SEE SOME OF THE PICTURES RELATING TO AGs' CONFERENCE HELD AT NEW DELHI DURING 5-9 APRIL,2010 [Click on any photo to get it's enlarged view]

New Executive Committee of SrAO/AO's Association in office of the Prl.AG(A&E)AP,Hyd formed w.e.f. 23-4-2010 AN

New Executive Committee of SrAO/AO's Association in o/oPrl.AG(A&E)AP formed w.e.f. 23-4-2010 AN with the following :
Sri P.S.NAGESWARA RAO : President
Sri MUNEER KHAN             : Vice-President
Sri AVADHNATH ROY        : Secretary
Sri M.RAMU                         : Asst Secretary
Sri Ch SHOWRAIAH            : Treasurer
Smt SMRITI Y PATHAK      : E.C.Member
Sri S.VENKAT REDDY        : E.C.Member
Sri A.R.SWAMY                   : E.C.Member
Smt M.SANTHI                     : E.C.Member
Smt V.M.N.RAMA KUMARI:E.C.Member

THE NEW COMMITTEE TOOK STOCK OF ALL EVENTS OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND RESOLVED TOGETHER WITH THE GENERAL MEMBERS PRESENT IN THE G.B.Meeting held on 23-4-2010 to carry on the MANTLE under the directions of ALL INDIA AUDIT/ACCOUNTS OFFICERS ASSOCIATON.

D.O.P.T. issued orders on 20-4-2010 extending the benefit of availing L.T.C(home town) to visit any destination in N.E.States for another TWO YEARS from 1-5-2010 i.e. upto 30-4-2012

[Please CLICK on the CAPTION to get the order of D.O.P.T.]
D.O.P.T. issued orders on 20-4-2010 extending the benefit of  availing L.T.C(home town) to visit any destination in N.E.States for another TWO YEARS from 1-5-2010 i.e. upto 30-4-2012

Clarification dated 2-2-2010 issued by MOF endangers the benefits derived under MACP

[ Please CLICK on the Caption to get the order issued by the Min of Fin. and read the POINT No 3 ]

This clarification issued by MoF after getting the concurrence of the D.O.P.T. [which issued the original MACP orders] makes the position altered and may render almost all the PAY FIXATIONS done recently in our office (PrlAG[A&E]AP,HYDERABAD) incorrect and wrong .

New condition not provided in Original Order introduced:

However, the clarification order dated 2.2.2010 brings this new term “whichever is later” for the first time into the picture, while there is no advocation for such a kind of procedure inthe original MACPS order.  This misinterpretation is proved to be very costly as per the clarification dated 2.2.2010, as whenever an employee is promoted to the next cadre within the period of 10 years service, say 5 years, he has to wait for his 2nd MACP till the completion of 20 years of service.

Why it’s proved to be costly for employees:

Take the case of another employee who gets his first promotion after completion of 18 years in same grade will be eligible for 2nd MACP only after completion of 10 years of service in the promoted grade/grade pay.  So, he will be eligible for 2nd MACP only after completion of 28 years of Government service, since completion of 10 years of service in the same grade pay will only fall later than the completion of 20 years of service for getting 2nd MACP in his case.  On the contrary, as per the original order dated 19.5.2009 for MACPS issued by DOPT he will be getting his 2nd MACP after completion of 20 years of govt service.

Photoes relating to GENERAL BODY Meeting held on 6-4-2010

Sri Y. SURYANARAYANA , Sr.A.O. retires today - 31-3-2010. A Felicitation Function is conducted in his honour yesterday by the SrAOs/AOs Association

SEE BELOW THE PHOTOS OF THE EVENT HELD ON 30-3-2010

DAY LONG LECTURE ON 11-3-2010 AT MARRI CHENNA REDDY H.R.D. INSTITUTE, JUBILEE HILLS, HYDERABAD by the AUTHOR

Every (Sr) ACCOUNTS/AUDIT OFFICER pay some time & attention to understand what is the CHARTER OF DEMANDS of their Cadre

Charter of Demands

1.Up gradation of Pay Scales of Audit/Accounts and Senior Audit/Accounts Officers: 

