Sir, May I submit some of the issues relating to Strengthening FCIOA and Service Conditions of Officers in FCI on behalf

of officers from FCI NEF Region, which may please be discussed in the national convention of FCI Officers association in Hyderabad. 1. Ways and means to increase of awareness in officers of all categories in all over India regarding FCIOA. 2. One entry level post: keeping view of the acute crisys in career progression in FCI, all direct recruitment in the officer cadre may be made only in Management trainee level. 3. Introduction of new scales: Demand to restore non existence pay scales in FCI (such as E4 & E6) may be placed in the national convention, keeping view of the prevailing widespread stagnancy in all level at FCI. While most of the PSUs are enjoying time bound promotion through E0 to E9 pay scales, FCI officers are contended with only one or two promotions in their life time. The matter has become more serious with nos. of posts at Cat I & Cat II got abolished through VRS and a significant nos. of higher level posts are held by deputed officials leaving little scope for an assured career progression, Thus, we should proposed to introduce new scales (which at present are non-existant) immediately which should be granted to an officer in time bound manner, and which may not be treated as regular promotion. 4. Relativity of posts with CDA, its discrepancies in FCI: FCI is following a system of Personnel & HR policy which is a peculiar blend of policy followed in various PSUs in one hand and those followed for employees in CDA pattern on the other. This system has its genesis from the period when FCI was formed mainly with employees transferred from Directorate General of Food and subsequently absorbed in FCI. They retained their pay structure and the fringe benefits of that of CDA, mainly due to the lucrative pension benefit extended to such employees under CDA. Thus we had two sets of systems, one for CDA and another for IDA employees. However one significant policy evolved in the meanwhile is to set a well defined relativity (which is even included in the staff regulation) between the employees of IDA scale with that of CDA, especially in terms of job description and related benefits for each level of employees. This type of relativity with posts under CDA is absent in other PSUs and is generally not maintained or followed by any other PSUs, exepts those which have been recently corporatised from Govt. of India Deptt. Such as BSNL OR PRASAR BHARATI. It may be pertinent to show the relativity of designation in FCI with that of CDA pattern in respect of employees of general administration cadre in CDA pattern as per FCI Staff Regulation 1971.
Description post Manager Joint Manager of Present Nomenclature Genl.Manager Dy. Genl.Manager Corresponding categories of posts in the Directorate Genl. Of Food Regional Director of Food Director Joint Director Dy. Director Asstt. Director
Not in existance

Remarks
Special Post as per SR 1971

Senior Dy. Manager Dy. Manager Asstt. Genl.Manager Sr. Asstt. Manager

Not in existance

Asstt. Manager Assistant Grade.I Assistant Grade.II Assistant Grade.III

Manager Assistant Grade.I Assistant Grade.II Assistant Grade.III

Office Superintendent/Section Officer Assistant superintendents, Accountants Sr. Clerks, Deputy Accountants Jr. Clerks, (who do not know typing) Comptometer operator

Now, it is seen that the post of CGM or ED is not placed in SR in relativity to any CDA posts. This may be because of the reason that posts in lower or middle management and the clarical cadre were mainly filled in by employees transferred from Directorate of Food, hence required a clear relativity. Thus, it is clear that relativity of post although has its sanctity in SR itself, is not maintained through out the managerial ladder. Another, aspect of the said relativity is reduction of importance and strature of the post of Joint Manager/ Dy. Genl. Manager. Whereas, as per staff regulation the post of Dy. Genl. Manager holds relativity with director (which has a pay scale of 14300-18300 in 5th CPC, it has not even been given the pay scales of joint Director (Rs. 12000-16500) but a scale that of Dy. Director (Rs.10000-15200) along with Asstt. Genl. Manager. This is beyond ones comprehension since higher post and higher responsibility has to carry a higher pay structure as per existing Rules and HR principle. One of the main lucrative features of scales in IDA pattern is the relatively higher pay scales and benefits given to its employees in comparision to the established related pay scales in CDA in absense of pension benefit. However, this aspect in IDA scales will not stand once the new pay scales of IDA will be in place, especially for certain scales. For, example, relativity between the post of Manager and Section officer will be lost completely. A perusal of entral Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules,2008, THE FIRST SCHEDULE Part B section II will reveal that The structure of posts in Secretariat and other field offices would now be as under:Post scale LDC UDC Assistant Section Officer Pre revised Corresponding pay grade pay Rs.3050-4590 revised pay band and

