Friday, September 22, 2017
Anubhav Awards for Outstanding Pensioners
Dr Jitendra Singh to inaugurate first ‘Pension Adalat’ tomorrow
Pensioners for outstanding contribution towards ‘Anubhav’ to be awarded
Mobile App to avail the services of Pensioners’ Portal also to be launched
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh will inaugurate the first ‘Pension Adalat’ here tomorrow. He will also award the Pensioners for their outstanding contribution towards ‘Anubhav’ – a platform for retiring employees for sharing their experience of working with Government. Moving ahead from e-governance to m-governance, a Mobile App has been created to avail the services of Pensioners’ Portal which will also be launched by Dr Jitendra Singh tomorrow. As a measure of welfare to the pensioners of Government of India, a workshop on Pre-Retirement Counseling (PRC) of 300 retiring Central Government employees is also scheduled to be held. The event is being organized by Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India.
The objective of this workshop is to create awareness about the post-retirement entitlements as well as an advance planning for life after retirement. There will be four interactive sessions which will cover inter-alia, the road map to retirement, medical facilities for pensioners, re-engagement of retired people for voluntary social activities under ‘Sankalp’. There will be another session on Income Tax and other benefits for senior citizens as well as investment and financial planning for retired people and the Importance of writing a Will.
The Pension Department in this programme will launch the first of a series of Pension Adalats which is being convened with the objective of bringing on a common table the aggrieved pensioner, the concerned department, the bank or CGHS representative, wherever relevant, so that such cases can be settled across the table within the framework of extant rules.
The Mobile App to be launched tomorrow will be extending all the services meant for the pensioner, which are currently available on the Pensioners’ Portal of the department, to the mobile handset. With this App, a superannuating Central Government official will be able to monitor the progress of his pension settlement, and retired officials will be able to self-assess their pension through the pension calculator and will also be able to register their grievances, if any, and get updates on orders issued by the Department.
The ANUBHAV AWARDS 2017 will be presented to 17 pensioners for their contribution towards creating institutional memory for the departments. Anubhav scheme had been instituted on the call of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to encourage retiring/retired employees to submit their experiences while working in the government with the objective to create an institutional wealth for the government for future governance as well as to enthuse and inspire the future generations of government officials in their respective assignments.
Source: PIB News
Procedure for empanelment of retired officers as the Inquiry Officers for conducting Departmental Inquiries - reg.
F.No.142/40/2015-AVD.I
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training
New Delhi Dated, the 15 th September, 2017
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject:- Procedure for empanelment of retired officers as the Inquiry Officers for conducting Departmental Inquiries- reg.
The undersigned is directed to state that the issue of utilizing the services of retired officers for conducting departmental inquiries had been under consideration of the Department. It has now been decided that panels of retired officers from the Ministries/Departments under Government of India and PSUs would be created and maintained by the respective Cadre Controlling Authorities for conducting Departmental Inquiries against the delinquent officials.
2. Procedure for empanelment of retired officers as the Inquiry Officers - Panels of retired officers not below the rank of Deputy Secretary in Central Government and equivalent officer in the State Governments/PSUs to be appointed as the Inquiry Officer for the purpose of conducting departmental inquiries would be maintained level/rank wise and place-specific by each cadre controlling authority where its offices are located.
3. Validity of the panel - The panel of the retired officers created for the purpose of appointing Inquiry Officers for conducting departmental inquiry will be valid for a period of three years. The respective Cadre Controlling Authority will ensure that a panel of retired Inquiry Officers is available with them.
4. Following are the eligibility conditions for appointment of willing retired officers as the Inquiry Officers to conduct departmental inquiries:-
(i) Retired officers who are willing to serve as Inquiry Officer.
(ii) He/she should not have been penalized in a Disciplinary Proceeding case (no penalty in DP or prosecution in criminal case)
5. The respective Cadre Controlling Authority will immediately take necessary action for inviting applications from willing and eligible retired officers to serve as the Inquiry Officer for conducting departmental inquiry. In this regard, a format for inviting applications is annexed.