In all the pay revisions and cadre restructuring, only one cadre which has received a raw deal is the cadre of AOs/Sr.AOs. The VI Pay Commission has worsened the situation. The Sr. Divisional Accounts Officers have always been kept below at least one level below the Audit/Accounts Officers. Functionally this vertical relativity exists and this has not been disrupted until the recommendations of the VI pay commission were implemented by the Notification dated 29^th August 2008.  In this notification the cadre of Sr.Divisional Accounts Officer of the Indian Audit & Accounts Department has been granted the scale of Rs.8000-13500 and has been placed in PB3 with a grade pay of Rs.5400 treating them on par with the Sr.Audit/Accounts Officers of the same Indian Audit & Accounts Department while placing the Audit/Accounts Officers in PB2 with the same Grade Pay.  Thus the Audit and Accounts Officers have been placed below the Sr.Divisional Accounts Officers. This has disturbed the vertical relativity established by the recruitment rules leading to an anomalous situation defeating the very recruitment rules which place the Sr.Divisional Accounts Officers in the scales applicable to the Assistant Audit/Accounts officers of the department and hence necessarily require placing the Sr.Divisional Accounts Officers below the Audit/Accounts Officers. Historically the cadre of Divisional Accountant was placed below the cadre of Section Officer of the IA & AD and the following hierarchal setup was maintained for decades in IA & AD:

Auditor /Accountant

Divisional Accountants

Section Officer

Asst. Audit /Accounts Officer

Audit / Accounts Officer

Sr.Audit/Accounts Officer

Even the Pay Scale of the Divisional Accountant up to the IV Central Pay Commission was lower than the Pay Scale of the Section Officer. It was during the IV Central Pay Commission that the cadre of Divisional Accountant was restructured and the posts of Divisional Accounts Officer Grade III, Grade II & Senior Divisional Accounts Officer were created. Though the Pay Scale of Divisional Accounts Officer Grade II was brought on par with Section Officer the Pay Scale of Sr. Divisional Accounts Officer was one scale below the Pay Scale of Audit / Accounts Officer.The Audit/Accounts Officer supervise the work of S.O.G Examination passed Section Officers. Every Audit and Accounts Officer supervises the work of 4 to 5 S.O.G. passed Section Officers and 16 to 20 Sr. Auditors/Accountants where as  the Sr. Divisional Accounts Officer supervises the work of a Clerk in the Division.

 This fact was taken note of by the 6^th Central Pay Commission which decided that “this parity will need to be maintained.” It placed the Sr.Divisional Accounts Officers in the scale of 8000-13500 with grade pay of 5400 granting them PB3. However the Pay Commission ignored its own hypothesis and placed the Audit/Accounts officers in the PB 2 (8700-34800), merging them with the Assistant Audit/Accounts Officers, with a Grade pay of 4800 in PB2 without any stated or apparent logic.  Though the Government did make an attempt to correct this anomalous recommendation, it was only half step as Audit/ Accounts Officers were continued to be placed in PB2 with Grade pay of Rs.5400.  This resulted in maintaining the cadre of Audit/Accounts Officers below that of Sr.Divisional Accounts Officers.  

 The Audit/Accounts officers are better qualified (SOG Examination) and are eligible for consideration for promotion to the cadre of IA&AS after promotion to the cadre of Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers. They also supervise the Sr.Divisional Accounts Officers.  This being the actual relative status in the Department, it is illogical and anomalous to retain the Audit/Accounts Officers in PB 2.  They should, in fact, be placed at a higher status by granting them the Grade Pay of 6600 in PB 3.  The Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers being a higher cadre to the Audit/Accounts Officers and constituting the promotional channel to the cadre of IA&AS, should, in all fairness and equity, be granted the Grade Pay of 7600 in PB 3.  The present scales and Grade pay granted to the Audit/Accounts Officers & Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers are anomalous. 

When a person is promoted as AO, from AO to SrAO and then when he is conferred IAAS with the same Grade Pay of Rs.5400 along with just one increment. It is our considered opinion that the revised scales only perpetuate the injustice to the cadre of Audit/Accounts Officers and Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers which have been suffering since long. Hence this Association is constrained to reiterate that-

A. The reasons cited in the Pay Commission report to deny higher pay scales to Sr. Audit/Accounts officers and Audit/Accounts officers are very hollow and unscientific.  Traditionally Audit/Accounts Officers of IA&AD were always on a grade higher than that of Section officers of Central Secretariat Services.  In that background only the Sr. Audit/Accounts officers were in the scale of 8000-13500 as per the recommendations of the V CPC.   It is another issue that the VI CPC did not attempt a proper evaluation of the work and status of the cadre.  This horizontal relativity was disturbed by a decision of the government to grant the Section Officers of Central Secretariat Services with four years of service pay scale of Rs.8000-13500 in October 2003, which was not recommended by any Pay Commission. The Section Officer with four years of Service is a feeder cadre to Group A posts in Central Secretariat Services. The VI Pay Commission has examined their case and approved it.  Therefore logically the Section officers of Indian Audit and Accounts department who become Assistant Audit/Accounts officers after 3 or 4 years should have been granted this scale of pay instead of the scale of 7450-11500.  Unfortunately this scale has not been extended to Assistant Audit/Accounts Officers. Instead the cadres of Section Officers and the cadre of Assistant Audit/Accounts Officers were merged and the grade pay was fixed at 4800 instead of 5400.

