Grameen Dak Sevaks (GDS) - Working Strength, Service benefits & Welfare Schemes

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 1402

ANSWERED ON 06.03.2013

GRAMEEN DAK SEVAKS

1402 . Shri DILIP SINGH JU DEV
Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) the number of Grameen Dak Sewaks working in post offices in various States including Chhattisgarh tribal region, State-wise;

(b) the monthly stipend being paid to these Sewaks;

(c) whether the Government proposes to increase their stipend in view of steep rise in inflation and also introduce welfare measures for them; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (Dr. (Smt.) KILLI KRUPA RANI) 

(a) As on 01.01.2013, the total working strength of various categories of Grameen Dak Sewaks is 263326 including 2458 Grameen Dak Sewaks working in Chhattisgarh Tribal Region. State-wise and UT wise details is at Annexure I.

(b) Grameen Dak Sewaks are paid Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA) & other admissible allowances as approved by Cabinet and not stipend, the details of which are at Annexure II.

(c) Grameen Dak Sewaks are in receipt of Dearness Allowance which is linked to price rise/ inflation on the admissible TRCA at the same rate as allowed to regular Central Government employees and which is revised twice in a year based on price index. The Government has also introduced various welfare measures for these Grameen Dak Sewaks.

(d) The details of welfare measures introduced for the Grameen Dak Sewaks are at Annexure III.

LOK SABHA ANNEXURE UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1402 DATED 6.03.2013

ANNEXURE I

S. No.	Name of Circle/State/UTs	Working Strength of Gramin Dak Sevaks as on 01.01.2013
		GDS SPM	GDS BPM	GDS MD	GDS MC	GDS MP	GDS SV	Others	Total
1	Andhra Pradesh	0	13139	4694	4242	1941	175	2646	26837
2	Assam	0	3216	2906	1639	283	39	371	8454
3	Bihar	0	6307	5165	2598	360	86	553	15069
4	Chhattisgarh	0	2423	855	1545	147	13	26	5009
5	Delhi	0	77	26	14	24	30	6	177
6	Gujarat	0	6768	4619	1396	702	63	296	13844
6a	Dadar & Nagar Haveli (UT)	0	5	45	0	0	0	0	50
6b	Daman & Diu (UT)	0	7	17	0	0	0	2	26
7	Haryana	0	1972	1050	708	233	18	4	3985
8	Himachal Pradesh	0	2247	2614	1068	312	13	61	6315
9	Jammu & Kashmir	0	1368	506	754	95	8	0	2731
10	Jharkhand	0	2461	1539	1286	154	35	407	5882
11	Karnataka	0	7777	4681	1235	1789	66	249	15797
12	Kerala	0	3443	5765	852	1259	138	165	11622
12a	Lakshadweep (UT)	2	1	1	0	5	0	0	9
12b	Puducherry (UT)	0	3	5	1	1	0	0	10
13	Madhya Pradesh	0	5632	2498	4056	290	22	229	12727
14	Maharashtra	0	10122	6939	1644	1115	46	27	19893
14a	Goa (State)	0	147	128	21	54	1	2	353
	North East	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
15	Arunachal Pradesh (State)	0	198	166	27	30	2	11	434
16	Manipur (State)	0	591	495	627	40	1	1	1755
17	Meghalaya (State)	0	332	389	262	41	0	0	1024
18	Mizoram (State)	0	285	234	281	12	0	98	910
19	Nagaland (State)	0	279	254	237	35	3	0	808
20	Tripura (State)	0	514	416	290	53	1	65	1339
21	Orissa	1	5798	4863	3209	929	41	110	14951
22	Punjab	0	2831	1642	960	227	15	0	5675
22a	Chandigarh (UT)	0	8	13	0	16	2	0	39
23	Rajasthan	0	7460	2371	3014	439	37	49	13370
24	Tamil Nadu	0	8656	8475	1325	2168	269	682	21575
24a	Puducherry (UT)	0	41	49	0	15	4	0	109
25	Uttar Pradesh	0	12659	10991	4127	1311	315	1262	30665
26	Uttarakhand	0	2122	2218	1322	236	9	217	6124
27	West Bengal	0	5370	4985	3337	777	315	339	15123
28	Sikkim (State)	0	53	74	19	5	0	0	151
28a	Andaman & Nicobar (UT)	0	171	203	102	0	8	0	484
	Total	3	114483	81891	42198	15098	1775	7878	263326
	Chhattisgarh Tribal Region	0	1068	422	911	48	2	7	2458