6. A three-member committee consisting of Joint Secretary level officers including CVO of the concerned Ministry/Departments/PSUs would be constituted by the respective cadre controlling authority. The other two members can be from the same Ministry/Department or from the attached or subordinate office. After receipt of willingness of the retired officers, names of the officers will be screened by the committee so constituted. The formation of panel will be a continuous and ongoing process. The DA will decide on the appointment of the JO based on willingness for a case, experience in the sector and status of residence. Committee constituted for making panels of retired officers as the Inquiry Officer has to keep in mind that applications of retired officers willing to serve as an Inquiry Officer should be scrutinized carefully to ensure that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria.
7. The number of disciplinary cases assigned to an Inquiry Officer may be restricted to 8 cases in a year, with not more than 4 cases at a time.
8. Terms and conditions for appointment of retired officers as the Inquiry Officer. The designated Inquiry Officer shall require to give an undertaking as follows:-
(i) that he/she is not a witness or a complainant in the matter to be inquired into or a close relative or a known friend of the delinquent Government officer. A certificate to this effect will be obtained from the Inquiry Officer with respect to every inquiry and placed on record
(ii) shall maintain strict secrecy in relation to the documents he/she receives or information/data collected by him/her in connection with the inquiry and utilize the same only for the purpose of inquiry in the case entrusted to him/her.
9. No such documents/information or data shall be divulged to anyone during the Inquiry or after presentation of the Inquiry Report. All the records, reports etc. available with the Inquiry Officer shall be duly returned to the authority which appointed him/her as such, at the time of presentation of the Inquiry Report.
10. The Inquiry Officer shall conduct the inquiry proceedings at a location taking into account the availability of records, station/place where the misconduct occurred as well as the convenience of the witnesses/ PO etc. Video Conferencing should be utilized to the maximum extent possible to minimize travel undertaken by the IO/PO/CO. The cadre controlling authorities will facilitate necessary arrangements for the Video Conferencing. —
11. The Inquiry Officer shall undertake travel for conducting inquiry (in unavoidable circumstances) with the approval of an authority as may be nominated by the concerned Ministry/Department.
12. The Inquiry Officer shall submit the inquiry report after completing the inquiry within 180 days from the date of his/her appointment as the Inquiry Officer. Extension of time beyond 180 days can be granted only by the Authority as may be prescribed.
13. The rates of honorarium and other allowances payable to the Inquiry Officer will be as under:-
Items
|
Category
|
Time taken to complete the inquiry proceedings
|
Rate per case (in rupees)
|
Honorarium
|
‘I’
|
Where the number of witnesses cited in the charge sheet is more than 10
|
80% of monthly basic pension drawn
|
‘II’
|
Where the number of witnesses cited in the charge sheet are between 6-10
|
60% of monthly basic pension drawn
| |
‘III’
|
Where the number of witnesses cited in the charge sheet is less than 6
| 50% of monthly basic pension drawn | |
Transport Allowance
|
‘IV’
|
Rs. 40,000/- per case Subject to the condition that the for outstation journey, the actual expenses for Air/Railway AC 1 will be reimbursed in addition. ( subject to the approval of the competent authority and for outstation journey by Air journey will be performed by Air India in the cheapest of the entitled class a per their status before retirement and tickets will have to be arranged through authorized /permissible sources as per MoF's guidelines;. If journey is not performed by Air India, prior approval for travelling in airlines other than Air India would be required as per the prescribed procedure; Similarly traveling by train would also be permissible/restricted as per the far of class entitled to the officer before retirement
| |
Secretarial Assistance
|
‘I’
|
Where the number of witnesses cited in the charge sheet is more than 10
|
Rs.40,000/-
|
‘II’
|
Where the number of witnesses cited in the charge sheet are between 6-10
|
Rs.30,000/-
| |
‘III’
|
Where the number of witnesses cited in the charge sheet is less than 6
|
Rs.20,000/-
| |
50% will be paid on submission of the Inquiry Report. Remaining amount will be paid within 45 days. In case it is not possible to proceed with the matter due to stay by courts etc., the Inquiry Officer may be discharged from his/her duties and payment of honorarium and other allowances will be made on pro rata basis.