B. The Commission has placed the Section Officers in the Pay Band of 8700-34800 on the logic that the merger of the scales 5000-8000, 5500-9000 and 6500-10500 would place the posts of Sr.Auditors/Accountants and the Section officers in an identical pay and grade pay even though the former are a feeder cadre for promotion to the latter and hence the post of the Section Officer had to be upgraded to the scale 8700-34800 with grade pay of Rs.4800. According to the pay commission, this necessitated up gradation of the scales of Assistant Audit/Accounts officers and Audit/Accounts officers. However it has recommended the same scale and grade pay of Section officers   to the Assistant Audit/Accounts officers and Audit/Accounts officers, without any stated logic. Going by the same reasoning which determined the vertical relativity between Sr.Auditors/Accountants and Section officers that the commission has recognized the scales of Assistant Audit/Accounts Officers, with which the cadre of section Officers has been merged, should have been upgraded to higher grades. Applying this logic the position of Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers should have been arrived at as follows.

Cadre	Pre revised pay scales	Grade pay
Asst.Audit /Accounts Officer After 4 years	8,000-13,500	5,400
Audit/Accounts Officer	10,000-15,200	6,600
Sr.Audit/Accounts Officer	12,000-16,500	7,600

C.The recruitment Rules framed by the President of India under Article 148(5) maintain a clear vertical relativity of the cadres placing the  Audit/Accounts officers  above the Assistant Audit/Accounts officers  and the Sr. Audit/accounts officers  above the  Audit/Accounts officers .  As per MSO (Admn) Volume I, the Accountant General’s are assisted by the Audit/Accounts/Senior Accounts/Senior Audit Officers.  All outgoing correspondences (Authorisations / Audit notes and observations) bear their signatures.  Moreover, the Audit/Accounts officers invariably partake as members of DPCs for Group C&D cadres. The statutory role under Provident Fund, Pension Acts, contains ‘Authorisation responsibilities’ to Audit/Accounts officers /Sr. Audit/Accounts officers for expenditure out of Public Fund. Special powers to approve Inspection Reports and settle observations and objections of minor nature are significant to the post of Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers/Audit/Accounts Officers. The Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers and Audit/Accounts Officers function as Branch Officers. They have been delegated technical and administrative powers that require them to take independent decisions. They are subject to only partial supervision and they act as independent field officers. Going by the logic of the Pay Commission, they constitute the cutting edge and have to be granted higher scales and Grade Pay.

D. With the implementation of MACP in the department most of the seniors in the merged cadre of SOs/AAOs would, on account of the run away stagnation in the department, become eligible for placement in the Grade pay of Rs.5400 placing the supervisors and the supervised in the same Pay Band and Grade Pay. This has fuelled the frustration already being suffered by Audit and Accounts Officers and Sr.Audit and Sr.Accounts Officers. With the  implementation of MACP Scheme there will be little motivation to take up SOG Examination seriously unless Grade Pay of the Supervising Cadres is suitably upgraded and further promotional avenues are opened up for the AOs/SAOs. This Association, therefore, urges  that the anomaly be rectified by revising the Grade Pay to Audit and Accounts officer as 6600/ and Sr.Audit/Accounts Officer as 7600/.

2. Conferment of Group ‘A’ Status to Sr.AOs:

The Demand is self Explanatory. The conferment of ‘Group A’ Status to Sr.AOs of this Department as per the Notification of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (Department of personnel and training) Order dated 9^th April 2009 facilitates   the further promotional opportunities to this cadre.  It is imperative that the notification is formally implemented in IA&AD without any delay.  