Annexure II

Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA) of Gramin Dak Sevaks

[Implemented w.e.f. 01.01.2006]

S. No.	Category of Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS)	TRCA effective from 01.01.2006	For Work  load ( in hours )
1	GDS Branch Postmaster	Rs 2745-50-4245	Up to 3 hours
		Rs 3200-60-5000	More than 3 hours and up to 3 hours 30 min
		Rs 3660-70-5760	More than 3 hours 30 min and up to 4 hours
		Rs 4115-75-6365	More than 4 hours and up to 4 hours 30 min
		Rs. 4575-85-7125	More than 4 hours 30 min and up to 5 hours
2	GDS Mail deliverer/ Stamp vendor	Rs 2665-50-4165 [for new entrants]	Up to 3 hours
		Rs 3330-60-5130	More than 3 hours and up to 3 hours 45 min
		Rs 4220-75-6470	More than 3 hours 45 min and up to 5 hours
3	GDS Mail Carrier/ Packer/ Mailman	Rs 2295-45-3695 [for new entrants]	Up to 3 hours
		Rs2870-50-4370	More than 3 hours and up to 3 hours 45 min
		Rs 3635-65-5585	More than 3 hours 45 min and up to 5 hours

Note:

Besides the TRCA, the GDSs also get Dearness Allowance at the same rate as admissible to Central Government employees. Gramin Dak Sevak Branch Postmasters get Office Maintenance Allowance @Rs.100/- per month & Fixed Stationery Charges @Rs.25/- per month.  Other categories like Gramin Dak Sevak Mail Deliverers and Mail Carriers get Cycle Maintenance Allowance @ Rs.60/- per month.