14. Before the payment is received by the Inquiry Officer, it will be his/her responsibility to ensure that:-
(a) All case records and inquiry report (two ink signed copies) properly documented and arranged is handed over to the office of Disciplinary Authority.
(b) The report returns findings on each of the Articles of Charge which has been enquired into should specifically deal and address each of the procedural objections, if any, raised by the charged officers as per the extant rules and instructions.
(c) There should not be any ambiguity in the inquiry report and therefore every care should be taken to ensure that all procedures for conducting departmental inquiries have been followed in accordance with the relevant rules/instructions of disciplinary and appeal Rules to which the delinquent Government officials are governed.
15. Letter regarding engaging a retired officer as the Inquiry Officer will only be issued with the approval of the Disciplinary Authority of the Ministry/Department/ Office concerned.
16. A review of every empanelled Inquiry Officer will be done after receipt of 2 inquiry reports where adherence to time lines and the procedure and quality of work will be assessed by the concerned Ministry. Subsequent allocation of work may be done only after such evaluation. The services of Inquiry Officers whose performance is not upto the mark will be terminated with the approval of appointing authority.
17. Any issue arising out of this O.M. between the Inquiring Officer and the Disciplinary Authority will be decided by the Secretary , DoPT whose decision shall be final and binding on both parties.
18. These guidelines are issued for internal use of DoPT and other Cadre controlling authorities may adopt the same with suitable amendments.
Sd/-
(K. Srinivasan)
Under Secretary to the Govt. of India
Te1:23092957
To All Ministries / Departments ( As per Standard List)
All State Chief Secretaries ( As per Standard List)
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Four Aadhaar linking deadlines you should not miss
There are certain deadlines that you need to meet related to your Aadhaar in order to avoid pain in the coming year, 2018.
Here's the list of various deadlines set by the government regarding Aadhaar.
1. Aadhaar and PAN linking deadline is now December 31, 2017
The government had earlier notified that income tax returns (ITR) filed after July 1, 2017 would be accepted only after a tax assessee linked his/her PAN with Aadhaar. However, many people faced difficulty in doing so even by the extended deadline for filing returns of Aug 5, 2017.
One of the often cited reasons for inability to link was mismatch of PAN and Aadhaar details due to spelling and other errors. Therefore, the government has given a relaxation to individuals who have filed their ITRs on or before August 5, 2017 but have not linked their PAN with Aadhaar. The new deadline set by the government is now December 31, 2017. Individuals must link their PAN with Aadhaar by this date in order for their returns to be processed.
Government has made it mandatory to link Aadhaar and PAN for every PAN holder (except certain categories exempted via notification dated May 11, 2017) by amending the income tax laws in the last Union budget.
However, the above deadline is only for those filing income tax returns this year. If you are not required to file your ITR as per tax laws, i.e., your gross total income in a financial year is less than the exemption limit of Rs 2.5 lakh (for the FY 2017-18), then the last date to link your PAN with your Aadhaar is yet to be notified by the government.
2. Deadline for providing Aadhaar to financial institutions is December 31, 2017
Government has asked banks, financial institutions, and intermediaries to ensure that all their customers are know-your-customer (KYC) compliant which, as per new rules, requires verification of their Aadhaar. An amendment has been made in the Prevention of Money Laundering Rules (Maintenance and Records), 2005 to this effect.
As per the new rules, one has to mandatorily submit his/her Aadhaar and PAN details to be KYC-compliant. If this is not done before December 31, 2017, his/her account will become inoperable till the time the required details are submitted.
This means that you are required to submit your Aadhaar and PAN details to financial institutions such as banks or where you have made investments like mutual funds, stocks, National Pension System (NPS) etc. You will also need to submit these details if you have taken a loan from any bank, housing finance company or non-banking finance company.
While submitting these details, you are also required to undergo an authentication process to verify that the Aadhaar submitted by you is actually yours, as per the notified rules.
