INDIAN RAILWAYS TECHNICAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION

(Estd. 1965, Regd. No.1329, Website http://www.irtsa.net )

M. Shanmugam, Harchandan Singh,
Central President, IRTSA General Secretary, IRTSA,
# 4, Sixth Street, TVS Nagar, Padi, C.Hq. 32, Phase 6, Mohali,
Chennai - 600050. Chandigarh-160055.
Email- [email protected] [email protected]
Mob: 09443140817 (Ph:0172-2228306, 9316131598)
No. IRTSA/Memo 2021-9 Date: 22-06-2021

Chairman & CEO

Railway Board

Respected Sir,

Sub: Pay Level of Technical Supervisors in Railways.

We submit one our long pending demand of justified pay level for Junior Engineers &
Senior Section Engineers working Railways for your kind perusal.
1. On Indian Railways system - Technical Supervisors are field managers for manufacture,
repair and maintenance of Locomotive powers, Rolling Stocks (Coaches, Wagons, EMUs,
DMUs) and installation and maintenance of S&T Systems and equipment, Traction and
Traction Distribution, construction & maintenance of all Buildings, Railway Tracks and
Bridges etc.
2. They manage a large number of workers (i.e. Technicians) in all Production Units, Repair
Workshops, Diesel / Electric Loco Sheds, EMU Car Sheds, Open Line Carriage & Wagon,
Permanent Way, Electric Traction, Electrical Power, Air Conditioning, Train lighting,
Signaling & Telecommunication, and Printing Presses etc.
Senior Section Engineer Technical Supervisors with sanctioned strength of 59,000 are
(SSE) (Level-7) responsible for safe and efficient running of Trains through front
line supervision and management of production, repair,
maintenance of Rolling Stock, Locomotives, Permanent Way,
Junior Engineer (JE) (Level-6)
Bridges, Buildings & Works, Signal & Telecommunication
systems, traction & distribution, etc.
Senior Technician (Level-6)

Technician Gr-I (Level-5) Around 7 lakh Senior Technicians and Technicians I, II & III and
helpers work under JEs & SSEs; apart from above Technical
Technician Gr-II (Level-4) categories a large number of Non-Technical categories like
Stores Clerk, Office Clerk, Office Superintendents and Chief
Office Superintendent also work directly under the JEs & SSE
Technician Gr-III (Level-2) and are supervised by them in execution of the above said work

Helper (Level-1)

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3. Technical Supervisors i.e. Senior Section Engineers (SSEs) & Junior Engineers (JEs) on the
Railways have been unjustly placed in the Grade Pay of Rs.4600 (Level-7) and Rs.4200 (Level-
6) respectively which are the same as those of the employees working under them, which
violates the basic principle of law of natural justice - upheld by various Court including by the
Hon’ble Supreme Court of India that –
a) 'Promotion' implies advancement to a higher grade;
b) Supervisor should be in a scale higher than Supervised &
c) “An equal cannot be over an equal”
4. Position of JEs & SSEs on the Railways is unique and not comparable with any other Ministry or
Department in view of the higher qualifications on the Railways, onerous nature of work and
higher responsibilities and above all the vertical and horizontal relativity which got distorted due
to the staff working under them being placed in the same Grade Pay / Pay level at par with them
thus disturbing the line of control and violating the settled law of justice.
5. Historically, pay scales allotted to Technical Supervisors are higher than the pay scales of all
other departments including nurses, teachers and supervisors of accounts department. In
due course of time, horizontal parity of Pay Scales of Technical Supervisors got affected by
upgrading the Pay Scales of nurses, teachers and accounts supervisors without extending
the upgradation to Technical Supervisors. Pay Scales of SSO/Accounts in 3 rd CPC Rs.500-
900 (functional) and Rs.775-1000 (non-functional) was upgraded to GP Rs.4800 in 6 th CPC
and in 7th CPC Pay Matrix accounts cadre is sanctioned with non-functional Pay Level-9 (GP
Rs.5400). Whereas Pay scales of Foreman / SSE who were in Rs.840-1040 during 3rd CPC
were only allotted GP Rs. 4600 in 6 th CPC and Pay Level-7 in 7th CPC. All other categories
who were placed in Pay Scales one or two levels below SSE were brought on par with them
and placed in Pay Level-7, severely disturbing parity.
6. Disturbance of parity in the pay scales of supervisors of Railways which is having multi-
disciplinary functions in various departments is affecting the moral of supervisors and
administrative efficiency. Disparity in Pay Scales of Technical Supervisors is affecting
coordination & synchronization among the departments which is adversely affecting the
work of Railways.
7. 7th CPC recommended Pay Matrix based on functional hierarchy, which is not followed
between JE & Sr. Technician,
a. In Para 5.1.21, 7th CPC recommended that Pay matrix comprises two dimensions,
“horizontal range” in which each level corresponds to a ‘functional role in the hierarchy’ and
has been assigned the numbers 1, 2, and 3 and so on till 18. The “vertical range” for each
level denotes ‘pay progression’ within that level. These indicate the steps of annual financial
progression of three percent within each level.
b. In Para 5.1.22, on recruitment, an employee joins at a particular level and progresses within
the level as per the vertical range, based on annual increments till the time of their next
promotion.
c. Para 5.1.23 When the employee receives a promotion or a non-functional financial upgrade,
he/she progresses one level ahead on the horizontal range.

