AIRASA 29-07-2023

Well, it's to inform all that Sri Reji George GS AIRASA alongwith Sri Chandra Sekhar AGS/AIRASA have participated in the scheduled JAC meeting of Organised Accounts in Chennai today alongwith CAG, Defence A/cs, Civil A/cs, Postal A/cs, Rly Audit, etc....
During our deliberations, we had highlighted Rly related issues like Arbitration award, restucturing of Accounts cadre, MACP and stepping up, denial entry pay of 18150 (in 6th PC), Gaz status, Direct recruitment/promotee JAA to be given GP of 4200 along with other direct graduate recruits, June retirees. (these will be represented to DoE, DOPT and Rly Bd) besides, also discussed in detail about 5th PC arrears case status co, Regarding Arbitration award Government is prepared to give notional fixation from 1.1.86, regarding arrears we should wait for, from which date the Government is prepared to give. If they give from some backdate, we should be prepared to accept. We are not prepared to commit ourselves to whether we want or don't want arrears, next to maintain parity with CSS, abolish NPS, and restore OPS.

Finally, how best to formulate our issues / demands in the 8th PC committee, to represent as a whole of Organised Accounts Cadres in onego.... The President and General Secretaries of all the Organized Accounts will be in the JAC committee. The convennor of the JAC will be the JCM member who will represent AIRASA matters directly to the Government. Detailed minutes of the meeting from JAC will follow.
Reji George GS AIRASA.

AIRASA 04-01-2023

The Execution petition filed by AIRASA for 5th PC arrears came for hearing today. The Railway Advocate knowing very well that he is going to loose the case abstained from hearing so our case has been adjourned to March 1st.
Reji George GS AIRASA.

AIRASA 11-09-2022

Dear Friends,
Sri Partho Bhattacharya President of AIRASA and Sri Reji George GS AIRASA were in Delhi from 6-9-2022 to 9-9-2022. First day we have gone to attend the hearing of 5th PC arrears at Delhi High Court but got adjourned to 18th November. One case of AIRASA is also in the Tribunal which is coming for hearing on 12 th October. Next we went to Railway Board, Ministry of Finance and EDPC office at Tilak Marg and met all top officials and discussed all pending issues with them .Regarding Designation change we have told them that though we have given number of representions, nothing has taken place though there is no financial implications involved. We told them that if you are not prepared to change the Designation of everyone, atleast change the Designation of JAA and AA as they don't be liked to be called Assistants. This will also increase their morale. As SOs, TIAs and ISAs have been clubbed together in the new pattern there will be a common Designation for the three, we have placed three options to Railway Board for consideration, we have discussed about stepping up and 5400 for people who have retired prior to 1-1-2016, Request to implement the oders of Supreme Court in Diary no 18008/2022 for similarly placed staff duly ignoring the post of JAA to AA granted on account of restructuring w.e.f. 1/4/1987. To increase the percentage of Sr. AAs. One time exemption for all Accounts clerks passed 2A and waiting for promotion as JAA. Gazetted status for SOs/TIAs/ISAs was also discussed. Entry Pay of 18150 for SOs/TIAs and ISAs who were deprived on par with the direct recruits. Fifth PC arrears were given to a few people who filed along with AIRASA but the main contender AIRASA representing the entire Accounts staff of Indian Railways has been left out. This has brought resentment among our staff throughout India. The same was also appraised by PFA of S.E Rly to Railway Board to implement for all. All letters presented will be uploaded shortly in our website www.airasacentral.org.
Thanking you, Reji George GS AIRASA.

Flash News (New)

AIRASA Entry Pay of 18150 given new life. This issue was lying dormant in Railway Board for the last few months. Actually three Offices are dealing with this issue. Accounts Directorate in Railway Board, EDPC Office at Tilak Marg and Ministry of Finance North Block. President and GS/AIRASA were in Delhi from 6-9-2022 to 9-9-2022, visited all the three departments met all the top Officials explained to them how the EDPC officials have mislead the Ministry of Finance and Accounts Directorate of Railway Board. We have been to Ministry of Finance met the Under Secretary also, given a letter to them. We also requested Railway Board Officials to put pressure on EDPC Officials to write to the Ministry of Finance based on my letter. Fortunately the people who are dealing this case in the Finance Ministry were my friends who were looking after our 5400 NFUG. They said they will take immediate action after getting a proper reply from Railway Board. We expect the three departments will clear this case in the next two months.
Reji George GS AIRASA.