3. Aadhaar based e-KYC verification for all mobile phone subscribers must be done by February 6, 2018
The department of telecommunications (DoT), after the Supreme Court judgment on February 6, 2017, has asked telecom operators to re-verify all the existing mobile subscribers (pre-paid and post-paid) via Aadhaar-based e-KYC. It has also become mandatory to provide Aadhaar details while buying new mobile SIM connections.
As per the Supreme Court order, the process of re-verification of all existing mobile subscribers must be completed by February 6, 2018.
However, as per the directive issued by DoT in its circular dated March 23, 2017, it is not clear what will happen if Aadhaar details are not linked to a customer's mobile number by February 6, 2018. At the same time, the telecom companies, on their websites, are cautioning users that their mobile connection services might get restricted or their numbers might become inactive in case Aadhaar-based compliance is not done. There have been news reports that all unlinked mobile numbers will be deactivated after the deadline.
4. Aadhaar details must be submitted by December 31, 2017 to enjoy benefits of social security schemes
Recently, government in the Supreme Court said that it has extended the deadline for mandatorily providing Aadhaar details in order to avail benefits of social schemes. The new extended deadline is now December 31, 2017. Earlier deadline for the same was September 30, 2017.
Aadhaar details are required for various benefits such as availing subsidy on LPG cylinders, the Human Resource Development ministry's scholarship schemes, availing pensions and subsided ration under Public Distribution System scheme.
Source:-The Economic Times
REVISION OF PENSION OF PRE-2016 PENSIONERS/FAMILY PENSIONERS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT DECISION ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 7TH CENTRAL PAY COMMISSION-CONCORDANCE TABLES- REGARDING
To view Directorate Memo No. 38/37/2016-P&PW(A) dated 13.9.2017, please CLICK HERE.
Central govt employees not to get arrears on revised minimum pay
While the central government employees are hoping to get hike in minimum pay under 7th Pay Commission soon, the government has now decided that the employees will not get arrears on revised minimum pay, a media report said.
Earlier this month, there were several media reports which stated that the Ministry of Finance is planning to raise the minimum pay hike from Rs 18,000 to Rs 21,000 under 7th Pay Commission.
In June, the Ministry had fixed minimum pay at Rs 18,000 considering the fitment formula at 2.57. Now, the government may agree to raise fitment factor to 3 times.
However, according to a report by The Sen Times, which quoted a government officials saying, "Finance Minister is very pleased to hike the minimum pay Rs 21,000 with raising fitment factor 3.00 times from 2.57 times, will be paid from January next year. It’s an important payment for the financial impact to central government employees but no arrears on higher minimum pay will be given to employees and the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will place it before the Cabinet in the month of January next year."
All 1.55 lakh post offices to offer payments bank service
"We will have post bank footprint in every district by March 2018, and before the end of the calendar year, all 1.55 lakh post offices and every postman and grameen dak sevak, which is another 3 lakh, will be equipped with a device which will provide full range of payment solutions that we will be hosting," India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) Chief Executive Officer A P Singh said at an event organised by United Nations on Financial Inclusion.
In the private space, AirtelBSE -0.70 % Payments Bank, launched in January this year, started operations with a network of 2.5 lakh merchants.
Payments banks can accept deposits of up to Rs 1 lakh per account from individuals and small businesses.
The new model of banking allows mobile firms, supermarket chains and others to cater to banking requirements of individuals and small businesses. It will be set up as a differentiated bank and will confine its activities to acceptance of demand deposits, remittance services, Internet banking and other specified services.
IPPB offers an interest rate of 4.5 per cent on deposits up to Rs 25,000, 5 per cent on Rs 25,000-50,000 and 5.5 per cent on Rs 50,000-1,00,000.
"While our private sector counterparts will, I take it very positively, skim the market from the top, you need someone who works bottoms up. That is our choice," Singh said.
He said that similar to State Bank of IndiaBSE 0.20 % that was created to take banking to people, IPPB is going to take digital payments to masses.
At the event, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Chairman R S Sharma said transaction cost on digital payment should be very minimal and it should be made affordable.
IPPB, according to Singh, will use Aadhaar as payment address of an individual, indicating that the postal bank may bring the transaction charge close to 1 paisa.
