We demand an effective LOKPAL

Along with the rest of the country, Andaman & Nicobar Islands is also in the grip of corrupt politicians, corrupt officials and corrupt businessmen who together loot the islanders. To contain corruption atleast to some extent we need a strong and effective Lokpal in the country.

General Secretary

NGOs' Association

Creation of new grade of UDC (NFSG) and Stenographer Grade ‘D’ (NFSG) in CSCS and CSSS Respectively

3-3/CC/2011 24.08.2011

To

The Chief Secretary,
Andaman and Nicobar Administration,
Port Blair.

Sub: Creation of new grade of UDC (NFSG) and Stenographer Grade ‘D’ (NFSG) in CSCS and CSSS Respectively – regarding.
--------------------
Sir,

I am to invite your kind attention towards the Office Memorandum bearing No. 20/49/2009-CS.II (B) dated the 22nd June, 2011 issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions (Department of Personnel & Training), Government of India, New Delhi on the above subject.

According to the above order, UDCs of Central Secretariat Clerical Services (CSCS) and Stenographer Grade ‘D’ of Central Secretariat Stenographers’ Services (CSSS), on completion of 5 years’ of service, will be placed in the Non Functional Selection Grade in the Grade Pay of Rs. 4200 in Pay Band-2.

The above decision has been taken by the Govt. of India in order to remove the stagnation among the UDCs in the Central Secretariat Services. There is widespread stagnation among the Higher Grade Clerks working under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration due to lack of sufficient promotional posts.

Under the circumstances, I would request you kindly to take up this matter with the Govt. of India, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions (Department of Personnel & Training) to extend the Non-Functional Selection Grade (NFSG) to the Higher Grade Clerks and Stenographers (Ordinary) working under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration considering the stagnation among the above categories of employees.

Sd/-
(D. Ayyappan)
General Secretary
Cell: 09434260430.
Copy to:
1. The Secretary, Departmental of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Govt. of India, North Block, New Delhi – 110 001 for kind consideration and necessary orders please.
1. Com KKN Kutty, Secretary General, Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers, Manishinath Bhavan, A2/95, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi-110 027.


General Secretary

Engaging other staff to perform Clerical work

3-3/CC/2011 25.08.2011

To

The Chief Secretary,
Andaman and Nicobar Administration,
Port Blair.

Sir,

With the restructuring of the Amalgamated Clerical Cadre of the Administration and filling of vacant posts of Lower Grade Clerk through Staff Selection Commission, sufficient clerical staffs have been posted to almost all the departments and offices under the Administration. It has been reported to this Association that in some of the departments/offices like Electricity Department, APWD, etc., regular mazdoors and other staff are engaged for performing clerical work while the clerical cadre staff posted to such offices are idling.

Some of the Heads of Departments/Offices prefer to engage other staff for performing clerical work on extraneous reasons. These Heads of Departments/ Offices hesitate to allot work to the newly posted clerical staff thereby creating unrest among the staff.

I would, therefore, request you kindly to issue necessary instructions to all the Heads of Departments/ Offices under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to allot clerical work only to the Clerical Cadre Staff and to do away with the practice of engaging Regular Mazdoors, etc. for clerical work wherever such clerical cadre staffs are sufficiently available.

Sd/-
(D. Ayyappan)
General Secretary
Cell: 09434260430.

Denial of upgraded grade pay to certain category of teachers in A & N ISlands

3-3/CC/2011 16.08.2011

To


The Secretary (Perl),
Department of Personnel & Training,
Government of India,
North Block,
New Delhi – 110 001.

Sir,

I am to invite your kind attention to this Association’s letters addressed to your goodself about the injustice meted out to a section of teaching staff working under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration. The Government of India has upgraded, under part B of the CCS (Revised) Pay Rules, 2008, the scales of pay of teachers of various categories in the pre-revised scales of pay on the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission (para 3.8.21).

However, I would like to point out that certain categories of teaching staff have been denied the upgraded pay under Part B of the Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 by the Andaman and Nicobar Administration. They are Headmasters, Physical Education Teachers, Librarians, Craft Instructors, Lab Assistants, Primary School Resource Teachers, Music/Art Teachers, etc. The above categories of teachers were always considered for any kind of benefits that were extended to the teaching community by the government in the past and this is the first occasion they have been kept out of the purview of upgraded pay.