PB-1 of Rs.4860-20200 along Rs.1900 Rs.4000-6000 PB-1 of Rs.4860-20200 along Rs.2400 Rs.6500PB-2 of Rs.8700-34800 along 10500 Rs.4200 Rs.7500PB-2 of Rs.8700-34800 along 12000 Rs.4800. Rs.8000- PB-2 of Rs.8700-34800 along 13500* Rs.5400* (on (on completion of four years) completion of four years)

with grade pay of with grade pay of with grade pay of with grade pay of with grade pay of

Thus, whereas in FCI Section officers scale is still related with Rs. 6500-10500, which was earlier the scale of SO and now has become the scale of Assitants in CDA. Actually S/O scale is upgraded to the scale of Rs. 7500-12000 and Rs.8000-13500 on completion of four years. Thus these officers in CDA are entitled to the facilities available to the grade pay of 5400 (that of Gr. A officers after 4 years). Moreover initial fixation for direct recruitees in this scale will be Rs. 18150/- (ref: THE FIRST SCHEDULE Part A

section II), but the same is Rs. 16400/- for E1 scale as per new pay IDA pay structure. (Which is linked with SO scale in FCI). With 3% compound increment the gap will increase for ever. Since posts in FCI are having historical relativity and parity with these CDA scales, relativity of scale of that of Manager should be treated as Rs.7500-12000Rs.8000-13500* (on completion of four years). Hence, all the entitlements of Managers should also be realigned with entitlement of the said scale in CDA, if such entitlements in FCI are primarily based upon CDA pattern. Keeping view of the above, FCI may completely discontinue its relativity with CDA pattern, since with the exit of food transferee and all the CDA optees, this system has lost its relevancy completely and leading to confusions in decision making and policy formation. If the said relativity of posts with CDA scales/post cannot be discontinued, FCI should take steps properly implement it:

5. TA matters: One direct disadvantage of the above anomily in the scale of Manager and Section officer can be found in the recent revision of TA entitlement. In FCI Daily allowance (DA) and travelling allowance (TA) for staffs in IDA pattern are not traditionally linked with recommendations for CDA staff. For example, there existed difference between TA entitlement between CDA and IDA pattern employees of FCI, in TA before 2009, IDA being placed in an advantageous position. Previously, CDA employees in FCI of Pay Range Rs.6,500/- and above but less than Rs.8,OOO were Entitlement for First Class/II AC III-Tier Sleeper /AC Chair Car. Similarly, Travel by Rajadhani Express Trains were permitted for employees having Pay Range below Rs. 8,000/- only in AC Chair Car. However, for IDA employees in FCI the same was as under: Journey by Rail Pay Range Entitlement Rs. 9,100/- and above but below lI nd AC - 2 Tier Sleeper Rs.18,000/Rs. 8,600/- and above but below First class/AC-II Tire Sleeper / AC Rs.9,100 Chair Car. Travel by Rajdhani Express Trains: Pay Range Rs. 9,100/- and above but below Rs. 18,000/Entitlement lI nd AC - 2 Tier Sleeper

As can be seen here, travelling entitlement in II AC-2 Tier Sleeper in IDA was not based on CDA pattern. Otherwise it would have been the scale of Rs. 9700/- in IDA which is equivalent to Rs 8000/- scale in CDA. Similar discrepancy also existed in case of travelling entitlement in Journey by Sea or By River Steamer: Pay Range Rs. 9,100/- and above but below Rs.18,000/Rs. 8,600/- and above but below Rs.9,100 Entitlement Highest Class If there are two classes only in the steamer, the lower class.

