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Wednesday, April 12, 2023

 

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL

Adopted by 49th Conference of

ALL  INDIA  AUDIT  AND  ACCOUNTS  ASSOCIATION

At Thiruvananthapuram – from 27th to 29th January, 2023

Dear Comrades,

On behalf of the National Executive Committee of the All India Audit and Accounts Association, I welcome all the Delegates, Observers, Special Invitees and Permanent Invitees to the 49th Conference at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

On behalf of all of us here, I thank the Kerala Unit for hosting this conference and making an excellent arrangement to all.

We meet here particularly at a very crucial time- when employees and workers are fighting to maintain their hard earned right and for minimum wages, attack on Kisans, farmers and ors are on the rise and effect on their livelihood. Right now, only working-class employees alongwith other sector of workers and people of the country can defeat the policy backed by politics of the ruling government.

We are aware that we are meeting here in the Centenary Year of our Organisation. I hope, this Conference would self critically assess the strength and weakness of our organisation, the requirement of the organisation to face and overcome the challenges we may have to face now a days.  I hope and believe that the 49th conference which is going on in the Centenary Year of our Organisation will be special to all of us and Delegates to carry the challenges, duties and responsibilities to the members.

The following National Executive Committee members elected in the last 48th Conference held at Kolkata, West Bengal:

President                         : Com. V. Sreekumar

Vice President                 : 1. Com. R. J. Iyer, 2. Com. Lalitha Narayanswamy

Secretary General            : Com. Tapas Bose

Addl. Secretary General   : 1. Com. K. Ramesh, 2. Com. Anil Kumar,

                                       3. Com. G. Rajagopal

Finance Secretary            : Com. Amitava Chatterjee

Asstt. Secretary General  :1.Com. Rupak Mukhopadhyay, 2. Com. T. Anandakumar

                                       3. Com. Pramode Mishra, 4. Com. Balbir Suri,

                                        5. Com. Amit Roy, 6.Com. Sanjay Sharma

Convenor, Women’s Committee: Com. K. N. Jayashree Raj

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The National Executive Committee immediately after the election, met and co-opted Comrades Com. Subhas Chandra Pandey, Com. V. Nageswara Rao, Com. K. L. Gautam and Com. M. S. Raja as permanent invitees and the following comrades as Special Invitees.

1.    Subrata Saha, Defence Audit Cat-3 Association, Kolkata

2.    J K Prajapati, Gwalior Accounts Association

3.    Dalip Singh, Audit Association, Rajasthan, Jaipur

4.    Giriraj Sharma, AAO Association, AG Audit, Jaipur

5.    Mohan Srinivasan, Civil Accounts Association, Nagpur

6.    Sohan Lal, Haryana Accounts Association

7.    Bahadur Singh, Accounts Cat-3 Association, Punjab

8.    Shiva Kumar, Madras Civil Audit Association, Cat-2, Chennai

9.    BinuV S – Audit Cat-3 Association, Kerala

10. Shankar Sahoo, Accounts Cat-3, Bhubaneswar

11. Sachin Mallad, Accounts Cat-2, Bengaluru

12. Ashutosh Pandey, H P Civil Audit Association

13. Sarveshwar Singh, Audit Association, Rajasthan, Jaipur

14. Twinkel Patel, Accounts Cat-2, Mumbai

15. Maninder Singh, Haryana Accounts Association

16. Nitu Kumar, Accounts Brotherhood, Dehradun

17. Virender Verma, HP Civil Accounts Association

18. Paneer Selvam, Southern Railway Audit Association Cat-3, Chennai

19. Amitava Bhattacharya, Commercial Audit Cat-3 Association, Kolkata

20. Gourab Chakraborty, Pr. Account General (A&E) Cat-3, Assam

21. Madan Bhardwaj, AAO Association, AG(A&E), Shimla

Condolences & Homages:

Com. M. Sreekhanda Raja, former Secretary General of All India Audit and Accounts Association breathed his last on 14th July, 2020 at Kerala. He was known to every one as “Raja”. 100 per cent employees and Officers of the IA&AD became speechless to hear the demise of Com. Raja during the pandemic Covid-19 period. A great loss was not only in the Audit and Accounts Movement but also in the entire working-class movement, He was the Secretary and Working President of the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers and also the Standing Committee Member of the NC, JCM, Staff Side. We dip our flag in his memory.

Com. R. K. Srivastava, former President of All India Audit and Accounts Association passed away at Nagpur during this period. Com. Srivastava, popularly known as “Lalaji” was one of the remarkable leaders and led many struggles of Audit and Accounts movement and Central government employees. He was the Secretary, C-o-C, Nagpur-Vidarbha Region. We dip our flag in his memory.