On becoming Headmasters, the financial upgradation of PSTs and GTTs which they got through ACP/MACP are being sought to be reduced. In this way, the teachers (Primary School Teachers and Graduate Trained Teachers) who are working under these Headmasters are getting higher Grade Pay compared to the Headmasters.

As pointed out by this Association, the upgraded Grade Pay under Part B is allowed to all the above categories of teachers working under the Govt. of NCT of Delhi, Government of Puducherry, Kendriya Vidyalaya schools, Navodaya Vidyalaya Schools, Railway Board Schools, etc. Denial of the upgraded pay under Part B to the teachers working under the Andaman & Nicobar Administration is a sheer discrimination. Our request to the A & N Administration to end this discrimination and allow the teachers working under the A & N Administration also to avail this upgraded Grade Pay did not yield any result. Hundreds of teachers are affected by the inaction on the part of the authorities.

Denial of the upgraded pay to certain category of teachers will demoralize the them which in turn will badly affect the teaching-learning process in the educational institutions.

I would, therefore, once again request you kindly to look into the above matter and issue necessary direction to the A & N Administration to extend the upgraded Grade Pay under Part B of CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 to the above categories of left-out teachers working under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration as has been done in other UTs and central government schools in order to end the discrimination among the teaching staff of various UTs and to restore confidence among the affected categories of teachers.

Yours faithfully,


(D. Ayyappan)
General Secretary
Cell: 09434260430.

Upgraded pay to LGCs & HGCs

3-9/CC/2011 16.08.2011

To

The Secretary to the Govt. of India,
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension
Department of Personnel & Training,
North Block,
New Delhi – 110 001.

Sub: Upgraded Grade Pay for the post of Lower Grade Clerks/Higher Grade Clerks - regarding.
--------------
Sir,

I am to draw your kind attention towards this Association’s letters addressed to you on the above subject. This Association and the Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers, New Delhi have been representing to the Govt. of India for the last several years to enhance the scales of pay of Lower Grade Clerks and Higher Grade Clerks working under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration. The educational qualification for recruitment to the post of Lower Grade Clerk was raised to Class XII with computer education and typewriting essential, through an amendment in the Recruitment Rules during the year 1994. The Government of India, DOPT has also enhanced the educational qualification for the post of LGC from matriculation to Class XII, after the implementation of the Sixth Centrlal Pay Commission.

As pointed out by us earlier, the duties and responsibilities of the Lower Grade Clerks and Higher Grade Clerks are higher than those of their counterparts in the Central Secretariat Services of the Govt. of India and subordinate offices. Manual of Office Procedure of the central government and that of the A & N Administration clearly reveal that HGCs and LGCs working under the A & N Administration are performing higher nature of duties. As stated by us earlier also, the LGCs and HGCs, being the Dealing Assistants in the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, are required to deal with complicated cases of various kinds and, thus, shoulder higher responsible work.

The Sixth Central Pay Commission and the Govt. of India continued to neglect the Lower Grade Clerks and Higher Grade Clerks even after the Sixth Central Pay Commission. On the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission, the erstwhile Group D staffs have been brought at par with the Lower Grade Clerks in the Pay Band-1 upgrading them to Group C. When the Group D staffs have been brought to Group C category, the existing employees in the lowest category of Group C should have been upgraded atleast to the next scale of pay.

I would, therefore, once again request you kindly to examine this matter and issue necessary orders upgrading the scales of pay/Grade Pay of Lower Grade Clerks and Higher Grade Clerks working under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, treating it as a special case.


(D. Ayyappan)
General Secretary
Cell: 9434260430

Copy to:
1. The Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, North Block, New Delhi – 110 001, for kind information and favourable action.
2. The Joint Secretary(UT), Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, North Block, New Delhi – 110 001, for information and necessary action please.
3. Comrade KKN Kutty, Secretary General, Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers, A/2, 95, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi – 110 027 for necessary action.
4. The Chief Secretary, A & N Administration with the request to take up the matter with Govt. of India.


General Secretary

Grant of ISDA during summer vacation

3-3/CC/2011 16.08.2011

To

The Secretary,
Department of Expenditure,
Ministry of Finance,
Government of India,
North Block,
New Delhi – 110 001.

