Stagnation in organized Group A services and the officers are not getting timely promotions

Question: "Whether there is stagnation in many organized Group A services and the officers are not getting timely promotions" & other related question- Details of Govt. clarification given in Lok Sabha:-

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL,PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 1036

ANSWERED ON 11.12.2013

STAGNATION IN PROMOTION

1036 . Shri KONAKALLA NARAYANA RAO

Will the Minister of PERSONNEL,PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS be pleased to state:-

(a) whether there is stagnation in many organized Group A services and the officers are not getting timely promotions;

(b) if so, whether the system of prescribing qualifying service for promotion for various organized Group A Central services and that of Indian Administrative Service are at great variance and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the officers are also deprived of the benefit of Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU) for want of completion of qualifying service at various levels;

(d) if so, whether the same is contrary to the intent and purpose proposed by the 6th Pay Commission and accepted by the Government; and

(e) if so, the remedial measures proposed by the Government in this regard?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (SHRI V. NARAYANASAMY)

(a): The time period taken for promotion to various grades in different services varies depending upon the factor like cadre structure, recruitment pattern, conduct of DPCs etc. The cadre structure of a service is guided by functional requirements.

(b): The details of qualifying service prescribed for Indian Administrative Service and various Organized Group ‘A’ Central Services are given in Annexure.

(c): The 6th CPC recommended that whenever an Indian Administrative Services Officer of the State or Joint Cadre is posted at the Centre to a particular grade carrying a specific grade pay in Pay band 3 or Pay Band 4 , the officers belonging to batches of Organized Group A Services that are senior by two years or more and have not so far been promoted to that particular grade would be granted the same grade on non-functional basis from the date of posting of the Indian Administrative Service Officers in that particular grade at the Centre. Consequent upon the acceptance of the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission, instruction for grant of the Non-functional Up-gradation in OM No. AB14017/64/208-Estt. (RR) dt. 20.04.09 have been issued. As per the terms and conditions of the above Scheme, the non functional up gradation would not be linked to the vacancies in the grade. All the prescribed eligibility criteria and promotional norms including ‘benchmark’ for up-gradation to a particular grade pay would have to be met at the time of screening for grant of higher pay-scale under these orders. Based on the above instructions, the officers of the Organized Group A Service are granted Non-Functional Upgradation.

(d): The Non-Functional Upgradation Scheme for grant of the Non-functional Up- gradation vide DOPT OM dated 24.4.09 has been issued as per the recommendations of Sixth Central Pay Commission as accepted by the Government.

(e): In view of reply at para (c) and (d) above, the question does not arise.

Annexure to the paragraph (b) of the reply to the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1036 for Answer on 11.12.2013

Para (b): Details of qualifying service prescribed for Indian Administrative Service and various Organized Group ‘A’ Central Services-

The eligibility for promotion in respect of Indian Administrative Service is as under:

(i) An officer is eligible for appointment to the Senior Time Scale on Completion of 4 years’ service.

(ii) An officer is eligible for appointment in the Junior Administrative Grade on completing 9 years of service.

(iii) An officer of Junior Administrative Grade shall be eligible for appointment to the Selection Grade on completion of 13 years of service.

(iv) The members of the service who are working in the Selection Grade and have completed 16 years of service shall be eligible for appointment in the Supertime Scale.

(v) The Zone of consideration for promotion in the first grade above supertime scale i.e. Principal Secretary to the State Government may consist of the Supertime Scale Level officers who have completed 25 years service

(vi) The zone of consideration for promotion in the grade of Chief Secretary would consist of all the members of the Service who have completed 30 years of service.

2. The eligibility criteria for promotion to various Organised Group A Services, including technical, non- technical and others Services, depend on the provisions prescribed in the respective Service Rules. The eligibility criteria in regard to length of service required for promotion to next higher grade has been prescribed broadly as followed for all Central Government posts which are mentioned as follows:

(i) The Junior Time Scale officers with 4 years of service in the grade are eligble for promotion to the grade of Senior Time Scale.

(ii) The Senior Time Scale officers of the Technical Service with 5 years of service in the grade are eligible for Non-Functional Second Grade in the 2nd Grade of STS. The Senior Time Scale officers of the Non-Technical Service with 5 years of Service in the grade are eligible for promotion to the grade of JAG.

(iii) The Junior Administrative Grade officer entering 14 years of Group A service are eligible for promotion to the Junior Administrative Grade (Non-Functional Selection Grade). The Senior Time Scale officer of the Technical Service with 9 years of service in the grade or 13 years of Group A service and 4 years in the Senior Time Scale are eligible for promotion to the Junior Administrative Grade.

(iv) 17 years’ regular service in Group A posts in the service out of which at least 4 years’ regular service should be in the JAG (including service rendered in the NFSG of the JAG are eligible. As per OM dated 18.1.2011, for promotion to Senior Administrative Grade level in Technical Service, the officers in the grade of Superintending Engineer and equivalent (PB4 Grade Pay of Rs. 8700/-) with 3 years regular service in the grade or officers in the grade of Superintending Engineer/equivalent with 17 years regular service in Group A posts in the service out of which at least 1 year of regular service should be in the PB-4 Grade Pay of Rs. 8700 are eligible.

(v) The officers in the SAG with 3 years’ regular service in the grade or with 25 years’ regular service in Group A posts in the service out of which at least 1 year regular service in the SAG are eligible for promotion to Higher Administrative Grade level as per the OMs dated 15.12.2009 and 18.1.2011.

3. The cumulative length of Group A Service required for promotion to a particular grade in the Organised Group A Service is, however, similar to the All India Service except in the Senior Administrative Grade where the cumulative length of service for Organised Group A Service officer is 17 years whereas for All India Service officer, it is 16 years.