Com. M. Krishnan, former Secretary General of NFPE and the Secretary General of the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers breathed his last on 28th February, 2021 at Kerala.  He led so many struggles not only in Postal department but also the entire Central Government Employees.

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He became a leader of the toiling mass and put good impression before the mass at Kerala. The 49th AIC pays respectful homage to Comrade Krishnan.

Com. K. K. N. Kutty, a legendary leader of Central Government Employees and Pensioners’, passed away at Kerala on 8th December, 2022. He was the former Secretary General of Income-Tax Employees Federation and Secretary General and the President of Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers. Com. Kutty was the Secretary General of the NCCPA (Pensioners Association). He was the mentor for submission of Memorandum before the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th CPC. He always delivered scientific justification at the Standing Committee Meeting, NC, JCM. For the last 35 years he had guided us in many occasions. We dip our flag to Com. Kutty.

We pay homage to Com. Shyamal Chakraborty, veteran Trade Union Leader and former MP passed away, who was the founder of SFI. He was actively associated and led working class movements in several strategic sectors like, Electricity, Road Transport, Port & Dock etc.

The 49th AIC pays homage to Ranjana Nirula, one of the pioneers of the Working Women’s movement in our country, Com. MythilyShivaraman, who led the Women’s rights movement in Tamil Nadu, Com. V. Sundaram, Leader of the BEFI, Com. K. R. Gowri Amma, whose entire life was dedicated to the cause of the working class and was the instrumental in bringing the historic land reforms act in Kerala.

We expressed profound grief and anguish on passing away the tribals and others who lost and continue to lose their lives in the fake encounters in the Dandakaranya Forest while opposing corporate looting of natural resources. We pay homage to Deigo Maradona, Pele, Shane Warne, most respected football players of our times and others players who passed away during the time.

We pay respectful homage to the most cultural personalities including Dilip Kumar, Pandit Birju Maharaj, eminent singer Lata Mangeshkar, S. P. BalaSubramaniyam, Sandhya Mukherjee, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma. Tarun Majumder, Krishna Kumar Kunnuth, BappiLahiri, who passed away in the meantime.

We pay homage to Prof. Arjun Dev, eminent historian and educationist and Prof. Aijaz Ahmad and Vinod Dua, reporter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shakuntala Devi, Rahul Bajaj Shinjo Abe, Sirus Mistry, 2nd Elizabeth, Bhupinder Singh, Dominic Lapierre, Peter Bruke during the time.

The 49th AIC pays homage to all the thousands of people who died in the imperialist wars including the latest Ukrainian war and armed conflicts and demands cessation of all war.We pay homage who lost their lives in natural calamities, including the floods and earthquake in various parts of our country.

This Conference pay homage to the more than seven hundred peasants who led their lives during the historic Kissan Struggle in Delhi boarder.We pay homage to the common people of this country who fell to murders as communal attacks in India. We also pay homage to the innocent people who wereshot deadby the U.P.,

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Karnataka and Assam police during the anti CAA protests.

This Conference pays homage to the many frontline workers who succumbed to Covid-19 while saving many lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 49th All India Conference pays respectful homage to all our collegues and their family members in the IA&AD who succumbed to Covid-19 pandemic and demand immediate compensation to the families.

Global Economy – The Systemic Crisis - New Challenge and Emerging Response

 

The Global Wage Report 2020-21 of ILO reveals that along with humungous job losses, an estimated 327 million wage earners on the job, including 152 million women are paid below the applicable hourly minimum wage. Global Economic Outlook 2022 warned about much-higher-than-expected inflation worldwide.  Despite abundance in global food production, as many as 829 million people still go hungry every day. And from 2019 to 2022, the number of undernourished people grew further by as many as 150 million; number of people living in extreme poverty reached to 74.5 crore (745 million) by the end of 2021, an increase of 10 crore (100 million); this is a crisis created by the atrocious anti-people global right-wing authorities. 

 

Unquestionably, it is a crisis ‘of’ capitalism rather than being the crisis ‘in’ capitalism with an explosion of neoliberal accumulation model, when economic globalization has engulfed the entire global-market demolishing all the escape-routes dreadfully dismantling the provisions of sustainability of the system.  

 

It is the historic duty of the class-oriented Trade Unions of the World to act in this period of crises not only to secure and advance the rights and entitlementsof the workers but to mount challenge against the very crises-stricken capitalist system itself for a decisive change, since the working class can emancipate itself by emancipating the entire people from exploitation. The task is toConvert the Crisis into Consciousness towards Social Change. The task before us emanates from this.

