A large number of officers have been discriminated against in the matter of promotions in the Postal Department, which has resulted in their having to go on retirement without being granted their due promotions. As a result they have lost monetary wise as well.

A certain Deputy Postmaster General, now in retirement, had seen to it that no steps were taken to grant promotions on the due dates. The interviews were arranged after those who were due for promotions went on retirement, and that, too, in certain cases, after having covered the duties of the post (vacancy) for several years. The PMG at the time, took no steps to adopt corrective measures. The trade unions looked on unconcerned. There are others who are in service covering vacancies for years without being granted the due promotions. The correct procedure should have been to set in motion the process to fill the vacancies three months in advance so as to fill the vacancies as from the due dates.

Section 6:2 of Chapter 11 of Volume 1 of the Establishments Code reads as follows:

"Where an officer himself is in no way responsible for the delay in the decision regarding the Promotion which results in such decision being taken when he is not in service or is deceased, the promotion should be given after the claims for promotion have been examined from the due date, even though the officer is already retired or deceased by the date of the decision. This will be applicable only in the case of grade to grade promotion in service."

The failure to grant the promotions contravenes the above provisions in the Establishments Code.

The same DPMG is alleged to have denied the payment of certain allowances to officers in terms of Public Administration Circulars due to personal reasons. The allowances were finally paid after the DPMG retired on appeal to the Ministry of Public Administration as the DPMG concerned was sitting on the papers. The same DPMG took a decision to pay the allowances to certain officers with effect from the date of application for the allowances was forwarded by the officers, contrary to the provisions in the Circulars.

Even as at today, there are hurried moves to appoint persons to higher posts on the results of an examination, when their service records are not satisfactory and or disciplinary cases are pending or had sat the examination when they were not qualified to sit the examination. It is also rumoured that a certain complaint against one of those who passed the examination is being suppressed to grant him the new appointment.

A retiree on service extension is supposed to be at the bottom of those corrupt moves.

The President should have these probed into before things go out of hand and reach bursting point.