Cadre Restructuring of PA/SA, LSG, HSG-II & HSG-I posts of Railway Mail Service (RMS)

Organization: All India RMS & MMS Employees Union Group-C

Letter No.: R-III/Cadre Review/2025

Dated: 19.10.2025

To: Shri K. Prakash, Chairman, Cadre Restructuring Committee & CPMG, Karnataka Circle

Subject: Cadre Restructuring of PA/SA, LSG, HSG-II & HSG-I posts of Railway Mail Service (RMS).

Restoration of PO & RMS Accountants as a separate Cadre/Pay Matrix Level and setting promotional avenues at par with Junior/Senior Accountants/AAO in Postal Accounts Office under Article-14 of the Constitution of India.

Summary of Key Issues and Demands

Historical Context of Special Pay:

• The PO & RMS Accountant cadre was created in 1983 and was historically granted a "Special Pay," which was later converted into a "Special Allowance." This allowance was increased over successive Central Pay Commissions (CPCs) but was ultimately abolished in the 7th CPC.

Committee Recommendation for Allowance:

• A Directorate committee, constituted to examine the issue, submitted a report on 10.01.2020. It recommended reinstating the Special Allowance at a multiple of 1.75 of the last drawn amount, which would equate to ₹945 per month.

Core Demand: Separate Cadre & Higher Pay:

• The union's primary demand is to restore the PO & RMS Accountants as a separate cadre and place them in Pay Matrix Level-5 (pre-revised Grade Pay ₹2800), at par with Junior Accountants in Postal Accounts Offices (PAO).

Justification for the Demand:

• High Responsibility: PO & RMS Accountants are described as the "main pillars" of the postal accounting system. Their duties include financial management, auditing, handling GST and Income Tax returns, advising divisional heads, and managing claims and pensions.
• Parity with Postal Accounts: Despite performing duties comparable to (and, as per the 2020 committee, more responsible than) Junior/Senior Accountants in PAOs, they are paid at the same level (Pay Level-4) as a Postal Assistant (PA) or Sorting Assistant (SA), while PAO accountants enjoy higher pay scales and Group B status.
• Constitutional Argument: Denying them a higher pay scale while they perform higher duties is argued to be a violation of Article 14 (Right to Equality) of the Indian Constitution.
• Recruitment & Staffing Crisis: Due to the lack of financial benefits, employees are unwilling to appear for the PO & RMS Accountant examination, leading to staff shortages and increased hardship for existing accountants.

Specific Requests:

• Create a separate cadre for PO & RMS Accountants in Pay Matrix Level-5.
• Provide promotional avenues equivalent to those in the Postal Accounts Wing.
• Grant financial upgradation under MACP as per the rules applicable to the Postal Accounts Branch.