 

Socialist Countries: 

 

The Socialist nations’ success in tackling and tiding over the crisis as well as challenges of the Pandemic and maintaining the growth rate demonstrated a clear superiority over the capitalist order both in respect of economic advancement and also expanding peoples’ welfare and protection of livelihood.The USA, the European Union, Britain and Brazil, all high income or upper middle-income countries, were among the worst affected. Half of the total over 5 million reported deaths in the world occurred in countries accounting for only one eighth of world’s population. Cuba, despite the severe economic hardships due to the cruel US blockade, has developed its own domestic vaccines and sent medical missions including supply of vaccines to over 50 countries in the world.Almost similar had been the success in containing pandemic and saving lives of the people by other socialist countries as well. The death due to pandemic in socialist countries remained much below the global average.

 

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In economic front also, the performance of the socialist countries are just the opposite. It is a commentary of keeping the growth mostly on positive track and also simultaneously improving the well-being and earnings of the common people—in diametric contrast with the grim experience of the capitalist world. This brought forth the efficacy of the socialist alternative in more pronounced manner vis-à-vis utterly inhuman and barbarous response of the capitalist order to the ongoing crisis. 

 

The Sri Lankan crisis: 

 

The Sri Lankan crisis manifested in the huge piled-up external debt (47% was from market borrowing (HSBC, JPMorganChase, Allianz etc), 13% is from Asian Development Bank), disastrous decline in foreign exchange earnings, downward pressure in exchange rate and further precipitous decline in foreign exchange reserves-all owing to import liberalization under pressure from the debtors, upward spiral of fiscal deficit, reckless tax concession without increase in Direct Tax, sudden ban on fertilizer import and consequential sharp fall in food grain output, stoppage of tourism and remittances from Sri Lankan workers working abroad—all plunging the lives of the people  in unbearable miseries. 

 

The crisis might go unnoticed, if the working class wouldn’t have led the mass in historic General Strike on 28th April, 2022. The second strike on 5th May, 2022 unnerved the ruling dispensation of Rajapaksa resorting to violent action and imposition of state of emergency further aggravating public anger and protest leading to historic upsurge of the people unseating President Rajapaksa. 

 

Gotabaya Rajapaksa came into power with aggressive Buddhist-Singhalese chauvinism and brutal oppressive state action against Muslim-Christian-Tamil minorities. Sri Lankan chapter is a great learning lesson especially for the Indian working class fighting against the Right-Populist-Communal-Authoritarian forces that united class action and struggle against neo-liberal policies can unify and bring the people together on the street and can tear down the most powerful despots in reign.

 

The Ukraine War: 

 

The Russia Ukraine conflict is another classic example of catastrophic thirst of hegemony neoliberal global order led by IMF and Metropolitan imperialist-militarist expansionist forces through NATO. In the midst of all round systemic crisis spreading recession-stagnation-inflation in their homelands, the expansionist strategy of NATO is aimed at establishing hegemony and control over natural resource-rich developing countries, provoking war like situation and conflicts. 

 

Moreover, US sanctions has already given rise to crisis of gas supply and other crucial industrial raw materials from Russia on which entire European economy is dependent.  On the premise of this understanding, the task of uncompromising battle against the imperialist expansionism and hegemonism led by US/NATO clique with its manifestation in the neoliberal politico-economic happenings and policy drives in the national context must be integral to united working-class interventions against neoliberalism. 

 

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The world working class movements: 

 

World working class movement is continuously evolving, advancing and reshaping itself with increasing militancy to combat with the right-authoritarian regimes mushrooming around the globe. The February 2022 workers movement in Madrid against anti-worker labour law reforms, January 2022 massive strike action against price rise in Kazakhstan, December 2021 workers movement in Turkey demanding higher wages, October 2021 workers’ struggles across the United States with strikes in many industries, October 2021 massive strike exceeding one million workers in Italy, June 2021strikes against the abolishment of 8-hour workday in Greece, and most recently the strike by Railway workers in May 2022 and again in October 2022, and the strike call by Railway workers in USA in September 2022 are some glimpses of historic struggles which have shaken the ruling class all over the globe desperately perusing atrocious anti-people reforms under the guise of Pandemic.  The US Administration has finally been compelled to negotiate and settle with the Railway unions on their demands to avert the strike. During November-December 2022, the world has been witnessing widespread strike actions in France, UK, USA, Italy and other European countries.  

 

The growing rate of unionization all over the world, even in the heartland of imperialist nations like US and UK, even in the companies like Amazon or Starbucks are opening new avenues of future struggle which demand more and more continuity, class-oriented united actions and solidarity all over the globe. 

 

Latin America:

 

The developments in Latin American countries warrant special mention. The advancement of the peoples’ struggles against the imperialist backed exploitative regime and their political fallout in the form of victories of the Left-leaning forces in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Honduras and the latest in Columbia and the new possibility of defeat of the Rightwing clique emerging in Brazil –assert in more pronounced manner that neoliberal right-wing cannot be the last word. Upsurge of workers, farmers and toiling people against onslaught on their lives and wide spread inflations even in many countries of Europe and USA also brightens the prospects of struggles and resistance for the alternative.