3. Removal of age limit for promotion to I.A. & A.S.

This is a long pending issue.  At present; Sr.Audit/Accounts Officers are promoted to the I.A. & A.S. Cadre, according to the All India Seniority List maintained by the C & AG’s office.  But only those who have not completed 53 years of age, on the 1^st July of the Panel Year are considered for promotion.  Others are not considered, even if they are otherwise qualified.  This is a great injustice done to the Sr.A.Os of the Department who stagnate for more than 15 years in the same cadre. In no other Department of the Central Government this kind of discrimination is shown to Group B Gazetted Officers.  For example, in the Income Tax Department, the Income Tax Officers are promoted as Assistant Commissioners (IRS-Group ‘A’) even at the fag end of their service without any difficulty. In the Central Secretariat also, the Section Officers are promoted as under Secretary (Group ‘A’ Cadre) without any age restriction.  There is little justification for the age limit of 53 years in our department.  Even though the C&AG has accepted and understood this injustice in the informal meetings with the representatives of the Association, nothing has been done in practice to remove this grave injustice.  It should be removed immediately.

4. Increasing Promotion Quota to I.A &A.S. to 50% from the existing 33 1/3%.

There are nearly 5000 AOs/SAOs working in the I.A. & A.D.  The number of IA&AS Officers working in the Department is nearly 900. Out of this, only 33 1/3 % (i.e.) 300 posts are available for promotion to nearly 5000 officers.  This is totally inadequate and not commensurate with the number of AOs/SAOs working in the Department.  Hence promotion quota needs be increased to 50% of the total strength of IA&AS cadre.  In the Income Tax, Central Excise, Customs and other Central Government Departments, the promotion quota to Group ‘A’ posts has already been increased to 50%.

5. Extension of MACP benefit to AOs & Sr.AOs:

The Government of India in their Government Of India, DOPT., OM. No.35034/3/2008-Estt. (D) Dated, 19th May, 2009 has introduced Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme to the Central Government employees from 1^st September 2008.  The important feature of the scheme is that every employee shall get three financial upgradations in his career at an interval of ten years between each upgradation.  Ten year interval is counted from the directly recruited post.  The scheme also makes a provision for granting such upgradation to the employees who is recruited in another post by counting the resting period of ten years from the date of recruitment to that post for each financial upgradation.  The scheme has also been implemented in IA&AD benefitting the cadres’ up to Sr Auditor/Sr Accountant. However the scheme has not been extended to AOs/SAOs on the ground that they have already got three promotions.  In this regard kind attention is invited to the C&R rules of the MSO (Admn), Vol. I, Chapter 5 which states that “Section Officer’s (re-designated as Assistant Accounts/Audit Officers) service is an appointment and  no person who has not passed Section Officers’ Grade Examination is eligible for appointment as  Assistant Accounts/Audit Officer and thus  not regular line of promotion …” . The fact that only the service rendered in the cadre of Assistant Accounts/Audit Officers is counted for future promotions confirms the above position.  In case of LDCs who negotiate the departmental examination and become Stenographers it has been clarifie, Vide circular dated 31/07/08, that they are to be treated as “Appointed to the cadre of Stenographers” The case of the Assistant Accounts/Audit Officers (Section Officers) who have negotiated the Section Officer (Grade) examination from the cadre of Clerks, Accountants/Auditors, Sr.Accountants/Sr.Auditors is analogous and they also have to be treated as “appointed” to the post on their successful negotiation of the Examination. Thus the consideration under the MACP scheme has to reckon the existing AOs/SAOs treating the AAO cadre as the entry cadre in all fairness. Consequently AO/SAOs are entitled for benefits under MACP scheme treating them   as having been appointed in the cadre of Assistant Accounts/Audit Officers  and have been granted only one or two promotions thereafter as the case may be and granted progression accordingly.

6. Confer status to Sr.AOs promoted to I.A. & A.S. directly in the rank of DAG/DD instead of AAG/AD recognising their long years of experience.

At present, the Sr.AOs promoted to I.A. & A.S. cadre is initially given the rank of A.A.G/A.D only.  This is also another injustice done to the cadre of Sr.AOs.   The Sr.AOs and AAGs are drawing identical scales of pay and their nature of work is also one and the same. The Sr.A.Os deserves to be directly placed in the rank of DAG/Deputy Director, without insisting upon the probationary period of 2 years as A.A.G.   It should be made applicable only for the Direct Recruits and not to the promotee officers. It is pertinent to point out that the recruitment rules of IAS stipulates that the gazetted officers of the State Service will be placed in the senior times scale directly on induction in to IAS. The absence of such a stipulation in the recruitment rules of IA&AS has led to an unacceptable anomalous situation much to the disadvantage of the SAOs of IA&AD denying them due recognition of their experience and expertise. The recruitment rules need to be revised to undo the injustice being meted out to the SAOs. 

