Clarification regarding bunching of stages in the revised pay structure under RS(RP) Rules, 2016

Clarification regarding bunching of stages in the revised pay structure under RS(RP) Rules, 2016

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (BHARAT SARKAR)
Ministry of Railways (Rail Mantralaya)
(Railway Board)

File No. PC-VII/2016/RSRP/3

New Delhi,
dated : 16.01.2018

The General Manager/CAOs(R),
All India Railways & Production Units, (As per mailing list)

Sub: Clarification regarding bunching of stages in the revised pay structure under RS(RP) Rules, 2016.

Subsequent to issue of clarifications regarding bunching of stages while fixing the pay in 7th CPC Schedules to RS(RP) Rules, 2016 vide Board's letter No. PC-VII/2016/RSRP/3 dated 27.09.2016 (RBE No. 139/2017), queries have been raised by several Railways on granting benefit of bunching of stages in case(s) where pay of two direct officers (belonging to different allotment year) came out to be fixed at first cell of Level-13 though, difference in their pays as on 31.12.2015 is comprising two stages.

2. In this context, it is intimated that the issue has been referred to Ministry of Finance (copy enclosed) and clarification on the same is awaited.

S/d,
(Jaya Kumar G)
Deputy Director(Pay Commission)VII
Railway Board

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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(RAILWAY BOARD)

F.No. PC-VII/2016/RSRP/3

New Delhi,
dated: 15/01/2018

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: Clarification regarding bunching of stages under revised pay structure.

Detailed guidelines on the subject have been issued vide MoF's OM No. 1-6/2016-IC dated 03.08.2017, which has been adopted in Railways through letter 27.09.2017. Para 7 of MoF's OM dated 03.08.2017 states clarify inter alia "…..benefit on account of bunching cannot be extended with reference to pay stages lower than the Entry Pay indicated by the 7th CPC (emphasis added) for that level in the Pay Matrix. Extending the benefit of bunching with reference to pay stages below the entry pay will perpetuate the difference in pay on account of differential Entry Pay which was addressed by 7th CPC (emphasis added)".

2. However, para 8 (iv) of the said OM states "All pay stages lower than the Entry Pay in the 6th CPC structure (emphasis added) as indicated in the Pay Matrix in 7th CPC Report are not to be taken into account for determining the extent of bunching"

3. However, certain cases have come to notice of this Ministry where this crucial difference in terminology in para-7 & para-8 of the OM is leading to confusion/ambiguity as to whether entry pay in 6th CPO alone and not 7th CPC is the deciding factor for determining bunching eligibility. Relying on the terminology adopted in para-8, cases have been noticed where benefit of 'bunching' has been given to direct officers of 2002 allotment year w.r.t. their junior of 2003 allotment year. Their pay fixation details are enclosed at Annexure-A. Similar cases involving certain retired officers in Level-13 and Level-14 has also been received. Illustration in this regard is enclosed at Annexure-B.
4. While the over-riding spirit of the clarifications issued by Ministry of Finance's OM referred to above, was to avoid differential entry pay and was not to provide benefit of bunching at the entry level, this dichotomy in para-7 & para-8 is leading to differing interpretations. Clarifications over the issue may kindly be provided to enable uniform interpretation.

Encl. As above.

S/d,
(S. Balachandra Iyer)
Executive Director, Pay Commission-II
Railway Board

Source: NFIR