 

The 18th Congress of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU):

 

In this crucial historic juncture of action and resistance of world working class led by class-oriented trade unions, the WFTU held its 18th Conference in Rome, on 6-8 May 2022, with a clarion call to the working class of the world to unite and march forward to pull the future out of the mud of capitalism.

 

The Congress adopted the ‘Rome Declaration’, asserting that No capitalist manoeuvres can sustainably address this crisis, the burden of which is being shifted to the shoulders of the workers. The Congress set the priorities for future struggle to strengthen the unity of the global working class breaking the barrier of race-colour-gender-religion-ethnicity with close alliances with other section of toiling masses, the protection of Right to Strike as fundamental Right of working class, for better income-

 

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wage-remuneration, social security, to protect immigrant-refugees, against price rise, unemployment and privatization, child-labour and to build up international solidarity-protest against militarist aggression of NATO.

 

In totality, global economic crisis together with response of the neoliberal capitalist order is increasingly exposing the bankruptcy of capitalism on the one hand and also witnessing organized opposition of the toiling people worldwide along with its political reflections. Above international contemporary political issues will be dealt in details in the Presidential report.

 

WFTU:

 

The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) is still trying exploitation free society through class struggles even after 77 years in 2022. We need to observe the message of internationalism, communalism free society, solidarity to workers and renew our commitment to change the society.

 

Com. Tapas Bose was selected by the Confederation as an observer to the Directive Meeting of the Trade Union International-Public Services (TUI-PS)- scheduled on 09th& 10th November, 2022 at Surajkund, Haryana, India.

 

National Situation: 

 

The period since our 48th Conference witnessed the aggressive pursuit of an extreme right-wing authoritarian communal regime along with the economic crisis aggravating in hectic pace.During this period, India and Asia-pacific have emerged as the focal centre of the imperialist-initiatives along with shameless and desperate bonhomie of the present Central Govt. with US Imperialism.

 

Simultaneous desperate and arrogant pursuit of communal divisive machinations on the society; increasing attacks on minorities and dalits and violence on women are being exercised in present Central Government project of degeneration of social fabric together with divisive polarization; undermining parliamentary democratic process, democratic institutions and rights of the people are being undermined. 

 

Rabid undemocratic measures were being aggressively pushed through, trampling underfoot the basic constitutional values, the abrogation of article 370 of the Constitution on J&K, enactment of CAA, along with announcement on National Population Register (NPR) followed by National Register of Citizens (NRC), linking grant of citizenship with religion, aggressive and widespread abusive use of UAPA, Sedition Cases, agencies like NIA, ED etc with a fascistic repressive intent to curb the rights of expression of opinion, dissent as dubious  means to tackle and mime all oppositions against the authoritarian anti-people misrule of the present Central Govt and in all the BJP ruled states. 

 

The principle of federalism enshrined in the Constitution is being severely subverted; four fundamental pillars of Indian Constitution viz., secular democracy,

federalism, social justice and economic sovereignty were and are being severely

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assaulted. Prime Minister’s loud noise on so called “Parivarbad and Bhrastachar” is being made to camouflage his Govt’s faithful service to corporate class, both domestic and foreign at the cost of even human survival entitlements and basic democratic rights of the people. The Indian Republic has never been under such structured barbarous assault in its 75 years of independence. 

 

Dismantling of the existing labour laws through Labour Codes to impose conditions of virtual slavery on the working class and the desperate exercise of the present Central Govt on Farm Laws including the Essential Commodities Act targeting the decimation of peasants agriculture to pave the way for corporate control are integral parts of the ruling class’ authoritarian aggression on democracy and in governance; the Govt could be compelled to repeal the Farm Laws by historic Farmers’ struggle; but efforts are being made to push them through backdoor both at central and state levels. Some of the states like Karnataka have amended the existing laws in line with those repealed draconian Farm Laws. 

 

As per Oxfam India’s latest report – just five per cent of Indians own more than 60 percent of the country’s wealth while the bottom 50 percent of India’s population possess only three percent of wealth. When the country suffers from multiple crisis like hunger, unemployment, inflation and health calamities, India’s billionaires are doing extremely well for themselves. The Oxfam India calls on the Union
finance Minister to end this obscene inequality and implement progressive tax measures such as wealth tax in the upcoming budget

 

The loot on national assets, aggressive pursuit of privatization of public sector units and financial institutions, imposition of National Education policy, National Monetisation Pipeline and National Land Monetisation Corporation -- all are part of the destructive anti-people anti-national fascistic project to serve the interests of the corporate class, both domestic and foreign. And such a situation brings forth the stupendous challenges before the working-class movement to widen and strengthen class unity and united class struggles against the anti-people misrule combating that strategy of corporate-communal nexus in governance.  

