No.NFPE/RIII-IV/COVID-19/WITHHELD OF PAY-B DN/17/20-21dated
31-07-2020
To,
Shri
H C Agarwal, IPoS
Chief Postmaster General,
Maharashtra Circle,
Mumbai 400001
Subject: Regarding non
drawl of salary by the SRM RMS B Division Pune in respect of the officials who
undergone medical examination/swab test of COVID 19 and subsequently deputed to
COVID centre and quarantined as per guidelines of MoH.
Respected Sir,
Kindly find enclosed letter recoived from regional
JCA of NFPE & FNPO Pune region on
the subject. This union has brought to notice that the SRM RMS B Division has
issued order for withheld of pay in respect of officials who undergone medical
examination/Swab test of COVID 19 and subsequently 7 officials deputed to COVID
centre for further treatment and quarantined by authority and 15 officials
directed for home quarantine for 14 days.
Your honour is well aware that about 7 officials of
HRO RMS B Division has tested positive for COVID 19 while discharging their
duties at office of HRO and 15 officials were tested negative but directed for
home quarantine for 14 days by the competent authority as per guidelines issued
by the MOH/State Government/Central Government.
All officials were directed for medical examination by the SRM B
Division, Pune hence officials were applied for leave under the CCS Medical
Examination Rules 1957 substituted by GI. DOP&T notification No.
11014/1/99-Estt. (A) dated the 19th July, 2002 Published as GSR
Gazette of India dated the 27th July 2002, where in clearly sate
that “Where the Competent Authority has reason to believe that a Government
servant to whom these rules apply is suffering from a contagious disease that
authority may direct the Government servant to undergo a medical examination
within such period not exceeding one month as may be specified by it and may,
if it considers it essential to do so, also direct the Government Servant to
proceed on leave forthwith pending medical examination, such leave shall not be
debited to the leave account of the Government Servant, If the Medical
Authority subsequently expressed the opinion that it was unnecessary for the Government servant to have been
required to proceed on leave.’’ Since the COVID 19 is one type of contagious
disease and declared pandemic by Government of India and as the SRM B Division
has directed to all officials for medical examination test and it was
subsequently tested as Positive or negative as the case may be, the leave up to
one month should be given to the all officials who are referred for medical
examination.
In this regard, your honours kind attention is
invited to the decision of your kind honour during the RJCM Meeting and
subsequently instruction issued vide CO No. O&M/Corona
Virus/Instructions/20-21dated 1-05-2020 para No. 4 (iii) circulated by RO Pune vide No.
PR/Union/RCM/Meeting 15-5-2020 dated 26-05-2020 where in clearly directed that
“All those officials who have been directed by the competent authorities to
quarantine themselves at home shall remain in quarantine/isolation and shall
not attend the office under any circumstances’ and for that period of
quarantine/isolation they shall be treated as duty work from home, provided
that on the day before the quarantine/isolation, they have either performed
office duty or worked from home as per roaster and were not treated as absent
as per para 4(i) above. Such officials well before their period of quarantine
is over.” As per directions of your kind honour the period of quarantine should
be treated as duty. It is therefore salary of all officials should be released
immediately.
If any doubt in the applications made by the
officials concerned, then the SRM can seek clarification from the competent
authority and wait till the receipt of
clarification if any instead of held
over the salary of these innocent officials. Due to treatment of COVID 19 at
Covid Centers as well as home quarantine all officials are already feeling fear
and tense. Now the SRM has not drawn salary for that period hence officials
will suffer financial problem due to non deduction of their housing loan
premium, LIC/PLI Premium, education fee payment of wards and GPF subscription
and not in position to bear day to day expenditure to run their own
establishment in this pandemic situation.
In this regard, it is also brought to notice of
your honour that the help desk established in the division during this critical
situation is worked as only hello desk. Nothing help was done by the
administration side by this help desk even though the affected officials were
requested for traveling facility from covid centre to their residence after
receovery due to lockdown at Pune city and non availability of transportation in Pune City but no any action
was taken for the same. The SRM has not adhering the directions of your kind
honour on the subject hence, the SRM has again proved his insensitive and
adamant attitude towards the staff working under his control by proceeding for
leave by withholding of pay of innocent employees.
It is therefore requested to please give suitable
instructions to SRM B Division, Pune to release the pay of the all officials’
immediately otherwise trade union action will be taken immediately after RAKSHA BANDAN i.e. from 5th August, 2020 and SRM is solely responsible for
the dislocation of all mail offices.
Your honour is therefore requested to look into the matter and
give suitable instructions to Postmaster General, Pune region take necessary
steps against SRM b Division Pune to avoid resentment among the staff and cause
avoid any spontaneous trade union action against the adamant and insensitive
attitude of the divisional head of RMS B Division, Pune on the subject and
maintain tranquillity in the Pune region and eventually entire Maharashtra
circle.
With
regards,
Yours Sincerely,
Sd/-
(S N Jadhav) (A
B Shivtare)
Circle
Secretary Circle
Secretary
AIRMS&
MMS Emp EU MG MTS Gr C
AIRMS&
MMS Emp EU Gr C
Maharashtra and Goa Circle Maharashtra and Goa Circle
DA : As above.