REVIEW OF THE SCHEME FOR ENGAGEMENT OF A DEPENDENT OF
DECEASED GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS ON COMPASSIONATE
GROUNDS
No, 17-1/2017-GDS
Government of India
Ministry
of Communications
Department of
Posts
(GDS Section)
Dak Bhavan, Sansad Marg,
New Delhi 1 10001
Dated:30.05.2017
To
All Chief Postmasters General,
All Postmasters
General
Sub: REVIEW OF THE SCHEME FOR ENGAGEMENT OF A
DEPENDENT OF DECEASED GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS ON COMPASSIONATE
GROUNDS
I
am directed to refer to this office letters Nos. 17-1712010
-GDS dated
14.12.2010 and 17.12.2015 vide which instructions on
engagement of
dependents of deceased Gramin Dak Sevak on compassionate
grounds have
been issued.
2.The Scheme has been reviewed in this Directorate
and it has been decided to introduce revised scheme for
compassionate
engagement of an eligible dependent of deceased Gramin Dak
Sevaks. Under
the revised scheme point system has been dispensed with and
scheme has
been extended to dependents of missing GDS also.
3.The scheme will
come into effect from the date of issue of the letter and
will be
applicable to all cases pending and arising on or after the
said date.
The cases which have already been settled will not be
reopened.
4.The revised scheme for compassionate engagement of an
eligible dependent of deceased Gramin Dak Sevaks is
attached.
sd/-
(R.L. Patel)
Assistant Director General
(GDS/PCC)
REVISED SCHEME FOR
COMPASSIONATE ENGAGEMENT OF AN ELIGIBLE DEPENDENT OF DECEASED
GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS.
1.
Object
The
object of the Scheme is to grant engagement on compassionate
grounds to
a dependent family member of a Gramin Dak Sevak dying while
in service
as a GDS, to relieve the family of the GDS concerned from
financial
destitution and to help it to get over the emergency.
2.
To Whom applicable
To
a dependent family member of a regularly selected and
engaged Gramin
Dak Sevak who dies while in service (including death by
suicide)
Note 1 "Dependent Family Member" means
the following:
(a) Spouse; or
(b) Son including adopted son; or
(c) Married son living with parents and dependent for
livelihood on the GDS on the date of death of the GDS; or
(d) Daughter including adopted daughter; or
(e) Married/widowed daughter/divorced daughter wholly
dependent on the GDS at the time of hislher death: or
(f)
Daughter in law of deceased GDS who is wholly dependent on
GDS, if the
only son of the GDS is predeceased, provided she gives an
undertaking
that she is not availing the same benefit from her own
parenthood.
(g) Brother or sister in the case of unmanied GDS wholly
dependent on the GDS at the time of his/her death.
Note
2 "Gramin
Dak Sevak" for the purpose of these instructions means a GDS
engaged on
regular basis after undergoing a formal selection procedure
and not one
working on adhoc/provisional basis or as a substitute or
trainee.
3.
Authority competent to
make compassionate engagement.
(a) Head of Circle will be competent to make compassionate
engagements to GDS posts within the Circle.
(b)
All cases will be considered by a Committee on Compassionate
Engagement
(CCE) and recommendations of the Committee will be put up to
the Head
of the Circle for final decision.
(c) The composition of CCE the will be same as the one
constituted for cases of departmental officials.
(d)
The Committee will meet bi-monthly i.e. in March, May, and
July and so
on for considering the cases arising during the previous two
months. For
example, the cases received during Jan and Feb will. be
considered in
March and cases received during March and April will be
considered in
May.
4.
Posts to which such
engagements can be made
Compassionate engagements will be made only to GDS posts.
5.
Eligibility
(a) The family deserves immediate assistance of relief from
financial destitution; and
(b)
Applicant for compassionate appointment should be eligible
and suitable
for the post in all respects as per the conditions
prescribed for
normal regular selection to the GDS post for which being
considered.
6.
A. Exemptions
Compassionate engagements are exempted from the observance of
the following requirements:-
(a) Engagement procedure such as notification of vacancies,
reference to employment exchange etc.
(b) Checking of availability of surplus posts or posts
identified for redeployment etc.
B.
Relaxations
- a)
Generally, there shall be no relaxation in age conditions
except as
prescribed for reserved categories. However Upper age limit
could be
relaxed wherever found to be necessary. The lower age limit
should,
however, in no case be relaxed below 18 years of age. Powers
to relax
the Upper age limit of the applicant are vested with Head of
the Circle.
- b)
There shall be no relaxation in basic educational
qualifications
prescribed for the GDS post for which the applicant is being
considered.
Note 1
Age eligibility shall be determined with reference to the
date of application and not the date of engagement.
7.
Determination/availability of
vacancies
(a) Engagement on compassionate grounds should be made only
on regular basis and that too only, against regular GDS
vacancies.
(b)
To the extent possible, compassionate engagement should be
offered to a
GDS post near the place where the family of the deceased GDS
normally
resides. However, if there are no suitable vacancies to
immediately
engage the applicant, any post in the same sub division or
division may
be offered.
8.
Time limit for
considering applications for compassionate
engagements.
(a)
Subject to instructions on the subject issued and amended
from time to
time, any application for compassionate appointment is to be
considered
without any time limit and decision taken on merit of each
case.
(b)
Within 15 days from date of death of a GDS, the family
should be
informed about the scheme of Compassionate Engagement along
with a list
of regular GDS vacancies available in the division, as on the
date of
death of the GDS and acknowledgement should be obtained and
kept on
record.
(c) Head of the Circle should consider and decide the case
within three months from the date of receipt of
application.
9.
Consideration of belated
requests
(a)
As per para 8 (b) above, the family will be informed about
the scheme
and vacancies by the Department within 15 days from the date
of death of
the GDS. Request for compassionate engagement should be
submitted
within a reasonable time.