Annexure III

EXISTING WELFARE SCHEMES INTRODUCED FOR GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS

1	Maternity Grant	Women GDS are provided Maternity Grant for each child up to the birth of maximum of two children limited to maximum of two confinements resulting into birth of first two children only during the entire engagement period of a Woman GDS equivalent to three months TRCA with DA.  Women GDS’s like Mail Deliverer and Mail Carrier have also been prescribed to be considered for lighter duties wherever possible during the pre and post confinement period.
2	Maternity Leave	Women GDS have also been provided to be granted maternity leave not exceeding six months covering the pre and post confinement period.
3	Extra Departmental GroupInsuranceScheme	Gramin Dak Sevaks are provided with insurance coverage of Rs. 50000/- under the Group Insurance Scheme available to them on death.
4	Service Discharge Benefit Scheme	A Service Discharge Benefit Scheme has been introduced by the Government for the benefit of Gramin Dak Sevaks working in the Department of Posts on monthly contribution basis (from Department’s side only @ Rs. 200/-pm) devised on the basis of New Pension Scheme (NPS)-Lite scheme launched by the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRDA). This Scheme has been offered in lieu of the existing Severance Amount Scheme on an optional basis for the existing Gramin Dak Sevaks while it is mandatory for the new Gramin Dak Sevaks entering into service with effect from 01.01.2011.  The Scheme provides a certain percentage as lump sum at the time of discharge plus mandatoryinvestment of certain percentage in annuity that would provide them monthly benefits in the shape of pension.
5	Leave	Gramin Dak Sevaks are allowed to be granted 20 days paid leave in a year without accumulation.
6	Limited Transfer Facility	Gramin Dak Sevaks are provided with the facility of limited transfer in cases of posting at a distant place on redeployment in the event of abolition of the post, on being appointed on compassionate grounds and posted at distant place, on marriage/remarriage of woman GDS, on suffering extreme hardship due to a disease and for medical attention/treatment of self on production of valid medical certificate from the medical officer of a Government Hospital and on requirement of looking after the welfare of a physically handicapped/mentally handicapped person/dependant requiring to move to different places to give support to such dependant. Such facility is provided for only one transfer during the entire career and on rendering a minimum service of 3 years subject to fulfillment of other conditions. Based on recommendation made by one man Committee, an exception has been made for women Gramin Dak Sevaks, who availed the transfer facility on the ground of extreme hardship due to a disease and for medical attention/treatment before their marriage and now they can avail the facility for a second time in the event of their marriage/re-marriage.
7	Assistance from Welfare Fund	Following assistance from welfare fund are allowed to the Gramin Dak Sevaks:- S. No. Name of Welfare Scheme Admissible amount of Financial Assistance 1 Financial Assistance in case of death Rs. 7000/- 2 Death occurring due to enemy action in war or border skirmishes or action against militants, terrorists, extremists, etc. Rs. 1,50,000/- 3 Funeral Expenses* Rs.500/- 4 Nutritional diet to the GDS suffering from Tuberculosis : (a)     Indoor treatment. (b)   Outdoor treatment. Rs.400/- p.m. Rs.200/- p.m. 5 Financial Assistance in case of prolonged and serious illness / major surgeries Rs. 5000/- 6 Scholarship and book awardscheme To ensure better coverage for GDSs, their wards be granted relaxation by 10% marks as in case of SCs/STs and OBCs, in so far as grant of book award is concerned. *Payable from the Circle Welfare Fund, only in cases in which last rites of deceased Postal Employee are performed by brothers or sisters or near relatives in the absence of any other next of kin.
8	Compassionate Engagement	A new transparent Scheme for engagement of dependents GDS on compassionate grounds with merit points and procedure for selection has been introduced allocating points for each attribute of indigence on a 100 Point Scale. Spouse [widows] has been allowed 15 grace points over and over. Hard and deserving cases have been prescribed as cases over and above 50 Points.
9	Medical Facilities	GDS being a separate and distinct category, they are not covered by CS (MA) Rules and they are also not extended the CGHS facility. Under the existing provisions, they are allowed financial assistance to the extent of Rs. 5000/-from Circle Welfare Fund provided such GDS must have put in at least six years of service in the Department, treatment should have been taken from Government hospital and produced medical certificates and the illness is at least 2 months old. Regional/Circle Heads have been conferred discretionary powers to sanction financial assistance to the extent of Rs. 10000/- in each case. In rare and exceptional circumstances, further financial assistance can also be considered from Central Welfare Fund.
10	Avenues for absorption on regular departmental posts	GDS being Extra Departmental, their absorption as departmental employee to the cadre of MTS/Postman/PA is through direct recruitment under the statutory recruitment rules. Under the statutory Recruitment Rules of the cadre of MTS, GDS are considered for 25% vacancies against seniority quota and further 25% vacancies through Limited Departmental Examination (LDE). As per Recruitment Rules of Postman cadre, GDS are considered against 50% vacancies through LDE. In addition, GDS can also be considered for direct recruitment to the post of Postal Assistant (PA) / Sorting Assistant (SA) against unfilled promotion quota vacancies of PA/SA on the basis of examination subject to fulfillment of the following conditions as on 01st January of the vacancy year:- (i)                 GDS should have obtained at least 50% marks in 10+2 standard or 12th class with English as a compulsory subject (excluding vocational streams) and have put in a minimum service of 5 years (ii)               They should be within 30 years of age (35 years for SC/ST & 33 years for OBC)