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8. Sixth Central Pay Commission recommended that “Grade pay will determine the status of a
post with a senior post being given higher grade pay. Grade pay being progressively higher for
successive higher posts, the employees on promotion will get monetary benefit on promotion in
the form of the increased grade pay apart from the benefit of one additional increment”. The
same principle was followed by Sixth Central Pay Commission by recommending the Grade Pay
of Rs.2800 for Senior Technicians, below the JE Grade Pay. But later Government / Ministry of
Railways upgraded the scale of Master Craftsmen (Senior Technicians) without correspondingly
upgrading the scale of Chargemen (Junior Engineers/JEs).
9. JE-II in the pre-revised scale of Rs.5000-8000 and JE-I in the pre-revised scale of Rs.5500-9000
have been merged and granted the Grade Pay of Rs.4200 as recommended by the Sixth Pay
Commission and Senior Technician is now equated with then JE-I.
Desg Hierarchy 5th CPC Scale changed 6th CPC GP changed Pay Level in
Recomm after 5th CPC Recomm after 6th CPC 7th CPC pay matrix
JE-I 5500-9000 5500-9000 GP GP Pay Level -6
JE-II 5000-8000 5000-8000 4200 4200
Sr. 4500-7000 5000-8000 GP GP Pay Level -6
Tech 2800 4200
10. Supreme Court Judgement says promotion not only covers advancement to a higher position
or rank but also implies advancement to a higher grade.
a. As per law and definition of promotion has been dealt with by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in
State of Rajasthan vs. Fateh Chand Soni (1996 (1) SCC 562 and in Union of India & Ors. Vs.
Pushpa Rani, (2008 (9) SCC 242), that promotion would entail discharge of higher duties
and also upgradation in the pay scale. In State of Rajasthan Vs. Fateh Chand Soni case it
has been held as under:
b. “In the literal sense the word “promote”’ means “to advance to a higher position, grade, or
honour”. So also “promotion” means “advancement or preferment in honour, dignity, rank or
grade”. (See: Webster’s Comprehensive Dictionary, International Edition, p.1009).
“Promotion” thus not only covers advancement to a higher position or rank but also implies
advancement to a higher grade. In service law also the expression “promotion has been
understood in the wider sense and it has been held that “promotion” can be either to a higher
pay scale or to a higher post”. (See: Union of India & Anr. V. S.S. Ranade, 1995 (4) SCC
462 at p.468.” The above view has been reiterated in Union of India & Ors. v. Pushpa Rani
case.
11. Senior Section Engineers (SSEs) who are now in Pay Level-7 / GP Rs.4600 have to supervise
the work of a very large number of JEs, Technicians and Senior Technicians, besides that of
Stores Clerk, Office Clerks, Head Clerks, Office Superintendents and Chief Office
Superintendents. The Chief Office Superintendents working under the SSE, have been also
placed in the Grade Pay of Rs.4600 at par with SSEs – in disregard of the settled law that an
equal should not be over an equal; & Supervisor should be in a scale higher than Supervised.
12. After the implementation of Sixth Central Pay Commission - the SSE with the direct recruitment
element of Degree in Engineering had been allotted the Grade Pay of Rs.4600, whereas the
apex scales of some of the other categories i.e. Teachers, Nurses and Accounts Staff were now
placed in the Grade Pay of Rs.4800/ Rs.5400 and even higher – disturbing the vertical relativity,
in complete disregard to the Qualifications, Training, Duties & Responsibilities of the SSE

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 towards ensuring the safety and efficiency of the Trains & its related operations, repairs,
maintenance and production processes.
13. Railway Board send proposals to Finance Ministry to upgrade GP / Pay Level of Technical
Supervisors.
i. Railway Board in its proposal to the empowered committee of secretaries / Ministry of
Finance had proposed to place 29,721 posts of (50% of sanctioned strength) Technical
Supervisors in the Grade Pay of Rs.4800 out of total sanctioned strength of 59,147.
ii. Railway Board through its OM No.PC VI/2009/DAC/1 (Pt2), DAC item No.3, dated
11.06.2010, asked for the approval of Finance Ministry to upgrade the Grade Pay of JE to
Rs.4600 and SSE to Rs.4800 based superior recruitment conditions, duties and multifarious
responsibilities to ensure out-turn targets, optimum productivity, quality control, safety,
material management, optimum utilization of man power, machinery, equipment, rolling stock
and other resources for efficient train operations and higher induction training.
14. It is, therefore, requested that – (keeping in view the submissions made heretofore –
especially the need to restore the horizontal parity & vertical relativities) Pay level-7, 8 and
9 may please be granted to the Technical Supervisors on the Railways:
Thanking you in anticipation, with kind regards,
Yours faithfully,

Harchandan Singh,
General Secretary, IRTSA

Copy for favourable consideration and necessary action to:

1. Director General (HR), Railway Board, Rail Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001
2. Secretary, Railway Board, Rail Bhavan, New Delhi - 110001