Features of MACPS (Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme)

Features of MACPS (Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme)

REFERENCE: 1. DOPT OM No: 35034/3/2008- Estt(d) dated 19/05/09.
2. RBE No: 101/2009 (no.pc-v/2009/acp/2) dated 10/06/09.
3. PBC No: 112/2009 (no. p(pc)524-pc/voliv) dated 18/06/09.
(Railway Board has sought for clarifications to DOPT – elucidation awaited)

The scheme would be operational from 01.09.08. In other words, financial upgradations as per old ACP of October 1999 would be granted till 31.08.08. (Para 8) A Screening Committee would be constituted and follow a time schedule to meet twice in a financial year preferably in the month of January (April to September) and of July (October to March).( (Para 6).

Financial upgradation under MACPS is purely personal to the employee and staff shall have no relevance to his seniority position. As such no stepping up of pay in the PB & GP would be admissible with regard to junior getting more pay than the senior on account of pay fixation under MACPS.(Para 9 & 20).

No past cases would be reopened. The differences in pay scales on account of grant of financial upgradations under old ACP and new MACP within the same cadre shall not be construed as anomaly (Para 10).

There shall be three financial upgradations under MACPS counted from the direct entry grade on completion of 10, 20 and 30 years. (Para 1 of Annexure). All cadres including Group A (excluding organized Gr.A services) are eligible for grant of MACP. (Para 3).

The financial upgradation under the MACPS would be admissible up to the highest grade pay of 12,000 in PB-4. (Para 3 of Annexure).

The pay shall be raised by 3% of the total pay in the pay band and the grade pay drawn before such upgradation. There shall be no further fixation at the time of regular promotion if it is the same grade pay as granted under MACPS. Financial up gradation will be in next higher grade pay in the hierarchy of Grade Pay and not in the promotional hierarchy (as it was earlier). (Para 4).

An employee who completes 10 years of service in a particular grade will qualify for grant of MACP. Service rendered in a lower grade will not be counted for grant of MACP after completion of total qualifying service of 10 years. For example if an employee gets regular promotion to the next grade after completion of 5 years of service in a particular grade, he will have to wait till the completion of 15 years of regular service for 2nd MACP. Likewise 3rd MACP for him will be given after completion of 25 years of regular service (Illustration 1 Para 28 (i) and (ii)). However, after 1st regular promotion or 1st MACP, completion of 10 years of regular service in a grade or total qualifying service of 20 years or 30 years whichever falls earlier will be the milestone for grant of next MACP (Illustration 3 Para 28 B).

The service rendered by the existing employees prior to implementation of the MACPS viz., prior to 1.9.2008, will also be taken in to account for calculating the 10, 20 and 30 year milestones for granting MACP.(Para 9 of Annexure).

Similarly, employees who were granted financial upgradation under previous ACP scheme i.e., prior to the introduction of MACPS with effect from 1.9.2008, will be eligible for financial upgradation under MACPS after completion of 20 years and 30 years of service, irrespective of regular promotion given to them if any, between their 10 to 20 years of service or between 20 years and 30 years of service. For example if an employee was given 1st ACP under old ACP Scheme after completion of 12 years of service and a regular promotion after completion of 18 years of service, he will be eligible for 2nd MACP after completion of 20 years of service. (Para 9 of Annexure and Illustrations in Para 5 and Para 28).

Promotions earned /upgrading granted under the ACP scheme in the past to those grades which now carry the same grade pay due to merger of pay scales /upgradations of posts recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission shall be ignored for the purpose of granting upgradation under MACPS.(Para 5 of Annexure).

Financial benefit an employee gets as a result of pay fixation during MACP will be 3% of basic pay (pay in pay band plus the grade pay before MACP) and the difference in Grade pay before MACP and grade pay after MACP.Option for fixation of pay is also available. (Para 4 and 7 of Annexure).

If an employee gets a regular promotion to a grade which carries same grade pay which he is receiving now after grant of MACP, no further pay fixation will be allowed at the time of said regular promotion. If an employee gets a regular promotion to a grade which carries higher grade pay than the grade pay he is receiving now after grant of MACP, no further pay fixation will be allowed on account of the fact that his pay would have been fixed at the time of grant of MACP itself. However, difference in the grade pay he is getting now and the next grade pay in the hierarchy will be allowed as monetary benefit at the time of promotion. (Para 4 of Annexure).

In the case of employees who have been either promoted or given ACP prior to 6CPC implementation from a grade to another grade, pay scales of which have been merged now after 6CPC implementation, the said promotion or ACP shall be ignored and those emplyees are to be considered for financial upgradations equivalent to the number of milestones they have completed viz., 10 years , 20 years and 30 years milestones as the case may be prescribed in the MACPS for financial upgradations. (Para 5 and illustration thereof).

In cases where ACP was granted as per previous ACP scheme, but whereas after 6CPC implementation the next higher post which the employee got through ACP has been upgraded with higher grade pay, the pay of such employees in the revised pay structure will be fixed with reference to the higher grade pay granted to the post. To illustrate, in the case of an employee, who was granted 1st ACP in old ACP scheme to the grade which carried the pre-revised scale of Rs.6500-10500 corresponding to the revised grade pay of Rs.4200 in the pay band PB-2, he would now be granted grade pay of Rs.4600 in the pay band PB-2 consequent upon upgradation of the post to the grade pay of Rs.4600 in PB-2. However, from the date of implementation of the MACPS viz., from 1.9.2008, all the financial upgradations under the Scheme should be done strictly in accordance with the hierarchy of grade pays in pay bands as notified. (Para 6.2 of Annexure).

Grade Pay of Rs.5400 in PB-2 and Grade pay of Rs.5400 in PB-3 are two different Grade Pay for the purpose of MACP (Para 8.1 of Annexure1 to MACP Order dated 19.05.09.)

Bench Mark (CCR/ACR Gradings) is “Good” up to GP 6600 thereafter is should be “Very Good”. (Para 17 of Annexure1 to MACP Order dated 19.05.09). ‘Regular Service’ for the purpose of MACPS shall commence from the date of joining of a post in regular basis either on direct recruitment or on absorption / reemployment basis. (Para 9 of Annexure1 to MACP Order dated 19.05.09). If financial upgradations will not be allowed under MACPS after 10years due to DAR proceedings, this would have consequential effect on the subsequent financial upgradations. (Para 15 of Annexure1 to MACP Order dated 19.05.09). On grant of financial upgradations under MACPS, there shall be no change in designation, classification or higher status. (Para 16 of Annexure1 to MACP Order dated 19.05.09).

If a regular promotion has been denied by the employee before becoming entitlement of financial upgradation, no financial upgradation shall be allowed. However financial upgradation will be allowed due to stagnation and subsequently refuses the promotion. (Para 25 of Annexure1 to MACP Order dated 19.05.09).

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R.BALASUBRAMANAIN,
COS