Harassment of SBCO officials in CBS environment - our General Secretary addressed to take action

13.06.2016

Dear  comrades,

            As you are all aware, DOP has issued various directions / orders in line for curbing fraudulent activities in the CBS environment by the operative staff. More responsibility is rested up on SBCO officials without caring the ground realities. All the SBCO units are running with shortage of staff, with poor outdated computer systems and without any proper training.  

        We are afraid that DOP considers SBCO cadre as a donkey which can be loaded with any quantum of work without any norms. All SBCO officials are very much aggrieved. The feelings of our SBCO staff are conveyed to our General Secretary for taking necessary action at DTE level.

The copy of the letter is furnished below.

ALL INDIA POSTAL SBCO EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION

(Affiliated with National Federation of Postal Employees)

TAMILNADU CIRCLE

CHQ: Madurai Head Post office, Madurai 625 001.

e-mail: nfpesbco@gmail.com

SHP Jasmine jalal begam                    M P P Karthikeyan                                             A Jesuraja         

           8939289896                                                   94420 91895                                                                 90438 29530

             President                                                   Circle Secretary                                                                Treasurer     

No. AIPSBCOEA /HQ /02 / 2016                                                                                   Dated : 11.06.2016

To

Comrade VIRENDRA TEWARY,

General Secretary,

All India Postal SBCO Employees Association,

1^st floor, North Avenue Post office building,  New Delhi 110 001.

Dear comrade,

Sub: Working procedure of SBCO in CBS environment – Harassment of SBCO cadre -reg

Ref: SB orders, instructions issued by the DTE on CBS working procedure.

            Our Circle Association wants to record its anguish over the issuance of SB orders / instructions by the DTE which severely affects entire SBCO cadre.

            With around 40% shortage of staff in SBCO cadre, our staff are striving hard to complete their day to day works but not considering the ground realities, DTE is going on issuing various orders / instructions for SBCO for working in CBS environment.

            In every order so far issued, DTE categorically directs the Administration down to the Divisional level to provide adequate staff from operative side to SBCO which is not at all carried out by most of the Divisions. In the latest instructions issued on 10.06.2016, DTE   changes its tone from providing staff to SBCO to request the Divisional Head to provide help to SBCO as though we are from outside the Department of Posts. The DTE actually does not recognize our Role in safeguarding the interests of Govt as well as Public money at large. Hence, they intend to issue various orders which are practically not possible to carry out by SBCO. Hereunder is some of the examples.

1     1. In SB order 14/2015 dated 19.10.2015, orders issued on checking of LOT (viewed from Finacle) with  respect to voucher, General checking and checking of vouchers will continue as at present. Another important change is preparation of consolidation journal of all schemes directly by SBCO

2.      Vide para 2.5 of SB order 14/2015, responsibility of tallying vouchers with LOT shown in the system is entrusted with Counter PA and Supervisor of Post office.

           

        By this order, SBCO officials are working hard to generate consolidation, LOT for tallying and checking the vouchers from the time old computer systems and peripherals that are not commensurate with the technology used for Finacle. Barely for few minutes in a day , the Finacle server opens but almost no report could be generated. Exceptionally if generated, the same could not be viewed in Finacle.  We are compelled to work without proper training in this situation but when a fraud is unearthed, the Administration immediately questions SBCO officials without going to the officials who are directly responsible for the commitment of fraud and officers who are responsible for monitoring the proper functioning of offices in CBS Finacle.

Suspension of innocent SBCO official in connection with fraud in Karaikudi HO is one of the worst example for this.

            In this situation, DTE has issued another set of directions as “ Further steps to be taken to prevent frauds in CBS offices “vide memo no. 25-11/2016-FS-CBS dated 19.06.2016 which added fuel to the fire.

 Point no.7 in this order speaks  “SBCO staff should sign in each and every voucher after tallying with LOT generated through the system in token of having checked Trans ID, Account no. and amount”.  Point no.8 in this order speaks “ SBCO should also see the value date in LOT and if any value date of more than 3 days of the LOT date is used, objection should be raised if no error book entry of approval of competent authority is not attached with the vouchers”.

These points 7 and 8 are quite contrary to the orders issued in SB order 14/2015. Considering the point no 7 and 8 as mentioned above,  we can not understand

1.What role is entrusted to the Supervisory officers such as  SPM / APM of operative side for the transactions in CBS offices then

2.Whether SBCO is  continuing as audit wing of DOP or becoming the operative staff of DOP.

Carrying  out the instructions contained in point 7 and 8 is humanly not possible as

1.      One PA SBCO has to check around 600 transactions in a day in respect of Trans ID, value date , Account no. and amount with respect to the  LOT viewed from Finacle from  MIS server which could not be opened  in almost all the time in a day or if  generated, report could not be viewed practically.  Besides, one PA SBCO has to do other works such as generation of Consolidation of  schemes and to tally with SO daily account, SO summary and HO summary, General check of vouchers etc.,

2.      As per instructions contained in para 4 of  DTE order 25-11/2016-SB dated 11.05.2016, “SBCO should first tally vouchers of old / pending dates whenever MIS server access is available”. This clearly indicates how MIS server opens and admission of Department on the inadequate access of MIS server.  With this major handicap, Department instructs SBCO officials to check all the transactions and sign every voucher which is humanly impossible.

For the best implementation of CBS, we suggest

1.To entrust the primary work of generation  of consolidation of all schemes from Finacle software and to tally the figures with respect to SO summary and HO summary  with the SOSB group of HO and forwarding to SBCO as in earlier practice since continuance establishment of SOSB group at HO is inevitable by the orders issued on 10.06.16

2.In order to curb fraudulent activities, Mobile no. of depositor or one of the person authorized by depositor  can be incorporated in the CIF ID of each depositor so that SMS alert shall be sent after every transaction. If need be, charges shall be levied for this from depositor.

Our Circle Association declares that while we, the SBCO officials, are ready to

render 100% co- operation to the Administration for the successful implementation of CBS Finacle in all the Post offices, we request our GS to putforth the following to the Administration for consideration and orders.

1.   Workout correct Time factor for each and every work of SBCO  and ensure providing adequate man power based on this.

2.      Provide computer systems that meet over the functioning of CBS Finacle software

3.      Provide adequate practical training to all SBCO officials including Supervisory cadre

4.   Change the Administrative control of SBCO from Divisional Head to the Regional DPS with the sub-ordinate control of AO ICO SB

5.      Absolve SBCO officials from the frauds committed by the operative staffs and others

Our Circle Association sincerely appeals to our General Secretary to take up the

issue with Directorate and do the needful at the earliest.

      Thanking you comrade,

Yours fraternally,

M.P.P. KARTHIKEYAN

Circle Secretary, TN circle &

Asst. General Secretary