GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS (GRANT OF FINANCIAL UPGRDATION) SCHEME, 2024.

Date: 15.03.2024 Time: 1445 Hrs

Genesis 

● Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS), earlier called Extra Departmental Agents (ED Agents), manage the Branch Post offices of the country to provide basic postal and financial services in the remotest rural and tribal areas of the country since 1866-67. 

● Branch Post Offices (BOs) are established and function irrespective of profitability to provide basic facilities of communications and financial inclusion in rural and remote areas of the country through the postal network. 

• They play a crucial role in providing financial inclusion and render mail and service delivery to the remotest part of the country providing banking facilities such as cash deposits, cash payments and carry out other financial transactions for Post Office Savings Bank (POSB), India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) & Rural Postal Life insurance.

● GDSs are mandatorily required to have independent source of income before their engagement in the department.  

● 1.34 lakh Post Offices, constituting about 85% of the total Post Office network located in rural areas, are manned by around 2.5 lakhs GDS, forming the backbone of the postal system in rural areas. 

● The Government has been reviewing the working conditions and also increasing their allowances commensurate with their workload from time to time. Whenever a Central Pay Commission is constituted, the Department of Posts constitutes a separate Committee to look into the wage structure and service conditions governing Gramin Dak Sevaks.

● Since 2014, Department has taken many measures to improve the service conditions of the GDS. GDS (Grant of financial upgradation) Scheme, 2024 is a new addition in the available bouquet of benefits. 

Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) friendly initiatives taken since 2014 to improve the service conditions 

 56.1% average hike in wages (upon implementation of the recommendations of the Kamlesh Chandra Committee).

 Maximum amount of GDS Gratuity increased from Rs. 60,000 to Rs.1,50,000/-.

 The minimum working hours increased from 3 to 4 hours and maximum working hours from 4 to 5 hours.

 The maximum limit of Severance amount payable to GDS at the time of discharge has been increased from Rs. 60,000/- to Rs. 1,50,000/-.

 Maternity leave for 180 days introduced for female GDSs. 

 GDS engagement has been made online from 2016 onwards. Since then, more than 1,55,000 GDS have been engaged in the online engagement mode. 50,000 GDSs engaged from January 2023 itself. 

 Transfer of GDS is also made online since November, 2022 and more than 16,000 GDSs have been transferred using online system. 

 Prior to 2014, 660 post offices were closed whereas more than 10,000 post offices have been opened in rural areas after 2014. 

 Training has been completed by almost all the 2.56 lakhs GDSs on the Dak Karamyogi e-Learning Portal.  

GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS (GRANT OF FINANCIAL UPGRDATION) SCHEME, 2024 

Why New Scheme??

Although there is a separate quota for appointment of GDS to the Posts of MTS and Postman, there are a large number of GDSs, who are not able to get selected to these posts. 

A need was felt to grant some kind of financial upgradations to all those GDS who do not get selected as Departmental employees. Hence, Department has unveiled a financial upgradation scheme for the Grameen Dak Sevaks.

Key Features:

• Every Gramin Dak Sevak will get three financial upgradations on completion of 12, 24 and 36 years of service amounting to Rs. 4,320/-, Rs. 5,520, and Rs. 7,200/- per annum respectively. 

• Refresher training on Dak Karamyogi e-Learning Platform is must for grant of benefit under the scheme. 

• A total outlay of Rs. 118 Crore per annum has been kept by the department for this scheme.

• This is a significant step towards improving the service conditions of more than 2.56 lakhs GDS in removing the stagnation in service.