Sub: Grant of ISDA during summer vacation to teachers -
Regarding.
----------------
Sir,

I am to invite your kind attention towards this Association’s letter dated 21st February, 2011 addressed to your goodself on the above subject. As pointed out by us, on the recommendation of the Sixth Central Pay Commission, Island Special Duty Allowance (ISDA), ranging from 12 ½% to 25% depending upon the area of posting, has been granted to all the government employees and workers working under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration vide OM No. 123/2008-E-II (B) dated 29th August, 2008 of the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, New Delhi. Conditions for drawing this Allowance has been stipulated in terms of Note 1 below Section (iii) read with para 2 below Section V, Appendix-9 “Incentive for Serving in Remote Areas” of FR & SR Part-I. As per this, ISDA will not be admissible during leave/training beyond 15 days at a time and beyond 30 days in a year. The allowance is also not admissible during suspension and joining time.

However, the ISDA is not being given to the teachers working under the Education Department of Andaman and Nicobar Administration during summer vacation. The Finance Department of the A & N Administration has objected to the grant of ISDA to teaching staff during vacation and stated that “the nature of vacation is similar to leave with full pay availed by other categories of government servants and during such leave beyond 15 days, ISDA is not admissible……”

As pointed out by us earlier, the Ministry of Finance, in consulation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, had clarified vide their U.O. No. 72-E.IV (A)/70 dated 21.1.1970 that “vacation is deemed as duty under F.R. 82 (b), there would be no objection to combining it with casual leave which is also treated as duty”

I would further bring to your kind notice that the Principal Director of Audit, Kolkatta had audited the accounts of some of the Senior Secondary Schools under the Education Department of these islands and they observed that “As the vacation is treated as duty and counts for all purpose in service and not treated as leave and not debited to any leave account, disallowing ISDA during vacation was irregular. The reason for disallowing ISDA may please be stated and disallowed portion of ISDA may be paid to teaching staff under intimation to Audit.”

Despite clear provision in the CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972 and FR, denial of the ISDA to the teachers during summer vacation by the Finance Department of A & N Administration is unjust and needs to be looked into by the Government of India. We have been informed that this matter has been taken up with the Ministry of Finance by the A & N Administration.

I would, therefore, once again request you kindly to consider the above issue favourably and communicate the decision of the Ministry of Finance so that thousands of teaching staff working under the Education Department of the A & N Administration will get the Islands Special Duty Allowance during summer vacation.


Yours faithfully,


(D. Ayyappan)
General Secretary
Cell: 09434260430



Copy to:

1. The Joint Secretary (UT), Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, North Block, New Delhi for kind necessary action.
2. Com KKN Kutty, Secretary General, Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers, A/2/95/ Rajouri Garden, New Delhi – 110 027.


General Secretary

3-3/CC/2011 16.08.2011

To


The Hon’ble Minister of Home Affairs,
Government of India,
North Block,
New Delhi – 110 001.

Sir,

I am to invite your kind attention to this Association’s letter dated 21st February, 2011 addressed to your goodself about the injustice meted out to a section of teaching staff working under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration. The Government of India has upgraded, under part B of the CCS (Revised) Pay Rules, 2008, the scales of pay of teachers of various categories in the pre-revised scales of pay on the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission (para 3.8.21).

However, I would like to point out that certain categories of teaching staff have been denied the upgraded pay under Part B of the Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 by the Andaman and Nicobar Administration. They are Headmasters, Physical Education Teachers, Librarians, Craft Instructors, Lab Assistants, Primary School Resource Teachers, Music/Art Teachers, etc. The above categories of teachers were always considered for any kind of benefits that were extended to the teaching community by the government in the past and this is the first occasion they have been kept out of the purview of upgraded pay.

On becoming Headmasters, the financial upgradation of PSTs and GTTs which they got through ACP/MACP are being sought to be reduced. In this way, the teachers (Primary School Teachers and Graduate Trained Teachers) who are working under these Headmasters are getting higher Grade Pay compared to the Headmasters.