7. Cadre Review:

The cadre of SAOs has no promotional prospects in the department except for induction to IA & AS cadre.  The induction is also very small percentage and with conditionality of age restriction etc.  This has resulted in persons stagnating in the same cadre for more than 10 to 12 years adding frustration coupled with de-motivation.  To remove this acute stagnation and also to meet the functional needs of the department there is an urgent need to have fresh review of the cadre providing more promotional opportunities to the SAOs in the department.   It may not be out of place to mention here that in many departments in Central Government there are further promotional opportunities to similarly placed cadre.   It is the demand of the members of this Association that a comprehensive review of the cadre of SAO is immediately undertaken and this Association is willing to extend full cooperation for such a review so that stagnation and feeling of deprivation in the cadre can be removed in such a way that department can also utilize the expertise of this cadre in better manner.

8. Create the post of Welfare officer in each field office with IA&AD without referring total number of Staff:

The post of welfare officers in each field office should be created without reference to the total number of staff working in that office. The post of Welfare Officer should be filled up purely based on seniority.

9.Railway Audit Parties on tour duty should be allowed to stay in hotels as per their entitlements whenever accommodation is not available.

The Officers and staff of the Railway Audit wing of the I.A & A.D proceeding on tour duty for inspections/reviews are governed by the Railway T.A Rules envisaging stay in Railway Rest houses at the work spot. The period of stay at the work place on duty ranges between 3 and 8 days at a time for conduct of inspections/ review work as per the programme of Audit. Difficulties are being faced by the inspecting personnel on tour due to the non-availability of rest house accommodation at the place of work/non- allotment of accommodation by the Railway Administration for the required period wherever rest houses are available on account of prioritization for stay of officials of the Railways and the restricted period of allotment (3 days maximum) even when the requests for allotment are not considered after prioritization for Railways officials. Further, such allotments are regulated/ modified in the event of requirement of Railway officials subsequent to allotments to Railway audit personnel necessitating vacation of the rest house. As this affects the conduct of inspections satisfactorily impacting on the out-put, it was submitted that the members of the inspection party may be permitted to stay in hotel accommodation during the period of inspection and allowed reimbursement of the expenditure wherever Rest house facilities are not available/ not allotted.

10. (a) Dilution of Audit function should be stopped. A thorough review of the existing Audit Plans  audit made more effective. (b) Audit of Panchayat Raj institutions should be strengthened by creating adequate number of posts in that wing. (c) The financial transactions of LIC, Public Sector Banks, Privately held public Limited companies, Non Government Organizations, Companies which are substantially financed by the Government without any limitation on the percentage of share capital, all regulatory bodies, Special Purpose Vechicles should be subjected to audit of C&AG

D.O.P.T. AGREES TO ISSUE ORDERS FOR PAY FIXATION OF DEPARTMENTAL PROMOTEES ON PAR WITH THE DIRECT RECRUITEES

Fixation of pay on promotion.
The minimum Entry pay with Grade Pay in the revised pay structure for direct recruits appointed on or after 1.1.2006 has been specific vide first Schedule, Part –A, Section II of the Gazette Notification of the Govt. of India, Ministry of Finance No. G.S.R. 622 (E) dated 29.8.2008.

On promotion, the pay of the promotees should not be less than the direct recruits.
In VI CPC structure there is no pay scale and new concept of grade pay has been inducted, which should determine the status. As such the following provisions need to be inserted below clarification 2. 'The method of Fixation of Pay on promotion on or after 1.1.2006.
"on promotion to the higher grade pay of an employee should be fixed appropriately and in any case it should not be less than the entry Pay in the revised pay structure for direct recruits appointed on of after 1.1.2006 for the post."

Decision.
The Official Side agreed to issue enabling orders in the matter.

Valedictory Function Photo relating to a course conducted by NIRD during 9Nov to 13Nov 2009.

The host of this BLOG [S.Venkat Reddy]is sitting in the FRONT ROW (4th from Left or 2nd from Right).

Encashment of EL is allowed also to those who avail LTC /Concessional Tickets/Previleged Passes of their spouses.

[PLEASE CLICK ON THE CAPTION TO GET D.O.P.T's ORDER ]

Pension Contribution in respect of Govt servants on FOREIGN SERVICE will be recovered on PAY in PB + G.PAY for the period of FS

[CLICK on CAPTION to get DOPT order]

Author delivers a lecture on [16-11-2009] in NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT [N.I.R.D.], Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad

Those retired between 1-1-2006 and 31-8-2008 are entitled to get ENCASHMENT OF E.L/H.P.L. to the extent of 300 DAYS on par with those retired later.

[please CLICK on the CAPTION to get the orders of D.O.P.T.]

Children Edu. Allow. admissible in r/o payment of INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FUND to Ken.Vidyalayas. CEA admissible to first two SURVIVING children

[PLEASE CLICK THE ABOVE CAPTION TO GET D.O.P.T. CLARIFICATION DATED 13-11-2009]

Heritage buildings of HYDERABAD - snapped during HERITAGE WALK on 25-10-2009 AM sponsored by AP Tourism Dept

PLEASE CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO GET IT ENLARGED
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Mrs R.Madhu (with a Brochere in hand) explaining about the importance and relevance of the HERITAGE structures

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IQBAL-UD-DAULA DEVDI(1894-1901) in London Galli (near Moti Galli, Charminar)

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HERITAGE WALKERs ON THE GROUNDS of KURSHEED JAH BARADARI [ Now accommodating GIRLS DEGREE COLLEGE]

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ASMAN JAH BAHADUR DEVDI(1880-90)

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A complete wooden structure inside a HERITAGE structure near MAHABOOB CHOWK.

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Secretary and Minister interacting before launch of HERITAGE WAILK

Photos relating to General Body Meeting of SrAO/AOs Association [o/oPrlAG(A&E)AP,Hyderabad] held on 23-10-2009

(Pl CLICK on any Photo to get it ENLARGED)
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AUDIENCE - DOMINATED BY LADY OFFICERS
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SECRETARY - Mr AVADHNATH ROY reads out the contents of the MEMORANDUM WHILE PRESIDENT - Mrs A.SHAKUNTALA and Vice Pres- Mr MUNEER KHAN observe (SEE NEXT POST TO GET COMPLETE MEMORANDUM )
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A SECTION OF AUDIENCE
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LAST ROW OF THE GENERAL BODY MEMBERS ATTENDED
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SECRETARY - Mr AVADHNATH ROY reads out the contents of the MEMORANDUM (SEE NEXT POST TO GET COMPLETE MEMORANDUM )

Mrs UMA DEVI, Sr ACCOUNTS OFFICER (with raised right hand)RAISES A POINT FOR CLARIFICATION
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NEWLY INDUCTED ACCOUNTS OFFCERS - Mrs G.MADHAVI LATA DEVI and Mr SUDARSHAN have been introduced by the SECRETARY(responding on his cellphone)
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PRESIDENT - A.SHAKUNTALA emphasising the need to have 'ONENESS' feeling by EACH AND EVERY MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION and to abide by the decisions taken in a true democratic manner.
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(Pl CLICK on any Photo to get it ENLARGED)

The G.B. PASSES RESOLUTION DEMANDING HIGHER GRADE PAYS Rs. 6600/- TO ACCOUNTS/AUDIT OFFICERS and Rs. 7600/- to Sr ACCOUNTS/Sr AUDIT OFFICERS

PLEASE spare some of your time for a critical reading of this MEMORANDUM that contains justification of the DEMAND FOR HIGHER GRADE PAYs TO A.Os & Sr A.Os and it also convinces everyone to support it.

Memorandum

In all pay revisions and cadre restructure, only one cadre which has received a raw deal was the cadre of AOs/Sr.AOs. In this regard the Sr Accounts Officers & Accounts Officers Association of o/o Prl AG(A&E)AP, Hyderabad solicits the attention of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India as follows.

The vertical relativity between the cadre of Audit/Accounts Officers and that of Sr. Divisional Accounts Officers is that the Audit/Accounts Officers is at the higher level than that of Sr. Divisional Accounts Officers. This vertical relativity has been disturbed when the recommendations of the VI pay commission was implemented by the Notification dated 29^th August 2008. In this notification the cadre of Sr.Divisional Accounts Officer of Indian Audit & Accounts Department has been granted the scale of Rs.8000-13500 and placed them in PB3 with a grade pay of Rs.5400 treating them on par with the Sr.Audit/Accounts Officers in the same Indian Audit & Accounts Department while placing the Audit/Accounts Officers in PB2 with the same Grade Pay. Thus the Audit and Accounts Officers have been placed below the Sr.Divisional Accounts Officers. This has disturbed the vertical relativity established by the recruitment rules leading to an anomalous situation defeating the very recruitment rules which place the Sr.Divisional Accounts Officers in the scales applicable to the Assistant Audit/Accounts officers of the department and hence necessarily require placing the Sr.Divisional Accounts Officers below the Audit/Accounts Officers.