 

        

Fixed Term Contract Employment in Defence Forces: Agniveer: 

 

The fixed-term employment in Indian Army in the name of Agniveer Scheme is nothing but the shameless continuation of the said policy to a fatal level with disastrous implications for national security. The present Central Government had already announced to liberalise and allow FDI under automatic route up to 74% and through Government route up to 100% in civilian defence production sector to please its imperialist partners. As a supplementary move, the defence production sector in the Ordinance Factories network has been corporatized in a dismantled format to sabotage its efficiency and pave the way for their privatisation. And to facilitate the same without hurdles, the Govt banned all industrial actions including protests by Essential Defence Service Ordinance which was later converted into an Act. 

 

As of December 2021, there were 1,04,053 personnel vacancies in army, 12,431 vacancies in the Navy and 5,471 in the Air Force. And now the disastrous project of contractorization through so called Agniveer Scheme will severely tell upon

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the quality, determination and commitment of our armed forces endangering country’s security.  This scheme will also endanger the democratic fabric of the society at large with army trained unemployed-frustrated Agniveers roaming all around. According to this scheme, youth will be recruited and trained in armed forces on a four years’ fixed term contract and thereafter terminated without any pensionary benefit, on payment of meagre compensation.  

 

Labour Law Codification- Design to Institutionalise Slavery on Working Class

 

The programme of dismantling all Labour Laws through so called Labour Law Codification has been undertaken by the Corporate Communal Nexus in governance,

since labour remains at the centre of all economic operations.   Twenty-nine existing

labour laws have been repealed and replaced by four Labour Codes, viz., Code on Wages 2019, Industrial Relations Code 2020, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020, and the Code on Social Security, 2020. With all its limitations and shortcomings, all those 29 Acts provided some rights, benefits and entitlements to workers. Many of them no longer exist now and the rest stand extremely diluted. Added to this has been the enactment of the Essential Defence Service & Maintenance Act (EDSA).  

 

The attack on labour law is further supplemented by Essential Defence Service Maintenance Act enacted by the Govt which empower the Govt to ban or restrict normal trade union agitation in any sector and also to invoke ESMA on the plea of

their connection with defence production; through this atrocious EDS Act, the Govt empowered itself to ban trade union action in any sector, particularly all major infrastructural sector like electricity, port, petroleum, transport, steel, coal etc. This Act also made any trade union action a criminal offence.

 

Despite enactment of Labour Codes, the Govt could not yet notify the Labour Codes officially; but they may do it anytime. This can only be fought back through organised resistance of the imposition of the Codes and the same has to be built up at workplace level in a determined defiant manner combining with national level united action. Resistance and defiance are the way before us, which has deterred the notification of enacted codes until now. 

 

The Communal Divisive onslaught - Mask of Neo liberal Order: 

 

Continuously resorting to minority-baiting and raising communal issues to sharpen and sustain communal polarization accompanied by spreading poisonous campaigns of hate and terror has become an integral part of the governance strategy of the present Central Govt and its Hindutva outfits. This game plan has to be understood to be a permanent feature in their governance by which they seek to consolidate and strengthen the “overarching Hindutva identity” to reshape people’s consciousness in their favour, to achieve this objective of a “Hindu Rashtra”.  

 

Actually, this devaluation and destruction of freedom and basic human values and rationality premised on scientific approach, is inherent to the structure of neoliberalism at its present stage of crisis, leading to emergence of right-wing-authoritarian-divisive forces in governance.      

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Determined offensive of organised class movementagainst this hegemonic divisive social engineering by the corporate-communal nexus is the only way out to change the class balance of today’s Indian society. Our movement must pursue this prime task on a priority basis with conscious initiative for ideological struggle against the Hindutva ideology and also organised combat against the communal divisive machinations on the society, at all levels of organisation.

Central Government Employees Front:

The Confederation of the Central Government Employees’ & workers’ and Unions, the umbrella organisation of all the Central Government Employees, Central Undertakings and the employees of the Public Sector Undertakings had taken decision for continuous struggles against the Present Central Government on its last Conference which was held at Nagpur in February, 2020.

No such struggles and programmes were materialised on their own strength in the year 2021 and 2022 due to Covid-19 pandemic. But taking advantage of the Covid-19, the present Central Government has taken so many anti employees’ decision like, privatise the Government sectors, freezing of 18 months DA/DR of Government employees’/pensioners, introduced the new Labour laws by changing the earlier Labour Laws.

Recently, the Confederation and the All India State Government Employees Federation jointly convened one national convention at Talkotra Stadium, New Delhi on 8th December, 2022 identifying some burning issues, viz. Scrap NPS – Restore OPS, immediate payment of 18 months DA/DR to the Govt employees/pensioners, filling up of all vacant post, constitute of the 8th CPC & ors. The joint convention unanimously decided to hold “Parliament March” followed by industrial action after the state level joint convention.

