Regarding proposal for merger of LSG (SBCO) cadre with LSG cadre of Postal Operative side - DOP Directorate No. Q-25/11/2022-PE-I-DOP dated 18/05/2026

No. Q-25/11/2022-PE-I-DOP

Government of India

Ministry of Communications

Department of Posts

(PE-I Section)

Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi - 110001

Dated: 18-05-2026

To,

All Heads of Circles.

Subject: Regarding proposal for merger of LSG (SBCO) cadre with LSG cadre of Postal Operative side.

Sir/Madam,

With reference to the above mentioned subject, this is to inform that a proposal for merger of LSG (SBCO) cadre with LSG cadre of Postal Operative side is under consideration in this Directorate.

Draft modalities for the said merger have been prepared, in consultation with Personnel Division. The draft modalities are attached below.

All the addressees may kindly peruse the draft modalities, and furnish their Comments/suggestions to this Directorate, within a fortnight, by email at pe1sectiondte@gmail.com / adgestt1@indiapost.gov.in. If no comments/suggestions are received by this period, it shall be presumed that there are no comments/suggestions to offer on the issue.

This issues with the approval of Competent Authority.

Yours faithfully,

(Prabha Sharma)

Asstt. Director General (PE-I)

Copy for necessary action:

i. All DDGs, Postal Directorate.

ii. Secretary General, Federation of National Postal Orgn. (FNPO), T-24, Atul Grove Road, New Delhi - 110001.

iii. Secretary General, Bhartiya Postal Employees Federation (BPEF), T-21, Atul Grove Road, New Delhi - 110001.

iv. All India Postal SBCO Employees Association, Park Town HPO, Chennai 600003 Tamilnadu.

v. All India Savings Bank Control Employees Union, No. 112, 1st Main Road, Thilagar Avenue, Madipakkam, Chennai- 600091.

a. No further promotions or appointments shall be made to the LSG (SBCO) cadre, except for the extent required to accommodate residual officials who opt to remain within the SBCO hierarchy.

b. Existing incumbents of LSG (SBCO) cadre may be given an option to switch over to Postal Operative Side as a one-time measure. However, the official brought in shall be the junior most in the LSG (PO)'s gradation list of the concerned Postal Circle, in the way similar to transfer at one's own request under Rule 38 of Postal Manual Volume - IV. Officials who choose to switch over to Postal Operative Side shall not be allowed to revert back and their further promotion shall be in the hierarchy in Postal Operative Side.

c. LSG (SBCO) officials who do not opt to switch over to Postal Operative Side will continue as LSG (SBCO) till they are promoted to the higher level (against the available posts in higher grades in SBCO) or retire.

d. Existing officials who choose to continue in SBCO, will only be considered for promotion in the existing hierarchy in SBCO supervisory cadre, as per availability of posts.

e. To ensure that there is no large-scale dislocation of officials, feeder Division(s) for an SBCO would be the local Postal Division where the SBCO is geographically located. All existing vacant posts of LSG (SBCO) cadre as on the crucial date and the posts that shall be vacated by the officials, choosing to switch to Postal Operative Side shall be added to the strength of the Postal Circle, where SBCOs are located which shall be the feeder Division for posting manpower to SBCO against the posts. If SBCO is located at a city which is divided into more than one division then the vacant posts shall be distributed equally among these divisions. At the same time equal number of posts will be reduced from the strength of SBCO. For example, if in a Circle/Unit the sanctioned strength of LSG (SBCO) cadre is 100 and 30 posts are vacant, then these 30 vacant posts will be added to the strength of that Postal Circle. Persons recruited against these posts will be on the strength of the concerned Postal Circle, which in turn will provide personnel against these posts for posting in SBCO.

f. Posts that shall be vacated in future, in LSG (SBCO) cadre, due to retirement / promotion etc., will also be added to Postal Divisions in the above manner and ultimately entire strength of LSG Posts of SBCO cadre would be added to the strength of Postal Divisions in due course. However, sanctioned establishment (number of sanctioned posts) of SBCO, as decided from time to time, will continue to remain the same for the purpose of posting of officials.

g. Record of number of posts added, in the manner as mentioned in (e) & (f) above, must be maintained separately in the establishment register of the concerned Circle.

h. Posting of LSG in SBCO will be done by Postal Divisions on tenure basis through appropriate Transfer and Placement Committee (TPC) of the Division. However, transfer/posting of LSG (SBCO) who choose to continue in SBCO cadre shall be decided as per extant rules/manner. Further, the transfer/posting of officials who do not opt to switchover to Postal Operative Side will be made first by the Circle/Regional Office and thereafter, the Divisional TPC will consider transfer/posting for the remaining vacancies in SBCO.

i. Existing incumbents of LSG (SBCO) cadre who will opt to switch to Postal Operative Side may be allowed to choose any one of the Postal Division of the Circle where vacancy is currently available. However, it is clarified that even if an official chooses a Division other than the Division where the SBCO unit is geographically located the resultant vacant posts shall be added to the strength of that Postal Division where the SBCO unit is located.

j. Existing incumbents of LSG (SBCO) cadre who will opt to switch to Postal operative side, shall be the junior most in the LSG (PO)'s gradation list of the concerned Postal Division in the way similar to transfer at one's own request under Rule 38 of Postal Manual Volume - IV. Such LSG officials shall not claim any seniority / promotion / pay parity etc. with reference to any LSG of Postal Divisions who had already been promoted to the HSG cadre. However, after being included in the common gradation list of the LSG (PO) further promotion shall be in general line (HSG-II/HSG-I etc.). Further, the LSG (SBCO) who does not opt to switch to Postal Operative Side, shall not seek any parity with reference to an LSG (SBCO) who shall opt to switch to Postal Operative Side and vice versa even if he/she was a junior to him/her.

k. Service rendered by an LSG(SBCO) prior to merger with PO line will not be counted for calculating eligibility for consideration of their promotion to HSG II(PO) through DPC. Furthermore, the inter se seniority of such LSG(SBCO) officials shall be in the same order, as it was in SBCO cadre prior to their merger with PO line.

l. Service rendered by LSG(SBCO) prior to merger with PO line will however be counted for calculating their eligibility for appearing in LDCE examination. Furthermore, in such cases, the benefit of senior/junior clause shall not be applicable to LSG(PO) with reference to merged LSG(SBCO).

m. Posting of officials in SBCO should be finalized by the concerned Circle head. However, while making such posting the Circle head will ensure that the official so posted in SBCO, is well conversant with Savings Bank / Saving Certificates rulings, having good record of service and adequate knowledge of relevant software. In-service training may also be given at PTCs/Local Training Centres before posting the official in SBCO.