Travel by Ships operated by Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., between the Main Land & Andaman & Nicobar Group Islands I Lakshadweep Group of Islands: Pay Range Entitlement As. 9,100/- and above Delux Class But for CDA employee the journy by highest class or Delux class was the entitlement of scale Rs.8000/Thus, a Cat II officer (i.e. Manager) in IDA had the entitlement for Higher classes or delux Class after a service of 2 years (being placed at Rs.9100/-). While the same was available to a CDA officer in Cat II after a period of 8 years (being placed at Rs.8000/-). But the Revised TA entitlement (2009) in FCI for staff in both CDA and IDA is completely linked with and following the 6 th CPC recommendations for CDA staff, ignoring the traditional edge IDA pattern employees had over CDA staff. For example, the prevailing entitlement of Central Govt. Staff (CDA) is as under CDA (Central Govt. Employees) Grade pay (1) Entitlement (2) Rs. 5400/- and Rs. 6600/Rs. 4200/-, Rs.4600/- and Rs. 4800/Below Rs.4200/Car Both IDA and CDA employees) in FCI Designation (1) Entitlement Category I Economy class by Air/AC II by Train Manager and AG II AC 2 Tier Sleeper I AG-II & AG-III First Class/II AC III-Tier Sleeper /AC Chair Car Similarly for journey in sea or river Steamer, the entitlements are as under: CDA (Central Govt. Employees) Grade pay (1) Rs. 5400/- and above Rs. 4200/-, Rs.4600/- and Rs. 4800/the lower class Entitlement (2) Highest Class If there are two classes only in the steamer, Economy class by Air/AC II by Train II AC 2 Tier Sleeper First Class/II AC III-Tier Sleeper /AC Chair

Both IDA and CDA employees) in FCI Designation (1) Entitlement Category I Highest Class Manager and AG If there are two classes only in the steamer, the I lower class Travel by Ships operated by Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., between the Main Land & Andaman & Nicobar Group Islands I Lakshadweep Group of Islands: CDA (Central Govt. Employees) Grade pay (1) Rs. 5400/- and above Entitlement (2) Delux Class

Rs. 4200/-, Rs.4600/- and Rs. 4800/Both IDA and CDA employees) in FCI Designation (1) Entitlement Category I Delux Class Manager and AG First/ A I cabin

First/ A cabin

It is clearly evident that the travel entitlement in FCI has not been differentiated for CDA and IDA staffs as had been done earlier and in general following the pattern for central Govt. staff, but differs it in the sense that in CDA. the entitlement is liked with grade pay and not with any post. Thus if a post has an opportunity to get higher grade pay in future, the entitlement of such employees may also be enhanced. For example, Section Officers will be entitled for Air journey after 4 years of service for attaining the grade pay of 5400/- But in FCI such approach is not followed, parhaps because of absence of grade pay. Even some benefits such as transportation allowance, etc. are also related to pay bands of the employee in CDA. Thus linking Designation to entitlement is too much generalisation of such benefits and has some inherent flaw which needs to be analysed and remedied. Even the traditional edge IDA employees used to have is dispensed with in the new system. Here comes a peculiar situation, when managers having basic pay of Rs. 9100/- and above were already entitled for journey by certain class, are no longer entitled to it. However, it is an established principle that once an employee has a certain entitlement, it cannot be reduced to such entitlements which is disadvantageous to such employees. In fact, the spirit of recommendations in 6th CPC is to enhance the entitlements and entitlements of not a single class of employees have been reduced. Whereas in FCI, entitlement of Managers, instead of enhancing, has been reduced. 7. FCI may reintroduce 14 days CL as followed in many A categories PSUs