Postal Directorate Proposes Merger of SA, PA (CO/RO), SBCO and FPO Cadres
Department of Posts Proposes Merger of SA and PA Cadres – Draft Modalities Issued for Comments
The Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, has circulated draft modalities for the proposed merger of Sorting Assistant (SA), Postal Assistant (PA) (CO/RO), PA (SBCO) and PA (FPO) cadres with the Postal Assistant (Post Office) [PA (PO)] cadre, including the related supervisory posts.
Download SA–PA Cadre Merger in PDF
In a letter dated 30 October 2026, the Postal Directorate requested all Heads of Circles to examine the proposal and communicate their views, comments and suggestions, along with justification for any proposed modifications. The initiative follows the recommendations of the Cadre Restructuring Committee constituted under the chairmanship of Shri K. Prakash, former Chief Postmaster General of Karnataka Circle.
Option for Existing Employees
Under the proposed modalities, existing Sorting Assistants and Postal Assistants working in CO/RO offices will be given an option to either continue in their existing cadre until promotion to the next grade in their respective supervisory hierarchy or retirement, or opt for merger into the PA (PO) cadre.
The option must be exercised once, in writing, within the timeline prescribed by the Department. Officials opting for the unified cadre will not be permitted to revert to their parent cadre. Their future promotions will be governed by the Postal Operative hierarchy.
Employees opting for the merger may indicate their preferences for Divisions or Units, preferably up to five, subject to the number prescribed by the Department. Allotment will be based on seniority in the common Circle Gradation List and the availability of vacancies.
Common Seniority List at Circle Level
A significant feature of the proposal is the preparation of a common Circle Gradation List for the unified PA (PO) cadre, with 1 January 2027 proposed as the crucial date.
The seniority of officials will be determined primarily by their year of appointment or recruitment, based on the relevant selection merit list. Within the same appointment year, the proposed order of priority is:
- PA (PO), including Accountants of the Postal Operative side
- Sorting Assistant (SA)
- PA (SBCO)
- PA (CO/RO)
- PA (FPO), Mumbai
Officials appointed in an earlier year will rank senior to those appointed in a later year, irrespective of their cadre. The existing inter-se seniority within each individual cadre will remain undisturbed.
The draft also proposes revising the seniority arrangements for certain PA (SBCO) and PA (FPO), Mumbai officials who opted for merger under the earlier 2022 order.
Conversion of Vacant Posts
The draft proposes that fresh recruitment to the SA and PA (CO/RO) cadres will cease from a cut-off date to be decided by the Department, with 1 January 2027 cited as an example.
Vacant posts for which recruitment has not commenced by the cut-off date, as well as posts held by officials who opt for the merger, will be converted into PA (PO) posts. Future vacancies arising from retirement, promotion, resignation, death or other reasons will also be converted into PA (PO) posts.
Consequently, the sanctioned strength of the existing SA and PA (CO/RO) cadres is proposed to be gradually absorbed into the PA (PO) cadre. However, the total sanctioned establishment of each RMS Division/Unit and CO/RO will remain unchanged for deployment and posting purposes.
Changes to Promotional Hierarchy
The proposed modalities address the integration of supervisory posts, including Lower Selection Grade (LSG), Higher Selection Grade-II (HSG-II) and Higher Selection Grade-I (HSG-I).
Promotional posts in the non-PA (PO) cadres would remain available to officials who choose to continue in their existing cadres, in accordance with the respective cadre ratios. Other supervisory posts would be merged into the PA (PO) promotional hierarchy.
Officials in the supervisory cadres of RMS, SBCO, CO/RO and FPO (Mumbai) would also be given an option to merge into the Postal Operative supervisory cadre under the proposed arrangements. Their seniority in the respective grades would generally be determined by the date of joining that grade.
Transfer and Posting Arrangements
The draft provides for transfers within the Circle through the existing online transfer mechanism, in accordance with the applicable Directorate guidelines. Officials in the unified PA (PO) cadre would retain their seniority in the common Circle Gradation List following eligible intra-Circle transfers.
Posting of PA (PO) officials in Circle Offices, Regional Offices and RMS Units is proposed to be undertaken on a tenure basis through Transfer and Placement Committees (TPCs), with a view to maintaining adequate staffing and operational continuity.
A cooling-off period of two years between two tenures in a CO/RO is proposed. The Head of the Circle may relax this period by up to one year in view of administrative exigencies.
The Department also proposes to initiate the necessary amendments to the Recruitment Rules and prescribe a unified training and orientation module for officials switching over to the PA (PO) cadre.
Comments Invited by 9 November 2026
The Postal Directorate has asked all Circles to clearly indicate whether they support the proposed merger and to submit any suggestions for modification, together with appropriate justification.
The comments and suggestions must be submitted by 9 November 2026 through the designated email addresses and must have the specific approval of the Head of Circle. If no response is received within the prescribed period, the Department will presume that the Circle has no comments or suggestions to offer.
The modalities are currently at the draft stage and have been circulated for consultation. The final arrangements will depend on the Department's further decisions and instructions.
The proposed restructuring could bring several Postal Assistant cadres under a unified framework, with common seniority arrangements, revised promotional pathways and changes to future recruitment and deployment. The responses received from the Circles are expected to inform the Department's consideration of the proposal.