Payment To Bank Staff On Election Duty

CIRCULAR LETTER NO. 27/55/2014/11 1ST APRIL, 2014

To All Office Bearers / State Federations /
All India Bankwise Organisations:

Dear Comrades,
Employees drafted for Election duty

Some of our units have enquired about the payment of TA/DA, etc., to those employees who are drafted for election duty. In this regard, we furnish herein the copy of IBA’s Circular issued on 23-4-2004.

If still, our members face any difficulty in getting the expenses reimbursed, it may be brought to our attention for being appropriately taken up with the IBA or the Election Commission.

With greetings,
Yours Comradely,

C.H. VENKATACHALAM
GENERAL SECRETARY

No. CIR/PD/W/2004-05/22 April, 23, 2004

Designated Officers of Public Sector Banks

Dear Sirs,

Drafting of bank employees for Election Duty

In view of Section 159 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (as amended in 1998), public sector banks are under a statutory obligation to make available to any Returning Officer, when so requested by a Regional Commissioner or the Chief Electoral Officer of the State, such staff as may be necessary for the performance of duties in connection with an election.
For the current General Election and Election to some of the State Legislatures, the authorities under the Act are requisitioning the services of bank employees. On receipt of such a requisition, the bank is required to furnish to the authorities, a list of employees being deputed for poll related duties as also direct the employees concerned to report to the authorized concerned.

One of the major workmen unions in the industry has represented that such of those employees called upon to perform poll related work be paid TA/DA at rates as per service rules, allow them cash advance if they so require and offer them life insurance cover having regard to the risk they run while on election duty in some of the States.

We have examined the matter. As regards the request for payment of TA/DA as per bank’s rules to employees who are drafted by Government for election duty, the Personnel Committee of IBA had earlier decided that as such employees would be performing Government duty, they should be paid/reimbursed only such expenses as are reimbursed by the Government for the said purpose.

The procedure followed by the State Governments for reimbursing expenses to personnel requisitioned for election duty varies from reimbursement on a day-to-day basis to reimbursement on the basis of consolidated claim made by the respective employers. In case of reimbursement on day-to-day basis, the need for granting any advance does not arise. In view of this, banks at their discretion and depending on the procedure followed by the Government, may decide in the matter of granting or otherwise of advance to the employee requisitioned for election duty upto the amount reimbursable by the Government.

As regards the request for covering such employees drafted for election duty with life insurance cover, banks may ascertain from the Regional commissioner/Chief Electoral Officer/State Government authority concerned as to whether or not bank employees drafted for election duty are entitled for compensation by the Government in the event of their death or suffering injuries while on such duty. The need for taking any life insurance cover by the bank does not arise if such a provision for compensation is available. In case such a provision is not available, banks, looking to the ground-level situation in each State, may consider taking a group life insurance policy for the period of elections covering the employees drafted for election duty for Rs. 5 lacs per head, as a special case.

Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
Chief Advisor - Personnel