Pending GDS employees Demands - Answer in Rajya sabha

MoC  Shri. RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD Replied in RAJYA SABHA on 1.8.2014  regarding  

STATUS ON DEMANDS OF GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS

Sl. No.	Issue	Action taken / Government’s view
1	Demand for regularization as Government servant.	Gramin Dak Sevaks, about 2,65,000 in number are a distinct category of employees, who do not form part of the regular civil service. They are governed by a separate set of conduct and engagement rules.  They are engaged for 3 to 5 hours in a day.  Their livelihood is not solely dependent on the allowances paid by the Postal Department.   They are mandatorily required to possess independent sources of income for adequate means of livelihood. They are discharged on attaining the age of 65 years and while in employment are required to have residence mandatorily within the post village/delivery jurisdiction of the post office. The Hon’ble Supreme Court in the matter of Superintendent of Post Offices vs. PK Rajamma (1977)(3) SCC has also held that the Extra Departmental Agents [now called Gramin Dak Sevaks] are holders of the civil post outside the regular civil service.
2	Demand for restoration of parity in bonus ceiling with departmental employees	Bonus ceiling stands revised at par with departmental employees vide DG Posts letter No. 26-04/2013-PAP dated 04.10.2013.
3	Demand for cent percent compassionate engagement to GDS posts from dependents of Gramin Dak Sevaks dying while in employment	Compassionate engagement is allowed in only hard and deserving cases. The term, ‘hard and deserving cases,’ is defined as cases earning more than 50 points designed from a point based criteria based on indigence. There is no justification to allow compassionate engagement in cent percent cases in cases of death of Gramin Dak Sevaks irrespective of indigence.
4	Request to ban direct recruitment to Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS)/Postman posts and filling up of 25% posts of MTS/Postman based on seniority by GDS employees.	Statutory Recruitment Rules for MTS provide for direct recruitment/absorption directly to MTS against 25% of the direct recruitment vacancies on the basis of selection cum seniority & another 25% by direct recruitment on the basis of competitive examination restricted to GDS. Statutory Recruitment Rules for Postman provide for direct recruitment from amongst GDS to the extent of 50% of the vacancies on the basis of limited departmental examination.

5	Request for filling up of all vacant posts in all categories of GDS in Postal and RMS.	Instructions have been issued to all Circles to fill up all vacant posts of GDS Branch Postmaster and justified posts of all other approved categories.
6	Request for extending one more option to GDS for enrolment under the service Discharge benefit Scheme (SDBS) and allowing GDS to make contribution to the Scheme	Existing GDS have already been provided one more and last option for their enrolment under the Scheme before 31.01.2014. GDS beneficiaries have also been allowed to contribute towards the scheme at the rate of Rs. 200 per month per GDS effective from October, 2013.
7	Request for merger of 50% DA to the remuneration of GDS.	This is based on the similar demand made by Central Government Employees. The Government has not taken any decision on the issue for the Central Government employees either.
8	Demand for inclusion of Gramin Dak Sevaks within the purview of the 7th Central Pay Commission.	The Government has successively constituted Committees for revision of the wage structure and other service conditions of GDS from time to time after each Central Pay Commission.  The last such Committee was constituted by the Department in the year 2007 named Shri RS Nataraja Murti Committee.  The latest request for their inclusion in the 7th CPC stands referred to the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure.