Grant of parity to Stenographers working in field offices of the Indian Railways with those in Ministry of Railways

All India Railwaymen’s Federation

4, State Entry Road, New Delhi – 110055

The issue regarding grant of parity in grade pay and pay band to Stenographers, working in the Zonal Railways with those in Ministry of Railways(Railway Board), is being deliberated with the Railway Board for quite some time and is also pending as AIRF’s PNM agenda item No.26/2011 and also figuring in the agenda of the DC/JCM vide item No.11/2011. 

In this connection, attention is also invited towards our letter of even number dated 14th August,2012(photocopy enclosed for ready reference), wherein the issue has been elaborated in detail. It may be recalled that the VI CPC under para 3.1.10 had categorically recommended in the case of Stenographers as under:-

“The Secretariat Stenographers cadre is identical to the CSS/analogous cadres in non-participating Ministries/Organizations with the exception that the scale of Rs.14300-18300 does not exist in the hierarchy. Keeping in view the general principle envisaging multi-skilling and de-layering that this Commission is recommending for the entire Government, no justification exists for maintaining a distinct Stenographers cadre in any Government office. The emphasis should be on recruiting multi-skilled personnel at Assistant level to be designated Executive Assistants who will discharge the functions of present day Assistants besides performing all the Stenographic functions. This should not be difficult as almost all the Central Government Offices now use Computers for office work. Keeping this object in view where the Secretariat and Stenographers cadres would stand merged in future, there is a need for ensuring full parity between these two cadres right from this stage.”

The said Pay Commission had further recommended under para 3.1.14 that, “in accordance with the principle established in the earlier paragraphs, parity between Field and Secretariat Offices is recommended”. There was, therefore, gross justification that complete parity should have been granted in grade pay and pay band to all the Stenographers posted in the Field Offices of the Zonal Railways with

those working in the Ministry of Railways, i.e. Railway Board’s Office, but ironically enough, this has not been done till date. Serious sense of frustration and resentment is therefore brewing among this category of staff on this account, which is highly unfair. 

This federation has been persistently pursuing this issue, and this was discussed in detail with the Railway Board in detail for a number of times and despite several assurances, the final outcome is yet to be evolved. This demand was also enlisted in the 36-point Charter of Demands of the AIRF for Strike Ballot, on which Full Board discussion was held on 23.08.2013 and 07.02.2014 as well. 

Since this genuine demand is hanging fire for substantially long period of time, it would be in all fairness that complete parity in grade pay and pay band should be granted with retrospective effect to the Stenographers working in the Zonal Railways with those posted in the Ministry of Railways, i.e. Railway Board Office, without further loss of time in the interest of justice and parity. 

The Board are requested to take urgent action in this matter.

Yours faithfully,

sd/-

(Shiva Gopal Mishra)

General Secretary