(b) Requests received after one year
from date of death of the GDS will be considered as belated
requests.
Such cases should be recommended by the CCE only if the
reasons given by
the applicant are found to be genuine and convincing.
(c) While
considering belated requests, the CCE/Head of Circle should
keep in mind
the fact that the concept of compassionate engagement is
largely
related to the need for immediate assistance to the family of
the GDS in
order to relieve it from economic distress. The very fact
that the
family has been able to manage somehow for long should
normally be taken
as adequate proof that the family had some dependable means
of
subsistence. Therefore, examination of such cases would call
for a great
deal of circumspection. The decision to make appointment on
compassionate grounds in such cases may, therefore, be taken
only after
thorough scrutiny of all facts by Committee on Compassionate
Engagement.
(d)
Whether a request for compassionate engagement is belated or
not may be
decided with reference to the date of death of the GDS and
not the age
of the applicant at the time of consideration.
10.
Widow engaged on
compassionate grounds getting remarried
A widow engaged on compassionate grounds will be allowed to
continue in service even after re-marriage.
11.
Where there is an earning
member
(a)
Detailed examination will be required in cases with special
features,
like cases of belated requests or where there is another
earning member
in the family etc.
(b) In deserving cases even where there is
already an earning member in the family a dependent family
member may be
considered for compassionate engagement, if the
Compassionate
Engagement Committee is satisfied that grant of compassionate
engagement
is justified having regard to number of dependents, assets
and
liabilities left by the GDS, income of the earning member as
also his
liabilities including the fact the earning member is residing
with the
family of the GDS and whether he/she should not be a source
of support
to their members of the family.
12.
Missing Gramin Dak
Sevak
Cases
of missing Gramin Dak Sevaks are also covered under the
scheme for
compassionate engagement subject to the following
conditions:-
(a)
A request for grant of compassionate engagement can be
considered only
after a lapse of at least 2 years from the date from which
the GDS has
been missing, provided that:
(i) An FIR to this effect has been lodged with the Police,
(ii) The missing person is not traceable, and
(iii) The competent authority feels that the case is
genuine;
(b) This benefit will not be applicable to a GDS :-
(i) who had less than two years for normal discharge from
service on the date from which he/she has been missing; or
(ii)
who is suspected to have committed fraud, or suspected to
have joined
any terrorist organization or suspected to have gone
abroad.
(c)
Compassionate engagement in the case of a missing GDS also
would not be a
matter of right as in the case of others and it will be
subject to the
fulfillment of all the conditions, including availability of
vacancy,
laid down for such engagement under the scheme:
(d) While considering such a request, the results of the
Police investigation should also be taken into account;
and
(e) A decision on any such request for compassionate
engagement should be taken at the level of the Head of
Circle.
13.
Procedure
(a)
Prescribed pro forma may be used for ascertaining necessary
information
and processing the cases of compassionate engagements in
normal cases.
(b)
An officer not below the rank of an Inspector should meet
the members
of the family of the GDS in question immediately after
his/her death to
advise and assist them in submitting necessary information
for
considering compassionate engagement. The applicant should be
called in
person at the very first stage and advised in person about
the
requirements and formalities to be completed by him.
(c) All cases
of compassionate engagement including belated requests and
cases with
special features (like presence of other earning members in
the family
etc.) may be considered by the CCE on bi-monthly basis and
its
recommendations should be submitted to the Head of Circle. A
final
decision maybe taken by the Head of Circle based on the
recommendations
of the Committee
(d) An application for engagement of a dependent
of the deceased GDS as a GDS on compassionate grounds should
be
considered and decided by the Head of Circle within three
months from
the date of receipt of application.
(e) If, due to any grounds, a
request for compassionate engagement is rejected, a speaking
order
should be issued by the Head of Circle.
14.
Undertaking for
maintenance of the family of the deceased
GDS
A
person engaged on compassionate grounds under the scheme
should give an
undertaking in writing that he/she will properly maintain
the other
family members who were dependent on the GDS in question and
in case it
is proved subsequently (at any time) that the family members
are being
neglected or are not being maintained properly by him/her,
the
engagement may be terminated forthwith. Such a clause will
also be
incorporated as one of the additional conditions in the offer
of
engagement applicable only in the case of engagement on
compassionate
grounds.
15.
Request for change in
post/person
When
a person has been engaged on compassionate grounds to a
particular GDS
post, the circumstances, which led to such engagement, should
deem to
have ceased to exist. Therefore,
(a) he/she should strive in
his/he career like any other GDS for future advancement and
any request
for engagement to any higher post on consideration of
compassion should
invariably be rejected.
(b) an engagement made on compassionate
grounds cannot be transferred to.any other person and any
request for
the same on consideration of compassion should invariably be
rejected
16.
Seniority
Seniority
of the person engaged as GDS on compassionate ground will be
determined
on the basis of his/her initial date of joining the GDS post
and
his/her position in the seniority list of GDS of the unit
concerned will
be determined accordingly.
17.
Termination of
engagement
(a)
The compassionate engagement can be terminated on the ground
of non
compliance of any condition stated in the offer of engagement
after
providing an opportunity to the person concerned by way of
issue of show
cause notice asking him/her to explain why his/her services
should not
be terminated for non-compliance of the condition(s) in the
offer of
engagement and for this purpose, it is not necessary to
follow the
detailed disciplinary procedures prescribed in
rules/instructions.
(b)
The power of termination of engagement for non-compliance of
the
condition(s) in the offer of compassionate appointment will
vest only
with the Head of Circle, in all cases.
Proforma to be used for
intimating the family about the scheme is given in Annexure I
and Form
for seeking compassionate engagement is given in Annexure
2.
Original Circular