It is further submitted that historically the cadre of Divisional Accountant was placed below the cadre of Section Officer of the IA & AD. Following hierarchal setup was maintained for decades in IA & AD.

Auditor /Accountant

Divisional Accountants

Section Officer

Asstt. Audit /Accounts Officer

Audit / Accounts Officer

Sr.Audit/Accounts Officer

Even the Pay Scale of Divisional Accountant up to IV Central Pay Commission was lower than the Pay Scale of the Section Officer. It was during the cadre of Divisional Accountant was restructured and the post of Divisional Accounts Officer Grade III, Grade II & Senior Divisional Accounts Officer were created. The Pay Scale of Divisional Accounts Officer Grade II was brought at par with Section Officer; however the Pay Scale of Sr. Divisional Accounts Officer was one scale below the Pay Scale of Audit / Accounts Officer.

The Audit/Accounts Officer supervise the work of S.O.G Examination passed Section Officers. Every Audit and Accounts Officer supervises the work of 4 to 5 S.O.G. passed Section Officers and 16 to 20 Sr. Auditors/Accountants; where as the Sr. Divisional Accounts Officer supervises the work of Clerk in the Division.

This fact was taken note of by the 6^th Central Pay Commission which decided that “this parity will need to be maintained” and placed the Sr.Divisional Accounts Officers in the scale of 8000-13500 with grade pay of 5400 and placed them in PB3. However the Pay Commission ignored its own conception and placed the Audit/Accounts officers in the PB 2 (8700-34800), merging them with the Assistant Audit/Accounts Officers, with a Grade pay of 4800 in PB2 without any logic. Though the Government did make an attempt to correct this anomalous recommendation, it was only half step as Audit/ Accounts Officers were continued to be placed in PB2 with grade pay of Rs.5400. This resulted in placing the cadre of Audit/Accounts Officers below that of Sr.Divisional Accounts Officers.

The Audit/Accounts officers are better qualified (SOG Examination) and are eligible for consideration for promotion to the cadre of IA&AS after promotion to the cadre of Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers. They also supervise the Sr.Divisional Accounts Officers. This being the actual relative status in the Department, it is illogical and anomalous to retain the Audit/Accounts Officers in PB 2. They should, in fact, be placed at a higher status by granting them the Grade Pay of 6600 in PB 3. The Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers being a higher cadre to Audit/Accounts Officers and constituting the promotional channel to the cadre of IA&AS, should, in all fairness and equity, be granted the Grade Pay of 7600 in PB 3. The present scales and Grade Pays granted to Audit/Accounts Officers & Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers are anomalous.

The revised scales, it is the considered opinion; only perpetuate injustice to Audit/Accounts Officers / Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers which has been suffering since long. The Association is, therefore, constrained to reiterate its arguments.

1. The reasons cited in the Pay Commission report to deny higher pay scales to Sr. Audit/Accounts officers and Audit/Accounts officers is very hollow and unscientific. Traditionally Audit/Accounts Officers of IA&AD were always on a grade higher than that of Section officers of Central Secretariat Services. In that background only the Sr. Audit/Accounts officers were in the scale of 8000-13500 as per the recommendations of the V CPC. It is another issue that the VI CPC did not attempt proper evaluation of the work and status of the cadre. This horizontal relativity was disturbed by a decision of the government to grant the Section Officers of Central Secretariat Services with four years of service pay scale of Rs.8000-13500 in October 2003, which was not recommended by any Pay Commission. The Section Officer with four years of Service is a feeder cadre to Group A posts in Central Secretariat Services. The VI Pay Commission has examined their case and approved it. Therefore logically the Section officers of our department who become Assistant Audit/Accounts officers after 3 or 4 years should have been granted this scale of pay instead of the scale of 7450-11500. Unfortunately this scale has not been extended to Assistant Audit/Accounts Officers.

2. The Commission has placed the Section Officers in the Pay Band of 8700-34800 on the logic that the merger of the scales 5000-8000, 5500-9000 and 6500-10500 would place the posts of Sr.Auditors/Accountants and the Section officers in an identical pay and grade pay even though the former are a feeder cadre for promotion to the latter and hence the post of the Section Officer had to be upgraded to the scale 8700-34800 with grade pay of Rs.4800. According to the pay commission, this necessitated up gradation of the scales of Assistant Audit/Accounts officers and Audit/Accounts officers. However it has recommended the same scale and grade pay of Section officers to the Assistant Audit/Accounts officers and Audit/Accounts officers, without any stated logic. Going by the same logic which determined the vertical relativity between Sr.Auditors/Accountants and Section officers that the commission has recognised, the scales of Assistant Audit/Accounts Officers, to which the Section officers constitute the feeder cadre, should have been upgraded to higher grades. By the same logic, the position of Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers should have been arrived at as follows.