AIRASA 16-08-22

Dear Friends,
Regarding 5th PC arrears, we have filed a clarification petition at Delhi High Court and it is coming for hearing on 6th September. At the same time Delhi High Court has asked us to file a petition in the Tribunal with all the names of staff deprived of 5th PC arrears. This we have done and it is coming for hearing on 26th of August. So you can be rest assured that the winning chances are bright for us.
Reji George GS AIRASA.

AIRASA 03-05-2022,

Dear Friends,
for fifth PC arrears our Advocate has filed a petition before Delhi High Court under S. 151 of CPC seeking clarification order so as to percolate the benefit of Delhi High Court judgment to all AIRASA members along with 23 others which came for listing yesterday (02.05.2022) and posted for hearing in August. 2022. We hope to win the case failing which AIRASA might move Supreme Court. Hence I request all accounts staff to show patience and refrain from filing individual application before tribunals which might take another decade for final disposal. As High Court and Supreme Court options are before us, let us pursue the same.
Reji George GS AIRASA.

AIRASA 15-03-2022,

Dear Friends,
In AIRASA's fight for improved pay scale arrears, Railway Administration has opened a new battle front vide it's letter addressed to airf and nfir stating that "Hon'ble Supreme Court while dismissing SLP(C) No. 13818/2020 in the matter of UOI & Ors Vs AIRASA & others has specifically obseved that the question of law is open. " In fact the question of law is well settled in our case that as far as the actual date of effect of improved pay scales is adjudged as 01.01.1996 and the order of the Railway Board stipulating the date for actual arrears 19.02.2003 is set aside and treated as null and void by all tribunals and courts from CAT/ERS, Kerala High Court, GHY High Court & Delhi High Court to Supreme Court, the benefit of Court modification in date should percolate to all eligible accounts staff. Some perverted and sinful minds in Administration is hellbent to see that we do not get arrears in our life time even if they are forced to make payment of rightful dues to the legal heirs. There may be people who take hidden pleasure in it. But we AIRASA - is determined to fight for justice and achieve the arrears winning the legal war against all odds within a short time. As I said earlier, we will be moving the division bench of Delhi High Court or still more inclined to approaching the Supreme Court with SLP. We are just waiting to see the outcome of similar cases filed by individual employees of ER & SER pending for orders in Supreme Court, one scheduled for the end of this month and another during next month. Our fight will continue. The finishing line is clear and near. Rest assured that final victory is ours. We will triumph over the twin evils.
Reji George GS AIRASA.

AIRASA 04-03-2022,

Dear Friends,
Dear friends by this time all of you might have read the Judgment and gathered how the single judge of the Delhi High Court deliberately failed to understand and misinterpreted the representative capacity of AIRASA. The learned judge ignored the fact that AIRASA is a trade union and pretended unaware that a Trade union is a Juristic person. Those who watched the contempt proceedings might have noticed how the learned Judge by just asking three questions concluded the proceedings in just three minutes defeated our cause. It is gross miscarriage of justice. In fact the order of the Judge is unconstitutional as it is violative of trade union rights and provisions contained in Trade Union Act. Emboldened by this unprecedented act of the Judge, Railway Board has advised AIRF & NFIR that the same cannot be implemented to all Accounts staff. Railway further revealed it's intention of going for a long legal battle against Accounts staff piggy riding on another Supreme Court Judgment by stating that the question of law is open as per the Supreme Court order in our arrears case. This is going to be a historical legal battle. We are planning to move the Division bench of Delhi High Court failing which to go for SLP at Supreme Court engaging a senior advocate. The judge erred in appreciating the fact that AIRASA is a registered trade union. The question who is AIRASA or what is AIRASA should have been raised by Principal CAT or Delhi High Court at the time of admitting the case and not at the time of execution petition or contempt petition. We cannot freshly move CAT or employees individually or in groups cannot go to CAT now as it would take another ten years to reach finality by which time most of the beneficiaries would have been dead and gone 😞 We talked to veteran trade union leaders and legal experts including Confederation leaders and all are of the opinion that AIRASA should explore the possibility of moving a Division bench in Delhi High Court or should move an SLP in Supreme Court for which we are prepared. Only thing is that the fraction fight within should not spoil the common cause through one upmanship of any group at this critical situation. In fact AIRASA should contact all Railway and outside general trade unions to involve them to protect trade union rights. Our accounts fraternity may rest assured that we will win the legal battle and obtain a landmark judgment in our favour creating history which the posterity will record in golden letters.
Reji George GS AIRASA.