"We will convert it (Aadhaar) into payment address. We will get this activated by offering a host of payment services," Singh said.
"We have taken up the challenge on ourselves as to how we make a Rs 10 transaction viable. Aadhaar authentication cost less than 1 paisa. There is no reason why a payment transaction should be transacting anything more," Singh said.
At present, private players and even public banks charge transaction fee even on digital payments, depending on the nature of the transaction.
Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/
m-Aadhar – Proof of Identity for Rail Travel
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Railways
Government of India
Ministry of Railways
13-September-2017 16:34 IST
Ministry of Railways permits m-Aadhar as one of the prescribed proofs of Identity for Rail Travel Purpose.
Ministry of Railways has decided to permit m- Aadhar (Aadhar card on mobile app namely m- Aadhar launched by UIDAI) as one of the prescribed proofs of Identity for Rail Travel purpose in any reserved class.
m-Aadhar is a mobile app launched by UIDAI on which a person can download his/her Aadhar Card. It can be done only on the mobile number to which Aadhar has been linked. For showing Aadhar, the person has to open the app and enter his/ her password to show the Aadhar Card.
m-Aadhar when shown by the passenger on his/her mobile after entering the password should be accepted as proof of identity for undertaking journey in any reserved class over Indian Railways. It is effective from 8th September 2017.
Special Cover on Rejuvenation of tanks and wells in Vijayapura - 18th August 2017.
On the occasion of National Water Convention held at BLDE ground, Vijayapura (Bijapur), a Special Cover was released on Rejuvenation of tanks and wells in Vijayapura commemorating Taj Bavadi by Chief Ministerof Karnataka Sri. Siddaramaiah in presence of Postmaster General, NK Region Dharwad, Smt. Veena Srinivas and other guests. (Special Cover Approval No. KTK/68/2017).
Approval of introduction of the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in the Parliament
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Cabinet
12-September-2017 16:53 IST
Cabinet approves introduction of the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in the Parliament
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for introduction of the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in the Parliament.
The Amendment will increase the maximum limit of gratuity of employees, in the private sector and in Public Sector Undertakings/ Autonomous Organizations under Government who are not covered under CCS (Pension) Rules, at par with Central Government employees.
Background:
The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 applies to establishments employing 10 or more persons. The main purpose for enacting this Act is to provide social security to workmen after retirement, whether retirement is a result of the rules of superannuation, or physical disablement or impairment of vital part of the body. Therefore, the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 is an important social security legislation to wage earning population in industries, factories and establishments.
The present upper ceiling on gratuity amount under the Act is Rs. 10 Lakh. The provisions for Central Government employees under Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 with regard to gratuity are also similar. Before implementation of 7th Central Pay Commission, the ceiling under CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 was Rs. 10 Lakh. However, with implementation of 7th Central Pay Commission, in case of Government servants, the ceiling now is Rs. 20 Lakhs effective from 1.1.2016.
Therefore, considering the inflation and wage increase even in case of employees engaged in private sector, the Government is of the view that the entitlement of gratuity should be revised for employees who are covered under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. Accordingly, the Government initiated the process for amendment to Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972.
