No. 17-32/2024-GDS Government of India Ministry of Communications Department of Posts (GDS Section) Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi - 110 001 Dated: 01.07.2024
Subject: Utilizing the services of retired postman/mailguard/MTS as substitute /stop gap arrangements against vacant posts of GDS- regarding
Attention of all concerned is drawn towards this office OM No. 17-31/2016 dated 11.02.2022 regarding substitute arrangement GDS against leave vacancies. The said OM, inter-alia, provides as under:
Short Term vacancies:
i) Vacancies arising due to leave, medical condition of GDS etc. upto 45 days.
ii) A substitute should not be engaged against a short term vacancy in any GDS posts in routine manner.
iii) As far as possible, work may be managed by combining duties.
Long Term vacancies:
i) Vacancies of more than 45 days caused due to any circumstances including deputation, discharge, termination etc.
ii) Substitute may be allowed only if workload of the BO as well as its financial position/revenue norms justifies such engagement of filling of the post at BO on regular basis.
iii) Continuation of substitute arrangements beyond 45 days at a stretch may only be allowed by the authority next higher to the engaging authority.
iv) No substitute arrangement against any vacant GDS post shall continue beyond 90 days.
v) If for any unavoidable reason, a substitute arrangement is required to be continued beyond 90 days, specific approval of the
Head of Region/DPS (Region).
2. The Department has following instructions for making substitute arrangement:
i) Substitute is provided under the risk and responsibility of the regular incumbent, if any.
ii) Substitute should possess the qualifications prescribed for engagement as GDS.
3. However, it is experienced that unless and untill substitute GDSs so provided is a family member of the GDS, they may not be well-versed with the operations of postal department and handling of mobile devices. Further, after introduction of the online engagement process, these days GDSs gets engaged in the villages away from their family and they are not in a position to provide a reliable substitute in case of leave of the regular GDS. Therefore, the Divisions find it difficult to manage the affairs of the BOs. In such situations, they allow ABPM to work as BPM in other BOs and the work of ABPM is managed by making a stop gap arrangement by engaging an outsider. Whereas, the Departmental instructions do not permit engaging of any kind of outsiders in such manner.
4. While the instructions provide for substitute arrangements against leave vacancies, but there are many posts get vacant due to retirement/promotion of the GDSs. The Division face challenge in filling up these posts as well, as in such cases even a substitute cannot be provided by the GDS being promoted/retired on his own risk and responsibilities. Therefore, the Divisions are left with no other option but to make stop gap arrangement in the manner explained in para 3 above, which is not an approved manner for filling up the vacant posts in stop-gap.
5. In order to avoid to such irregular practices of engaging outsiders, it is proposed to provide for utilizing the services of retired MTS/Postman/Mail Guard to work as substitute GDS/stop gap arrangement against leave vacancies or the that causing due to discharge/appointment as MTS/Postman etc of regular GDSs.
6. It is, therefore, requested to furnish your feedback/comments on the proposal along with the terms and condition for such kind of substitute/stop gap arrangement by 15.07.2024 to for comprehensively examining the proposal.
This issues with the approval of Member (P).