National Council, JCM and the NJCA:

The scheme of Joint Consultative Machinery & Compulsory Arbitration was formed in October, 1967 after the historic strike of the entire Central Government Employees in the year 1960, wherein it was decided that all grievances would be resolved through effective negotiation, which ultimately became nothing but a talking shop.

After some successful strikes of different sectors and some struggles of the Central Government / Undertakings/ PSU Employees, the government come forward to discuss with the Standing Committee, National Council, JCM, Staff Side about Board of Arbitration Issues, Restoration of Commutation in 12 years, Arrears of 18 months DA/DR etc.

On 22nd September, 2022, the Secretary, Expenditure, Govt. of India informed to the Standing Committee that Govt. was not ready to allow the arrears of 18 months DA/DR. When the Members, Standing Committee, NC, JCM put pressure that the Govt may write in the minutes about the rejection of the demand. The official side informed that once more discussion would take place.

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Regarding discussion on the Board of Arbitration issues, the Official Side met with the Standing Committee Members on 17th November, 2022. Com. Tapas Bose had attended the meeting. Out of 12 nos of Board of Arbitration Awards, the following issues were accepted by the Govt which were sent to Budget Section for approval:

1)    Revision of Washing Allowances: Before 1/1/1996, the Central Govt had allowed only Rs.30/- to the eligible employees. As per arbitration award, it would be Rs.60/- from the date of award. The Govt. finally accepted in 5th CPC which was applicable from the month of August, 1997. The arrears of in between period were accepted.

2)    Difference of House Rent Allowances:The revised rate of HRA of 5th CPC was allowed to the employees from August, 1997. The award of the BOA was the revised HRA would be applicable from 01/01/1996 instead of August, 1997. Due to huge financial implications, the Govt. is ready to allow it only from 01/01/1997 instead of 01/01/1996.

3)    Parity of pay scales at par with the CSS cadre: We all are aware that since inception, i.e., before independence, theAll India Audit and Accounts Association was fought to the issue. We are grateful to our former great leaders who had struggled a lot in the issue. So many times, we achieved it and again the CSS cadre had upgraded their pay-scale to the upper tier. From 01/01/1986, when the pay scales was again upgraded to the CSS cadre, further struggle had been started and our former leaders went to the Board of Arbitration and got the award that the pay scales of the SA should be at par with the CSS cadre.

 

During the struggle, a group of activists mistakenly left us with the analogy that Court Case was the right-path instead of the struggles. The Supreme Court of India gave judgement that the Central Govt would be discussed the issue with the Staff Side and would come to a conclusion.

 

Finally in a meeting of the Standing Committee, NC, JCM, Staff Side on 17th November, the Govt. finally accepted the BOA award on the issue from 01/01/1986 notionally. Regarding arrears on the issue, the Official Side informed that due to huge financial implications, another round of discussion will be required which will be held shortly.

 

In this regard, a detailed note was circulated by the All India Audit and Accounts Association.

 

All the constituents under the NJCA had taken a decision on 17th November, 2022 with a single point agenda, i.e. “Scrap NPS – Restore OPS”, series of programmes: Convention at national level on 20th January, 2022 at New Delhi, March to Parliament, Indefinite period of Industrial Action throughout the year of 2023.

 

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All India Audit and Accounts Pensioners’ Association:

The All India Audit and Accounts Pensioners Association was formed in the year 2018 after the successful conference at Guwahati. Now it is affiliated under the National Co-ordination Committee of Pensions Association, New Delhi.

The NE of the All India Pensioners Association could not visited to their all Branch unit in different States due to Covid-19 pandemic. It is utmost necessary to form all the branch unit in all states under the All India Audit & Accounts Pensioners Association. During the period, the apex leaders wrote some letters highlighting the issues of the IA&AD pensioners.

Com. Subhas Chandra Pandey, Permanent Invitee of the All India Audit and Accounts Association and the Working President of the All India Audit and Accounts Pensioners Association has been elected as one of the National Executive member of the NCCPA in its last conference.

Departmental Front:

Some of the issues that agitated our members much could be taken into the agenda items of Departmental Council Meeting of the IA&AD or with the Government of India through National Council, JCM, Staff Side.

NFU to Supervisor: In the month of June, 2019, the Hd. Qrs. Office informed that the DOP&T did not accept this proposal. Immediately after the last conference, the AIAAA once again re-opened the case before the Hd. Qrs Office alongwith the Divisional Accounts Cadre with a fresh look. After discussion with our Association, the DOP&T had accepted our proposals. As a result, hundreds of employees in this cadre got benefit of NFU after completion of 4 years of service.