*****
पत्र सूचना कार्यालय
भारत सरकार
मंत्रिमंडल
12-सितम्बर-2017 17:16 IST
मंत्रिमंडल ने संसद में उपादान भुगतान (संशोधन) विधेयक, 2017 को पेश करने की मंजूरी दी
प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी की अध्यक्षता में केंद्रीय मंत्रिमंडल ने संसद में उपादान भुगतान (संशोधन) विधेयक, 2017 को पेश करने को अपनी मंजूरी दे दी है।
इस संशोधन से निजी क्षेत्र और सरकार के अधीन सार्वजनिक उपक्रम/स्वायत्त संगठनों के कर्मचारियों के उपादान की अधिकतम सीमा में वृद्धि होगी, जो केंद्र सरकार के कर्मचारियों के अनुसार सीसीएस (पेंशन) नियमावली के अधीन शामिल नहीं हैं।
पृष्ठभूमि:
दस अथवा अधिक लोगों को नियोजित करने वाली स्थापनाओं के लिए उपादान भुगतान अधिनियम, 1972 लागू है। इस अधिनियम को लागू करने का मुख्य उद्देश्य है - सेवानिवृति के बाद कामगारों की सामाजिक सुरक्षा, चाहे सेवानिवृति की नियमावली के परिणामस्वरूप सेवानिवृति हुई हो अथवा शरीर के महत्वपूर्ण अंग के नाकाम होने से शारीरिक विकलांगता के कारण सेवानिवृति हुई हो। इसलिए उपादान भुगतान अधिनियम 1972, उद्योगों, कारखानों और स्थापनाओं में मजदूरी अर्जित करने वाली जनसंख्या के लिए एक महत्वपूर्ण सामाजिक सुरक्षा का विधान है।
अधिनियम के तहत उपादान राशि पर मौजूदा अधिकतम सीमा 10 लाख रूपये है। उपादान के संबंध में सीसीएस (पेंशन) नियमावली, 1972 के अधीन केंद्रीय कर्मचारियों के लिए भी समान प्रावधान हैं। सातवां केंद्रीय वेतन आयोग लागू होने से पहले सीसीएस (पेंशन) नियमावली,1972 के अधीन अधिकतम सीमा 10 लाख रूपये थी। हालांकि सातवां केंद्रीय वेतन आयोग लागू होने से सरकारी कर्मचारियों के मामले में 1 जनवरी, 2016 से अधिकतम सीमा अब 20 लाख रूपये है।
इसलिए निजी क्षेत्र में काम करने वाले कर्मचारियों के मामले में भी महंगाई और वेतन वृद्धि पर विचार करते हुए सरकार का अब यह विचार है कि उपादान भुगतान अधिनियम,1972 के अधीन शामिल कर्मचारियों के लिए उपादान की पात्रता में संशोधन किया जाना चाहिए। तदनुसार, सरकार ने उपादान भुगतान अधिनयिम, 1972 में संशोधन की प्रक्रिया शुरू की।
Govt to issue Rs 100, Rs 5 coins to mark MGR birth centenary
The coins will bear his portrait in the centre along with the inscription 'DR M G Ramachandran Birth Centenary' on the lower periphery. The same will also be in Devnagari script on the upper periphery.
The year '1917-2017' will be flanked below the portrait of Dr M G Ramachandran, said the notification issued in this regard.
On the obverse side, the coins will bear the Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar in the centre with the inscription 'Satyamev Jayte'.
The Rs 100 and Rs 5 coins will weigh 35 grams and 6 grams, respectively.
The Rs 100 coin will be made of silver (50 per cent), copper (40 per cent), nickel (5 per cent) and zinc (5 per cent).
The Rs 5 coin will be made of copper (75 per cent), zinc (20 per cent) and nickel (5 per cent).
Ramachandran, popularly known as 'MGR', was the founder of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party, currently ruling in Tamil Nadu.
A film actor and a three-time Chief Minister, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1988.
Source:-The Economic Times
Revision of income criteria to exclude socially advanced persons/sections (Creamy Layer) from the purview of reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs)
No. 36033/1/2013-Estt. (Res)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel &Training
North Block, New Delhi,
Dated: September 13, 2017
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject: Revision of income criteria to exclude socially advanced persons/sections (Creamy Layer) from the purview of reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs)-reg.
The undersigned is directed to invite attention to this Department's Office Memorandum No. 36012/22/93-Estt. (SCT) dated 8th September, 1993 which, inter-alia, provided that sons and daughters of persons having gross annual income of Rs.1 lakh or above for a period of three consecutive years would fall within the creamy layer and would not be entitled to get the benefit of reservation available to the Other Backward Classes. The aforesaid limit of income for determining the creamy layer status was subsequently raised to RS. 2.5 lakh, Rs. 4.5 lakh and Rs. 6 lakh vide this Department's OM No. 36033/3/2004-Estt. (Res) dated 09.03.2004, OM No. 36033/3/2004-Estt. (Res) dated 14.10.2008 and OM No. 36033/1/2013-Estt. (Res) dated 27.05.2013 respectively.