AIRASA 24-02-2022

With deep dismay and disgust I make known to all members of our accounts fraternity that Delhi High Court failed us in our contempt petition in the improved pay scale case by adopting a sinister view that Association cannot be a petitioner for arrears and accepted Railway's compliance report leaving the twenty thousand accounts men in the lurch. The judge failed to comprehend the case and to appreciate the different CAT and High Court and Supreme Court judgments. The learned judge erred in our case and defeated justice. It is a forbidding proportion for the Government and Court to adopt that twenty thousand plus accounts staff should be pushed into filing twenty thousand plus cases for arrears each for himself. What kind of justice system it is! How ever we are exploring all possibilities of filing SLP in Supreme Court or filing fresh case in Principal Bench of CAT, New Delhi. We are in touch with other Accounts and Audit Confederation and legal experts. Our future plans will be announced in consultation with our committee and the experts. I shall get back to you with an action plan shortly and please bear with us until we evaluate the present outcome and come out with a solution. Justice may be delayed but cannot be denied. I pen this with a sense of hurt the perverted legal system has inflicted on accounts community. We will overcome this also. Let's stand together at this difficult time.
Reji George GS AIRASA.

Reji George: AIRASA 22-02-2022,

Dear friends,
The Railway Board has prepared the compliance report for 5th PC arrears. They said with due respect, based on the contempt petition they have issued orders for 23 others. As expected they are silent on AIRASA. They say we don't know who is AIRASA, how many members are there in AIRASA. So I told the Railway Board authorities we are about 20,000 Accounts staff in Indian Railways. All the 20,000 Accounts staff cannot come to the court and file the Vakalatnama. So as GS/AIRASA, I have filed the Vakalatnama on behalf of them. Our Advocate asked us to come to Delhi immediately so Mr. Chandra Sekhar AGS AIRASA, Mr. Nirmal Dey Financial Advisor AIRASA and Sri Reji George GS AIRASA rushed to Delhi in spite of the cold weather.. We were there in Delhi from 16-2-2022 to 19-2-2022. We met our Advocate and appraised her the motive of Railway Board. Madam said she will take appropriate legal steps deem fit to the case immediately. Madam appraised the Court that AIRASA is the only Association for Accounts Department and the benefit of arrears should be extended to all the staff. Meanwhile our Advocate said you keep the particulars of all staff ready. Next we went to Finance Ministry and met the top Officials there. They said we are prepared to sanction the amount which roughly works out to be Rs. 200 crores. We have returned the file back to Railway Board asking for the no. of applicants, for which they are silent. Next we met MF, PEDA and other top officials in Railway Board. Regarding Designation change, they are on the job. We told them we are more concerned about our JAAs and AAs as they don't like to be called Assistants. Proposal for one time exemption for Accounts clerks who qualified Appendix 2A waiting for JAA, need to be send by Individual Zonal Hqrs, so that Board will give concurrence to that Zone immediately. Recently CLW asked for it and orders were issued to them. Regarding Appendix 3A exam due to be held in the month of March 2022 in the old pattern only for those who have got exemption, we have requested to keep one more exam this year itself for others. This was agreed by Rly. Bd., they said we will conduct in July this year. We have requested for Sr. AA post to be increased, also ensure that the smallest unit comprising less than 50 staff also get a post as Sr. AA. Regarding Gaz. status also we have put pressure on Railway Board. We also have to do some Political pressure for this. Regarding Entry Pay, Board wanted some inputs, which we will be submitting on Monday or Tuesday. Many other miscellaneous matters were also discussed.
Reji George GS AIRASA.

Reji George: AIRASA 24-01-2022,

Dear friends,
Thanks for the overwhelming response that we have received about the staff particulars regarding 5th PC arrears in our email airasa97@gmail.com It is found that some of our rival factions have been crtisising us motivately and also tempting others not to comply with the particulars. These people only want to crticise us and behave as an opposition party. They are ignoring the seriousness of the issue by indulging others not to furnish personal data. I would like to draw your attention here that Railway Board will play their tricks in the last minute. They will ask our Advocate where is the applicants list. It is the duty of GS/AIRASA to produce the list to our Advocate before the due date. So dear friends , you might be from any union or rival faction, we need the particulars of all the staff from JAA to Sr. SO as on 1-1-1996. Only three things are needed. Name, Designation and Office in working. (Rly/Divn). Kindly cooperate and stand united at this one issue as otherwise it could be a slip between the cup and the lip which we should not allow.