As pointed out by this Association, the upgraded Grade Pay under Part B is allowed to all the above categories of teachers working under the Govt. of NCT of Delhi, Government of Puducherry, Kendriya Vidyalaya schools, Navodaya Vidyalaya Schools, Railway Board Schools, etc. Denial of the upgraded pay under Part B to the teachers working under the Andaman & Nicobar Administration is a sheer discrimination. Our request to the A & N Administration to end this discrimination and allow the teachers working under the A & N Administration also to avail this upgraded Grade Pay did not yield any result. Hundreds of teachers are affected by the inaction on the part of the authorities.

Denial of the upgradced pay to certan category of teachers will demoralize the them which in turn will badly affect the teaching-learning process in the educational institutions.

I would, therefore, once again request you kindly to look into the above matter and issue necessary direction to the A & N Administration to extend the upgraded Grade Pay under Part B of CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 to the above categories of left-out teachers working under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration as has been done in other UTs and central government schools in order to end the discrimination among the teaching staff of various UTs and to restore confidence among the affected categories of teachers.

(D. Ayyappan)
General Secretary
Cell: 09434260430.
Copy to:
1. The Home Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, North Block, New Delhi – 110 001 for kind intervention in the matter.
2. Com KKN Kutty, Secretary General, Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers, A/2/95/ Rajouri Garden, New Delhi – 110 027.


General Secretary

Abnormal increase in the room tariff of Guest Houses

3-3/CC/2011 28.07.2011


To

The Chief Secretary,
Andaman and Nicobar Administration,
Port Blair.

Sub: Abnormal increase in the room tariff of Guest Houses
- regarding.
-----------
Sir,

I draw your kind attention to the order No. 864 dated the 6th July, 2011 issued by the Directorate of Tourism, Andaman and Nicobar Administration revising the room tariff in respect of Guest Houses of Andaman and Nicobar Administration at Kolkatta, Chennai and New Delhi. The room rent for AC room has been increased from Rs. 100 to Rs. 500, for government employees on duty which is a 500% increase over the existing rate. This abnormal increase in the room tariff is unjustified as it will put the government officials in trouble. Almost all the rooms in the above Guest Houses are AC rooms.

Most of the government employees who proceed on duty to mainland do not avail the Tour TA advance and the entire amount is spent from their pocket and it is only after several months that the Tour TA bill is passed and payment made to them. An official who is required to stay for a week at any of the Guest Houses on the mainland on duty will have to spend Rs. 3500 from his pocket for the room rent besides other expenses.

Similarly, all these years, government servants on leave were given concessional tariff in the Guest Houses of the Administration on the mainland, but this concession has been taken away through the order dated 6th July, 2011, as a result of which government officials who are on leave and staying in the Guest Houses are compelled to pay Rs. 1000 per day. In this way, government officials have been made at par with the general public who are also required to pay Rs. 1000 per day. This decision is also unjustified and arbitrary and needs to be reviewed.

I would, therefore, request your goodself kindly to look into the above matter and reduce the room tariff in respect of Guest Houses of A & N Administration at Kolkatta, Chennai and Delhi for government employees on duty and government employees on leave as the abnormal increase in the room rent by 500% is causing difficulties to the government employees.


(D. Ayyappan)
General Secretary
Cell: 9434260430

D Ayyappan visits New Delhi

During his 4-day visit to Delhi recently, Shri D.Ayyappan, General Secretary of the Non-Gazetted Government Officers' Association has met a number of higher officials in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions (Department of Personnel & Training), Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Human Resource Developement, etc., and discussed various pending issues of government employees working under the Andaman and Nicobar Admn. He has also submitted a Memorandum to Shri P.Chidambaram, Hon'ble Home Minister, Government of India urging him to intervene in the matter of denial of upgraded Grade Pay to certain categories of teachers in these islands. He has raised the issue of upgraded pay for the Lower Grade Clerks and Higher Grade Clerks during his meetings with the officials of Department of Expenditure. The matter relating to the grant of Island Special Duty Allowance to teachers and vacation staff during the summer vacation was also discussed. In another Memorandum submitted to the Secretary(Revenue) in the Ministry of Finance, he has demanded the exemption of Island Special Duty Allowance from Income Tax, treating this Allowance as compensatory in nature. After the completion of the visit, he has returned to Port Blair on 19.08.2011.

General Secretary

Red Salute to Com. M.K.Pandhe

Com: MK Pandhe, Former President of CITU and Polit Beaureau Member of CPIM expired at 12.20 am on 21st August 2011. Com Pandhe was the voice of the working class and the toiling masses. He was a guiding force for the Confederation of Central Govt employees & Workers. The NGOs' Association, Andaman and Nicobar Islands deeply condole the sad demise Com. MK Pandhe.

