AUPO-UPDATE

Dear Friends,

                   We here in Delhi have been totally preoccupied with the three crucial cases that AUPO has taken up for correcting the wrongs done to the UPSC recruits over the last twenty years. We are happy to inform you that   these cases are now nearing final judgment. The grievous wrongs, by which we were denied our legitimate promotion and where our juniors/subordinates are drawing higher salary than us, may soon be rectified.  However, we sincerely apologize   specifically to our fellow members outside Delhi for being unable to update them with the latest information. Many of our members and sympathizers all over the country have been calling, to inform us that this lack of contact/communication from the central unit in Delhi has given an opportunity to those with vested interests to spread rumours and continue their efforts to mislead UPSC recruits all over the country. However, we the UPSC recruits are now aware that in spite of our wholehearted support to the cause of unity of programme cadre and even after risking our very jobs during the various agitations by the PSA, we find that at the end of this continued support we have been painfully betrayed too many times. Every UPSC recruited Pex   from batches as far back as 1975 has a sad story to say. We are now wiser by experience to understand that at the end of every agitation in the name of programme unity, every other cadre /grade have benefited at our cost. Now, that the entire wrong DPCs are being legally rectified strictly as per recruitment rules from 1982 to 2000 by AUPO, the same vested interests are trying every means to prevent us from regaining what others have been wrongly taken away from us- in the name of retaining programme unity.

 We would like to reiterate that in any genuine cause affecting the overall benefit of the programme cadre, AUPO will not hesitate to stand in the forefront along with any other association, provided it does not go against the interests of the UPSC recruits.

 We understand that names of AUPO members who have resigned from the PSA two years back (including the office bearers of AUPO) have been deliberately included in the electoral rolls of the PSA. This is clearly an effort to negate the very existence of AUPO and also an attempt to mislead our members spread all over the country. The inclusion of our names have larger implications since this can make us party to any agreements made/signed by the PSA with the authorities that could be detrimental to the interests of the UPSC recruits. Members would recall, that in the pay parity agitation of the PSA, which we had, then whole heartedly supported, PSA entered into an agreement with the Government, which resulted in our subordinates being granted higher salaries than us. The PSA even went on to sign an undertaking that there would be no strikes for five years. In the pay anomaly case (Dr.G.R.Syed vs Union of India) being spearheaded by AUPO one of the strongest arguments by the Government is that since we all were PSA members when the agreement was signed, the same is binding on us.  Similarly the President of PSA has strangely written to the Secretary I & B & CEO, Prasar Bharati that as per the IB (P) S Act, the Programme Executives are not entitled for the production cadre and since all the producers have now been promoted, the production cadre may be opened for PEXs (please see Broadvision Sept 2001). This is an anguishing statement to all Pexs. The fact however is that as per the IBPS Rules, Pexs are allowed to opt for both Management and Production cadre. The wrongful denial of promotion in the production wing to the Pexs has resulted in even the 1982 batch of UPSC Pexs remaining as ad hoc ASDs after 20 years, whereas very junior erstwhile contractual Producers are in the rank of Station Director and above.   AUPO has challenged this anomaly. All such promotions to the Production grade have been made subject to the outcome of our case.

 Under these circumstances, the continuance of UPSC recruited Programme Officers in any association that could have a lack of understanding of the basic service and recruitment rules and works /sign agreements detrimental to our interests is not desirable. All our members should make an effort to ensure that   all UPSC recruited Programme Officers dissociate themselves from other associations working against our interests.

Meanwhile, since, our legal battles have all reached a very crucial stage and require more time and attention, our Central Unit has entrusted Jose Jude Mathew and Amlanjyoti Majumder the task of coordinating the legal cases of AUPO and has spared them from other responsibilities. Consequently, I with Ms. Devika Moktan am undertaking the organizational responsibilities of Convener and Co- ordinating Convener respectively.

 As you may be aware in all our cases we have engaged eminent Counsels and hence it is important that AUPO has the requisite finances. As you are aware AUPO has already been able to rectify the wrongful 1:1 ratio of promotion between Pexs and Producers being followed upto 1989. Those of you who have still to send in their membership fee/ contributions may send this immediately by D.D (Rs.620 only) in the name of Association of UPSC Recruited Programme Officers of AIR and Doordarshan payable at Delhi. This should be mailed directly to Ms. Ritu Rajput, Treasurer at AUPOs address given below. We would like to convey our thanks to members from Kerala and Kolkata for sending their contributions recently.

 Wishing you all a very Happy Holi.

                                                              With kind regards,

                                                                                              (Dr. Sajjad Rizvi)

                                                                                                 Convener

                                    Date sheet of various cases filed by AUPO

OTHER IMPORTANT AUPO NEWS

AUPO has recently written to CEO Prasar Bharati to fill up all existing vacancies in the JTS of IB(P)S  immediately by promoting  the existing Programme Executives, as 75% of them are directly recruited by the UPSC with a higher qualification than required for the JTS. Even the last batch of UPSC recruited PEXs have put in more than 10 years of service against the eligibility requirement of 3 years for promotion.