilian posts in Central Govt. may be classified in three groups as under:
A. Executive (Gazetted): Including all existing scales of RS.7450 - 12000 & above
B. Supervisory (Non-Gazetted): Including all existing scales from RS.6500 - 10500 and above, but less than Rs. 7450 - 11500.
C. Supporting (Non-Gazetted): Including all existing scales below Rs.6500 - 10500.
9. Restructuring of Group "C" & "D" posts
9.1 Should all lower Group "C" functionaries in the Secretariat be replaced by multi-functional Executive Assistants, who would be graduates and well versed in office work, secretarial skills and use of modern office equipment including computers? Should similar arrangements can be evolved for Group "C" posts in other organizations of Government?
Ans. This is a matter relating to Administrative reform, as it relates to replacement of entire work force. Therefore this will invariably involve social and moral issues, which will have to be addressed, at a much wider forum. Further, it may not be out of place to mention that the changing educational patterns and societal structure will automatically ensure that the above stated requirement will be complied with, in due course.
9.2 Should a similar regrouping of Group D staff into fewer categories capable of performing diverse functions also be carried out?
Ans. Same as 9.1 above.
10. Pay Scales
10.1 How should a pay scale be structure? What is a reasonable ratio between the minimum and maximum of a pay scale?
Ans. As per answer to question no. 4.2 & 4.3.
Further, care should be taken so as to ensure that, Pay scale are structured in a way that matches the job responsibility and the social requirement of the officials. It should be competitive enough to maintain the morale of the officials when compared to similar position either in Public/Private Sector. Further, in a pay scale, only the minimum needs to be fixed and the maximum should be left open, with a 5% annual increment as shown in pay scales in answer to question no. 10.2.
10.2 The successive Pay Commissions have progressively reduced the number of distinct pay scales. The number of scales has therefore come down from more than 500 scales at the time of the Second Central Pay Commission to 51 scales before Fifth Central Pay Commission, which was brought down to 33 scales by the Fifth Central Pay Commission. The reduction in the number of pay scales brings in attendant problems like the promotion and the feeder grades corning to lie in the same pay scale, etc. Do you feel whether the existing number of pay scales should be retained or increased or decreased or whether the same should be replaced scale?
Ans. Although there is a case for reduction, yet there has to be an optimum number of pay scales for avoiding the problems as cited and more importantly for maintaining exalted morale of the Govt. Servants, in the best interest of the Nation. For this, number of pay scale in any group must take in to account the need for instilling a sense of satisfaction, of being elevated on completion of a specific number of years, and where there is no actual elevation, there must be a higher pay scale, as a recognition of the technical competence acquired during the intervening period. The following open ended (OE) pay scales are suggested:
(I) Executive (Gazetted)
Principal Secretary : Rs. 1,50,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year- OE
Secretary : Rs. 1,25,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year - OE
(b) Administrative Grade
Higher Adm. Grade: Rs. 1,00,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year - OE
Senior Adm. Grade: Rs. 85,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year - OE
Junior Adm. Grade: Rs. 70,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year - OE
(c) Managerial Grade
Senior Manager Rs. 58,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year - OE
Junior Manager Rs. 50,000 - 5% of Basic PaJ' of earlier year - OE
(II) Supervisory (Non-Gazetted)
Sr. Supervisor : Rs. 40,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year - OE
Jr. Supervisor : Rs. 35,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year - OE
(III) Supporting (Non-Gazetted)
Higher Grade Rs. 30,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year - OE
Senior Grade Rs. 25,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year - OE
Junior Grade Rs. 20,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year - OE
Sr. Worker Grade Rs. 17,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year - OE
Jr. Worker Grade Rs. 15,000 - 5% of Basic Pay of earlier year - OE