Restructuring: RBE No.116/2016 – Artisan staff/ Technicians
No.PC-III/2016/CRC/1, dated 30.09.2016
Sub: Restructuring of certain Group ‘C’ cadres – Artisan staff.
The issue of cadre restructuring of Artisan staff/ Technicians was raised by the federations with Railway Board. The matter has been examined and keeping in view the functional, operational and administrative requirements, it has been decided with the approval of the President that the cadre of Artisan staff/ Technicians (other than Signal Maintainers erstwhile ESMs/ MSMs) should be restructured in accordance with the revised percentages as indicated in the table given below:-
| Category | Pay Structure (Level) as per 7th CPC Matrix | Existing %age after merger of grade(s) | Revised percentage |
| Sr. Technician/ MCM | Level-6 | 16 | 26 |
| Technician Grade-I | Level-5 | 44 | 51 |
| Technician Grade-II | Level-4 | 20 | 8 |
| Technician Grade-III | Level-2 | 20 | 15 |
While implementing these orders the following instructions should be carefully and strictly adhered to.
1. Date of effect: The restructuring of the cadre/ Technicians (other than Signal Maintainers erstwhile ESMs/ MSMs) will be with reference to the sanctioned cadre strength as on 01.09.2016. The staff who will be placed in higher grade pay as a result of implementation of these orders will draw pay in higher grades w.e.f. 01.09.2016. The benefit of restructuring will be restricted to the persons who are working in a particular cadre on the cut-off-date i.e. 01.09.2016.
2. Applicability to various cadres: These orders will be applicable to the permanent regular cadres (excluding surplus supernumerary posts) of the Open Line establishments including Workshops, Production Units, RDSO and Centralized Training Institutes. Only those temporary posts which are in operation for atleast three years may also be taken into account for the purpose of applying revised percentage. This will be subject to certification that these posts are meant for regular activities which will continue and not for any sporadic requirements.
2.1 These orders will also be applicable to the regular Group ‘C’ posts of Artisan staff/ Technicians (other than Signal Maintainers erstwhile ESMs/ MSMs), borne on the permanent establishment of Centralized Training Institutes, chargeable to Revenue and identical in AVC, Grade Structure, Designation & Recruitment pattern to that of same categories on the Zonal Railways.
2.2 These orders will not be applicable to ex-cadre work charged posts which will continue to be based on worth of charge.
2.3 These instructions will also not be applicable to construction Units and Projects, where posts are generally created on worth of charge basis. For creation of posts in these units the percentage distribution of posts as in Open Line/ Production Units may be generally kept in view, taking into account the availability of funds and extant rules for the same.
3. Pay Fixation: The pay of staff promoted against the additional higher grade posts as a result of restructuring (including chain/ resultant vacancies) will be fixed as per Rule 13 of RS (RP) Rules, 2016 with the benefit of one increment, with the usual option for pay fixation as per extent rules.
4. Existing classification and filling up of the vacancies: The existing classifIcation of the posts will remain unchanged. The benefit of cadre restructuring to Artisan staff/ Technicians (other than Signal Maintainers erstwhile ESMs/ MSMs), will be extended only on passing the requisite Suitability/ Trade Test as prescribed under extant rules.
4.1 Normal vacancies existing on 01.09.2016 (except direct recruitment quota) and those arising on that date from this cadre restructuring including chain/ resultant vacancies should be filled in the following sequence:-
(i) From Panels/ Select Lists approved on or before 01.09.2016 and current on that date;
(ii) From the Panels/ Select Lists likely to be formed from ongoing trade test/ suitability;
(iii) And the balance in the manner indicated in pare 4 above.
4.2 All normal vacancies arising from 02.09.2016 will be filled by normal selection procedure.
4.3 All vacancies (including chain/ resultant vacancies) arising purely due to this cadre restructuring should be filled up by senior employees in the manner indicated in para 4.1 above, who should be given benefit of the promotion w.e.f. 01.09.2016 whereas for the normal vacancies existing on 01.09.2016, junior employees should he posted but they will get promotion and higher pay from the date of taking over the posts as per normal rules. Thus the special benefit of the promotion w.e.f. 01.09.2016 is available only for vacancies arising out of cadre restructuring and for other vacancies, the normal rules of prospective promotion from the date of filling up of vacancy will apply.
4.4 In cases where percentages have been reduced in the lower grade and no additional post becomes available as a result of restructuring, the existing vacancies on 01.09.2016 should be filled up by normal suitability/ trade test procedure.
4.5 Employees who retire, resign or expire or are medically decategorised in between the period from the date of effect of these orders to the date of actual implementation of these orders, will be eligible for the fixation benefits and arrears under these orders w.e.f. 01.09.2016, if they are otherwise eligible for the said benefit.
