Promotion Policy - NOINO writes to management

NOINO today wrote a letter to LIC management on current promotion policy of the Corporation. The letter is reproduced below:

30.04.2014

The Executive Director (Personnel),

L.I.C. of India.

Central Office, Mumbai

Respected Sir,

Re: Promotions and transfers 2014-15

 We have studied the office orders issued by CO for Promotions to the cadres of AO to DM. It seems that the management has decided to displace majority of the officers on promotion. We have been continuously raising this issue at various levels & have been placing our views orally as well as in writing. We have also submitted a comprehensive letter on this issue vide our letter dated 25.8.2012 wherein we have submitted our views on 33 points. At the cost of repetition, we have the following observations to make:-

1. While displacement on promotion in itself should not be a problem, the degree of displacement is the bone of contention. There are some questions which arise from this year’s policy which would be brought out in the following points.
2. The management has taken a unilateral decision while posting the officers, particularly those promoted to ADM cadre in other Zones. Any progressive management would take into confidence the unions & discuss before taking any policy decision. This has not been done.
3. The policy keeps on changing from year to year which keeps the officers on tenterhooks. We have been advocating a codified transfer-promotion policy since long.
4. Whether the current policy benefits the Office or the officer is a debatable issue. Many officers do not accept the promotion due to change of Zone & the vacancies remain unfilled. Thus, it doesn’t benefit the Office.
5. Many officers have waited since long to be considered for promotion. After waiting so long & working sincerely, they are given such postings which don’t help.
6. An argument is usually forwarded by a section of management that exposure is needed for these officers so that in the future they would be more equipped for higher posts. In this matter, we should note that most of the promotee officers are in their 50’s & it is unlikely that in the remaining 10 odd years, they would occupy a very high post. Thus, is there a real need for the so-called exposure?
7. It is observed that in the Central Zone, only one officer has been promoted from the Zone itself. Why such situation has arisen is a matter to be pondered upon. Is it because a lack of long-term planning? Is it because the superiors are not well-acquainted as to how CR’s are written?
8. It is observed that many officers from other Zones are posted to CO departments. Many of them are not happy. It is difficult to concentrate on one’s job when one is away from one’s family (if the family is not in a position to shift). To that extent, their efficiency goes down. A perennial shortage of staff quarters is also created by such postings in Mumbai.
9. What is the logic behind changing Zones? E.g. there would not be much of a language problem when an officer is posted to NCZ from NZ & vice-versa. However, it would definitely act as a barrier when say, an officer is posted on promotion from SCZ to SZ & vice-versa.
10.  The distance of displacement is also an important issue to be considered. When an officer is posted to Nanded(WZ) from Hyderabad(SCZ), he has to travel approximately 270 kms, while an officer posted in the same Zone e.g. from Mumbai to Nagpur has to travel approximately 840 kms. It seems illogical.
11. It should also be noted that many officers have missed promotion though they have put in a lot of sincere efforts.
12. According to our information, following is the percentage of cancellations in promotions for the last 5 years:-

Year	ADM to DM	cancellation		% cancellation
2010	218	10		4.58
2011	207	13		6.28
2012	185	15		8.10
2013	181	59		32.59
2014	203	?		?
Year	AO to ADM		Cancellation		% cancellation
2010	578		81		14
2011	680		138		20.29
2012	411		140		34.06
2013	216		96		44.44
2014	261		?		?

Year	AAO to AO	Cancellation	% cancellation
2010	1173	131	11.16
2011	1196	109	9.11
2012	1153	107	9.28
2013	1074	151	14.05
2014	1362	?	?

As you may observe, the percentage of cancellations is rising, particularly in the AO to ADM cadre. This is also due to the fact that the vacancies have either remained stagnant or have shrunk. A codified transfer-promotion-posting policy in consultation with NOINO is therefore, the need of the hour.

13.  The officers are already feeling frustrated due to:-

a.    Long hours of work without any compensation whatsoever.

b.    Pressure of work due to severe shortage of staff.

c.    Ignominy of performing non-supervisory duties.

d.    Humiliation from a section of superiors on under-performance due to factors beyond control.

Now, after enduring all the above & a long wait for promotion, they have been subjected to this double whammy. The management is also not helping matters by not considering several of our suggestions which would reduce frustration:-

1. Running scales.
2. Grade pay.
3. Special increment if an officer continues in the same cadre without promotion for 10 years as in Central government.

We, therefore, demand:-

1. Immediate reversal of the decision to post the officers to other Zones. (particularly those promoted from AO to ADM)
2. A two-day workshop with NOINO on “Codified Transfer-Promotion-Posting Policy” should be conducted immediately.

We hope for a positive response.

Yours faithfully,

Sd/-

Anagha Sant

GS, NOINO