DEO to Auditor/Accountant: From the day one of the arbitrary induction of the DEO (technical) cadre in the IA&AD, the only All India Audit and Accounts Association protested against it. In the last submission before the Restructuring Committee of the IA&AD-2018, our All India Association categorically opined that the DEO should come into the main stream cadre. But the other microscopic Federation denied and specifically submitted before the Restructuring Committee that the DEO may continue as a separate technical cadre.  Our members are now happy that the C&AG of India accepted our proposal and passed order. As a result, hundreds of the employees of DEO cadre cleared the DEA for Auditor/Accountant and got promotion in the main stream cadre.

Compassionate Appointment: The All India Audit and Accounts Association is the only Apex Association, had submitted the list of employees died due to Covid-19 in addition to normal case not only to our Hd. Qrs Office but also to the Govt. through NC, JCM, Staff side. After the discussion, the Hd. Qrs Office issued circular that the pending compassionate appointment case can be transferred to any other office where vacancy exists. As a result, a good number of appointments have happened in field offices. Still the process is going on in some of the field offices.

Contd…..13

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But till date some of the following cases are not finalised:

1)    Grant of non functional upgradation to Adhoc & RT AAOs after completion of 4 years’ service. The creation of Adhoc/RT AAO done by the C&AG Administration and allowed them Gazetted Status also. Even, their past service was not counted when NFU was introduced in the IA&AD. Till today, the only Apex Association is trying to overcome the issue.

 

2)    Cadre Restructuring of IA&AD: The Cadre Restructuring of the IA&AD has been completed and introduce by the Hd. Qrs Office from 1/1/2021. The C&AG Administration has arbitrarily done it without the discussion of the Staff Side of IA&AD. The scientific proposal of the All India Audit and Accounts Association was not considered by the C&AG administration. It was cleared without announcement of the final sanctioned strength in different field offices.  As a result, in most of the field offices, not a single promotion order had been issued for the year 2021 and 2022 from the MTS to Sr. Auditor/Accountant. The All India Audit and Accounts Association strongly condemned not only the attitude taken by the C&AG administration but also suggest complete review of the restructuring process.

 

3)    AAO to SAO promotion: The C&AG administration merged both the AO and SAO cadre into one SAO cadre in the month of October, 2019. As a result, the AAOs would be eligible to get the promotion to the post of SAO w.e.f. 1/1/2020. As it is a Gr-A service, the consultation of the UPSC is required.

 

4)    But till today, some of the DPC of field offices for the year 2020 are not cleared by the Hd. Qrs Office. The UPSC and the C&AG administration is blaming each other. As a result, members of the All India Association became frustrated for not settling the promotion in time when vacancy exist.  There should be no hesitation in clearing the due promotion in time by the C&AG in person.

YPP – formal contractorization of functions of the IA&AD:

The C&AG administration had taken the decision and initiated contractorization of functions of the IA&AD by initiating Young Professional Programme (YPP). It is nothing but contractorization of auditing and accounting functions. The Association submitted letter to the Hd. Qrs Office to stop the YPP immediately and filled up the vacant position immediately. The Association also highlighted that there is no other constitutional authorities who have taken such decision at their office.

Moreover, it is also observed that the Hd. Qrs Office is encouraging the field offices to take retired employees on contractual basis, depriving the own staff for allowing promotion particularly when the employees cleared the departmental examination.

Contd….14

::::    14    ::::

Stenographer and Rajbhasa issue:

1)   The peculiar situation is going on particularly in the IA&AD, where the most deprived is the Stenographer cadre. Those who are posted in different field level offices are not getting the pay scales at par with CSS cadre when it is applicable only those who are posted at the C&AG office at New Delhi. The Association has taken up the matter with the Govt. through NC, JCM, Staff Side which is under active consideration.

 

2)   The same situation is going on for Rajbhasa Cadre. The Hd. Qrs Office is not maintaining the stipulated guidelines for the cadre. The issue is taken up for discussion with the Hd. Qrs Office immediately.

 

Employees Co-operative Societies and the C&AG administration:

For the last few years, the All India Association observed that on the issue of Co-operative Societies, the C&AG administration is very much enthusiastic in taking steps to paralyse the present functioning. We are aware that the Employees Co-operative Societies runned by the employees of the IA&AD in some different field offices for more than 100 years. The Hd. Qrs Office is forced to field administration to change the name of the society in particular name prescribed by the C&AG administration. No other Central Government Department/Ministry has moved such type of action to their respective field offices except the IA&AD.

 

Organisation:

We have passed very abnormal time due to Covid-19 pandemic in three occasions which was nearly one and half year. Till date some consequence effect is going on and are going through some hard time. We have to assess/ self-introspection on our organization inability and willingness to implement the decisions. Unanimous decisions have been taken in NE meeting/Working Committee Meeting on different issues but there were many lapses and shortcomings for the implementation part.