5. Extant instructions for D&A/ Vigilance clearance will be applicable for effecting promotions under these orders with reference to date of effect of these orders.
6. Minimum years of service in each grade: While implementing the restructuring orders, instructions regarding minimum period of service required for promotion issued from time to time should be followed. However, while considering any relaxation in the residency period prescribed for promotions to various categories, General Managers would personally ensure that the safety aspect of Railways is not compromised.
7. Basic functions duties and responsibilities: Since the cadres of Artisan staff/ Technicians (other than Signal Maintainers erstwhile ESMs/ MSMs) are being restructured on functional, operational and administrative considerations, the posts being placed in higher scales of pay as a result of restructuring should include the duties and responsibilities of greater importance.
8. Adjustment of excess number of posts: If prior to issue of these instructions the number of posts existing in any grade in any particular cadre exceeds the number admissible on the revised percentages, the excess may be allowed to continlle to be phased out progressively with the vacation of the posts by the existing incumbents.
9. Provision of reservation: The existing instructions with regard to reservation of SC/ST wherever applicable will continue to apply.
10. Pin pointing of posts: The administration should take steps to pin-point the additional posts arising out of this restructuring as per administrative requirements. However, in those cases where due to pin-pointing of posts staff is required tojoin duties in the upgraded posts at a different station, such staff may be allowed the benefit of upgradation/ promotion on “as is where is basis” for the time being and allowed to join the pin-pointed post at the new station within six months time from the date of issue of promotion order, subject to the satisfaction of HOD on merit in each case.
11. Refusal of promotion: Such of the Staff as had refused promotion before issue of these orders and stand debarred for promotion may be considered for promotion, in relaxation of the extant provisions as a one time exception, if they indicate in writing that they are willing to be considered for such promotion against the vacancies existing on 01.09.2016 and arising due to restructuring on the date. This relaxation will not be applicable to vacancies arising after the date of effect i.e. 01.09.2016.
12. Matching Savings: Entire scheme of restructuring is to be a self-financing and expenditure neutral proposition. Steps for calculation of mid-value for working out the Financial implications are given as under:-
Step-1: Take mid-value of pay scale as per 5th CPC;
Step-2: Take the corresponding basic pay + grade pay as per 6th CPC for each post as per fitment table circulated vide Railway Board’s letter No.PC-VI/2008/I/RSRP/1, dated 11.09.2008 (RBE No.108/2008).
Step-3: For the purpose of conversion to 7th CPC, the value arrived at as per step 2 may be multiplied by 2.57.
An illustration for calculation of mid-value for working out the financial implications is also enclosed as Annexure ‘A’ to this letter.
12.1 After working out the financial implications, the matching savings should be effected from the category itself. Wherever it is not possible to do so from the category itself, the matching savings should be arranged from the department at the divisional/ zonal level. But before restructuring the cadre as per the revised percentage distribution of posts, matching savings will have to be ensured and if the Department/ Railways are not able to provide the matching savings, the particular category/ department will not be restructured. While effecting surrender of posts of equivalent financial value, the existing vacant posts available in the categories on the date of effect should be considered for the purpose of off-setting the cost of restructuring/ financial effects of restructuring in implemented expeditiously with matching saving without any exception and difficulty. There would be no restructuring without matching savings by surrender of posts.
12.2 Revised percentage distribution of posts as per these orders is to be based upon the sanctioned cadre strength as on 01.09.2016. Surrenders are to be effected on this sanctioned strength and the resulting imbalance/ variation in the cadres is to be reviewed at the time of next annual review.
This issues in consultation with the Establishment Directorate and with concurrence of the Finance Directorate of this Ministry.
The receipt of this letter may please be acknowledged.
ANNEXURE – ‘A’
Illustration for calculation of mid-value for working out the financial implications
| Category | Pay Scales as per 5th CPC (Rs.) | Mid-value of the scales (Rs.) | Pay structure as per 6th CPC | Mid-vale as per 6th CPC pay structure (Rs.) Col-3 x 1.86) + Grade Pay | Final Mid-value by applying factor 2.57 as per 7th CPC (Rs.) | |
| PB | Gp (Rs.) | |||||
| Sr. Technician | 5000-8000 | 6500 | PB-2 | 4200 | 16290 | 41865 |
| Technician-I | 4500-7000 | 5750 | PB-1 | 2800 | 13500 | 34695 |
| Technician-II | 4000-6000 | 5000 | PB-1 | 2400 | 11700 | 30069 |
| Technician-III | 3050-4590 | 3820 | PB-1 | 1900 | 9010 | 23156 |
Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.116/2016
Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.