Cadre Pre-revd.Pay Scales G.Pay

Section Officers 7500-12000 4800

Asst Audit/Acounts Ofrs 8000-13500 5400

Audit/Accouts Officers 10000-15200 6600

Sr Audit/Accounts Ofrs 12000-16500 7600

3.The recruitment Rules framed by the President of India under Article 148(5) maintain a clear vertical relativity of the cadres placing the Audit/Accounts officers above the Assistant Audit/Accounts officers and the Sr. Audit/accounts officers above the Audit/Accounts officers . As per MSO (Admn) Volume I, the Accountant General’s are assisted by the Audit/Accounts/Senior Accounts/Senior Audit Officers. All outgoing correspondences (Authorisations / Audit notes and observations) bear their signatures. Moreover, the Audit/Accounts officers invariably partake as a member of DPCs for Group C&D cadres. The statutory role under Provident Fund, Pension Acts, contains ‘Authorisation responsibilities’ to Audit/Accounts officers /Sr. Audit/Accounts officers for expenditure out of Public Fund. Special powers to approve Inspection Reports and settle observations and objections of minor nature are significant nature to the post of Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers/Audit/Accounts Officers. The Sr. Audit/Accounts Officers and Audit/Accounts Officers function as Branch Officers. They have been delegated technical and administrative powers that require them to take independent decisions. They are subject to only partial supervision and they act as independent field officers. Going by the logic of the Pay Commission, they constitute the cutting edge and have to be granted higher scales and Grade Pay.

4.When the implementation of MACP in the department most of the seniors in the merged cadre of SOs/AAOs would, on account of the run away stagnation in the department, become eligible for placement in the Grade pay of Rs.5400 placing the supervisors and the supervised in the same Pay Band and Grade Pay. This has fuelled the frustration already existing in the minds of Audit and Accounts Officers and Sr.Audit and Sr.Accounts Officers further. With the implementation of MACP Scheme there will be less motivation factor to take up SOG Examination seriously unless Grade Pay of the Supervising Cadres is suitably upgraded and further promotional avenues are opened up for the AOs/SAOs.

The Association, therefore, urges that the anomaly is rectified by revising the scales as above.

-----Sd/-----

General Secretary

SrAO&AOs' Association

Prl AG(A&E)AP, Hyderabad

CLARIFICATIONS ISSUED BY DEPT OF EXPDR ON MATTERS RELATING TO REIMBURSEMENT OF TELEPHONE CHARGES

[Please CLICK on the CAPTION to get the orders]

CAG INVITES SEALED QUOTATIONS FROM AGENCIES/FIRMS FOR CONDUCTING S.O.Grade Exam using COMPUTER BASED TESTING METHODS

COMPTROLLER & AUDITOR GENERAL OF INDIA, NEW DELHI

NO. 1672/GS/18-2008 (KW)

Dated: 14 October, 2009

NOTICE

Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, New Delhi invites sealed quotations from registered and reputed agencies/firms for conducting Section Officer Grade Examination using Computer Based Testing (CBT) methods for this office. The detailed documents in this regard may be obtained from the CAG’s official website http://cag.gov.in.

Sealed quotations with separate Technical and Commercial bids filled in the specified proforma and addressed to Director (Personnel), O/o the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Pocket 9, Deen Dayal Upadyay Marg, New Delhi-110 124 should reach latest by 17:00 hrs, 8.12.2009. Specified proforma alongwith all terms and conditions are available on the CAG’s official website cited above.

The Technical Bids shall be opened in the A.K. Chanda Committee Room of the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, New Delhi, at 10, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, on Tuesday, 15.12.2009 at 15:00 hrs by the Committee authorized by this office, and in the presence of such tenderers who may wish to be present.

The Commercial Bids of only those tenderers whose Technical Bids have been accepted by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, shall be opened at the same venue on Tuesday, 22.12.2009 at 15:00 hrs by the Committee authorized by the office and in the presence of those tenderers who wish to be present.

The Competent Authority reserves the rights to cancel any or all the quotations without assigning any reason.

(Vikram D. Murugaraj)

Director (Personnel)