I would like to confess that during the last tenure, as a whole, we do lack seriousness to take the challenges before us.

We are aware that the means of the effective organisation – leaderships at apex level and as well as the field level should realise the challenges and take effective steps/attend to it on long terms basis.

The 48th Conference had taken decision to release the arrear salary of our former Secretary General, Com. M.S.Raja. He has served in this organisation more than 14 years and retired. Moreover, after the death of Com. MSR, the NE as well as Working Committee had given a call of Special Fund of Rs.500/- each. The decision was ignored by majority of field level units including the N.E. Members. As a result, the arrears were cleared by the organisation after long time.

Contd….15

 

::::    15    ::::

Financial Position-Remittance of HQr Quota and Special Fund:

The Audited Accounts for the last 3 years have been attached with the report. It would give a clear picture of the Hd. Qrs remittance by the units. Majority of the units had not submitted their membership position as a result it difficult to calculate and collect the actual Head Quarter Quota.

The last conference had maintained the decision of the earlier conference that the Hd. Qr. Quota of Rs.12/- per member per month and the subscription of members at field level would be Rs.30/- per month per member. There are so many units have even today not revised their membership @ Rs.30/- and as a result the unit do not pay the Hd. Qr Quota as per the revised constitution of the All India Association. Very unfortunate that the unit led by the NE members also failed to clear the Hd. Qr Quota at the prescribed rate.

The audited accounts for the last 3 years give a picture that not a single rupee has been allowed towards loss of pay to the Secretary General. The Secretary General could not be in foreign service, which was very much required, due to critical state of funds. If the same situation will be going on in coming days, then it will be difficult to take foreign service in favour of the coming Secretary General.

We would discuss this part seriously and decide on how to overcome this and act accordingly.

 

SUPREME COURT ORDER: HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT

IN THE CASE OF COM. K A MANUEL OF KERALA

Real movement never lost. In the year 2009, the Kerala A&E administration took decision that the pension work of AG office would be outsourced. The Audit and Accounts Association, Branch-Kerala had protested against the attempt to outsource the work to be done by the AG employees. The decision had been withdrawn following the strike. Com. Manuel was the then Secretary of Cat-2 Association. The Administration put false allegations against him and dismissed him from the service. The CAT, Kerala quashed the dismissed order at 2010 which was upheld by Division Bench of Kerala High Court. Then the case was approached in the Supreme Court by the C&AG of India. And now the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India also dismissed the appeal by the C&AG of India and asked to reinstate Com. K A Manuel.

The All India Audit and Accounts Association is thankful to all the field level units to stand to the Kerala Unit during the entire struggle. We are also thankful to all the veteran leaders for extending full support in all respect to the entire Kerala Unit.

All the unit leadership will take lesson from this that “Struggle is the right path- there is no short cut way”. On behalf of the National Executive Members, I would like to express, “Red Salute Com. Manuel”.

Contd…..16

::::    16    ::::

 

Conclusion:

The situation facing us is challenging no doubt but not insurmountable. The intervening period has witnessed aggressive restructuring of the governance of economy, political systems/institutions and the society towards more desperate authoritarian direction in our country, that reflects the crisis as well as weaknesses of the neoliberal order, not its strength.  That is why the intervening period alsowitness increasing resistance to the neo liberal agenda and also to its reflection in the governance and society; retrograde change in the codified labour laws could still be halted from being implemented for the last 3 years at the national level.

For the last few years, we are observing that there is a very systematic attack to undermine the Constitutional Authorities in our country. Some of the Constitutional Authorities are resisting the attack very carefully. On the other hand, few Constitutional Authorities are compromising in this regard. For the last one and half decades the Association raised the issue that our department was not discharging the Constitutional Obligation to the people of India. But being the head of the department, no Comptroller & Auditor General of India had taken any move in this regard.

Reorientation of our work and heightening of struggles can make our united combat effective to make ruling class retreat. Objective situation for a combative heightened struggle very much exists as understood from increasing response of working employees and toiling people to the call of struggles, provided we could reach them convincingly. This is not an impossible task, if the call is properly responded to by our organisation at all levels, we can make ourselves to respond to take up these task of reorientation …..That must be the pledge to be adopted by our 49th Conference.

To fight these policies, we require solid organisational structure and organisational discipline.

We will fight and we will win.

49th Conference Zindabad!

All India Audit and Accounts Association Zindabad!

Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers Zindabad!

Workers Unity Zindabad!

 

Thiruvananthapuram,                                                                                                 Sd/-

Dated: 27th January, 2023                                                                               Tapas Bose

                                                                                                                        Secretary General