Meeting of Left out category teachers

SOUTH ANDAMAN TEACHERS' BRANCH
of
Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers' Association
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Holds
A meeting of teachers who are denied the upgraded grade pay under Part B viz., Headmasters (Primary/Middle), C.Is, Librarians, PETs, Lab Assts., PSRTs etc.,
at 03.00 p.m. on 13th August 2011 (Saturday)

At Hotel ACC Hall, Mohanpura, Port Blair

Agenda for meeting
Further course of action to resolve the issue

All affected teachers are requested to attend the meeting

Secretary, SATB
Cell No: 9933276336

Meeting of Adhoc-teachers on 13th August 2011

SOUTH ANDAMAN TEACHERS' BRANCH

of

Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers' Association

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Holds

A meeting of the teachers working in the Education Department

whose ad-hoc period is to be regularised

at 10.00 a.m. on 13th August 2011 (Saturday)

At Hotel ACC Hall, Mohanpura, Port Blair

Agenda for meeting

Further course of action to resolve the issue

All affected teachers are requested to attend the meeting

Secretary, SATB

Cell No: 9933276336

Heavy Vehicle Drivers services to be withdrawn from Raj Nivas and Secretariat

3-3/CC/2011 Dated 21.07.2011


To

The Director of Transport,
Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
Port Blair.

Sir,

I am to invite your kind attention to my letter dated 7th March, 2011 addressd to you (copy enclosed for kind perusal) regarding our demand for withdrawal of heavy vehicle drivers of STS department from Secretariat, Raj Nivas, etc.

Recently, a news item was broadcast through AIR, Port Blair that STS bus services have been badly affected due to non-availability of drivers. We have been requesting the Administration and Transport Department for the last several months that engaging heavy vehicle drivers for light vehicle duty, that too from the pool of STS, is not a desirable step and had sought the intervention of the authorities to rectify the mistake. As pointed out by us in our earlier letters, there is shortage of Heavy Vehicle Drivers in the STS which reportedly hampered STS bus services. To make up the shortfall, Transport Department resort to appointment of drivers on contract/daily rated basis. We had expressed our apprehension to you and other authorities in the Administration that contract/ DRM drivers, who are not liable for any accident, loss/damage to government property, often causes accidents due to lack of experience to drive heavy vehicles.

I would, therefore, once again request you that the Heavy Vehicle Drivers of STS services may kindly be withdrawn from Raj Nivas, Secretariat, etc. so that their services can be better utilized for driving the STS buses effectively. This will be in the public interest as well as in the interests of Staff Car Drivers idling in various departments under the Administration.

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

Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
(D. Ayyappan)
General Secretary
Cell: 9434260430
Copy to:
1. The Secretary (GA), A & N Administration, for necessary action pl.
2. The Vice President, Staff Car Drivers’ Sub-Committee of Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association, Port Blair.

General Secretary

Regularisation of adhoc services of teachers

3-3/CC/2011 Dated 27.07.2011


To

The Director of Education,
Andaman and Nicobar Administration,
Port Blair.

Sub: Regularisation of adhoc services from initial
appointment - regarding.
----------------
Sir,

I am to invite your kind attention to the above issue which is pending with the Directorate of Education for quite a long time. Cases of a large number of teachers for regularization of adhoc services from their initial appointment were being processed by the Directorate of Education for the last few years, but till date the process has not been completed, causing concern among the affected teachers.

We have been given assurances by the successive Directors that this issue will be settled favourably and sought further time on every time we met the authorities in the Directorate of Education.

While we are fully aware of the fact that complicated nature of a number of cases in this category leads to undue delay in finalizing it, we expect the department to complete it even by engaging additional staff so that hundreds of teachers who have been deprived of the financial benefit and service will heave a sigh of relief. A number of teachers are on the verge of retirement and any delay in restoring their rightful benefits will lead to loss of pensionary benefits to them.

I would, therefore, request you kindly to look into this matter personally and take appropriate steps to regularize the adhoc services of teachers from their initial appointments and, thus, render justice to them.

Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
(D. Ayyappan)
General Secretary
Cell: 9434260430