2. It has now been decided to raise the income limit from Rs. 6 lakh to Rs. 8 lakh per annum for determining the creamy layer amongst the Other Backward Classes. Accordingly, the expression "Rs. 6 lakh” under Category VI in the Schedule to this Department's aforesaid O.M. dated 8th September, 1993 would be substituted by "Rs. 8 lakh".
3. The provisions of this office memorandum have effect from 1st September, 2017.
4. All the Ministries/Departments are requested to bring the contents of this office memorandum to the notice of all concerned.
Sd/-
(Debabrata Das)
Under Secretary to the Government of lndia
Source:http://document.ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02adm/36033_1_2013-Estt-Res-13092017.pdf
7th Pay Commission: Modi Cabinet approves additional 1% DA to central govt employees
The hike in allowances will put an additional burden of Rs 3068.26 crore every year on the nation's treasury. Even during the course of the current financial year, the exchequer will have to shell out Rs 2045.50 crore for implementing the increase in dearness allowance and relief between July 2017 and February 2018.
In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet decided today to increase DA by one per cent to compensate rise in prices. Central government employees and pensioners receive dearness allowance and dearness relief, respectively, at a rate of four per cent of their basic pay or pension. This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.
In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet decided today to increase DA by one per cent to compensate rise in prices. Central government employees and pensioners receive dearness allowance and dearness relief, respectively, at a rate of four per cent of their basic pay or pension. This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.
The Cabinet approved the reformed allowance structure recommended by the 7th Central Pay Commision back in June this year. Disbursing allowances according to the rates resulted in a steep rise in House Rent Allowance, along with rise in tough location allowance, conveyance allowance, and travelling allowance among others. Several allowances were also merged or scrapped.
The Cabinet also gave its nod for hiving off mobile tower assets of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) into a separate company. BSNL owns over 66,000 mobile towers out of 4,42,000 mobile towers presently operational in India. The resultant entity, however, will be entirely owned by BSNL.
This move allows BSNL to monetise the telecom towers at its disposal with the formation of a separate subsidiary company. "An independent, dedicated tower company of BSNL with a focused approach will lead to increasing of external tenancies and consequentially higher revenue for the new company, "read a statement by the Union Cabinet.
CHQ News: GS submitted Cadre Restructuring proposal of Inspector Posts Cadre to Directorate
ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF INSPECTORS AND ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT POSTS
CHQ Qtr. No. 12, P & T Colony, Khurshid Square, Civil Lines, Delhi 110 054.
Nirmalya Mitra
President
ADPS (FS)
o/o CPMG WB Circle
Kolkata 700012
(M) 09433395342
|
Vilas Ingale
General Secretary
Superintendent of POs
Palghar Division
Mira Road 401107
(M) 09869417961
|
Yadagiri G. Nyalapelli
Treasurer
Asst. Supdt. Posts
% PMG, Mumbai Region
Mumbai 400001
(M) 09869143819
|
No. CHQ/AIAIASP/Cadre Restructure/2016 Dated : 12th September 2017
To,
The Secretary,
Department of Posts,
Dak Bhavan, Sansad Marg,
New Delhi 110 001.
Sub : Cadre restructuring of Inspector Posts cadre.
Ref. : Directorate memo No. 25-35/2011-PE-I dated 03-12-2014 and Estt/1-1/ASP dated 4-02-2015
Respected Sir,
In-continuation to this Association’s letter of even number dated 8th June 2017 (copy enclosed) a fresh proposal for cadre restructuring of Inspector Posts cadre is enclosed herewith.
This Association earnestly requests the Hon’ble Secretary (Posts) to look into this long pending matter and cause necessary action to convene cadre restructuring of the Inspector Posts cadre at the earliest.
With profound regards,
Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
(Vilas Ingle)
General Secretary
..............................................................................................................
PROPOSAL FOR THE CADRE REVIEW OF THE INSPECTOR POSTS AND ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT POSTS
1. PREAMBLE :
1.1 The present proposal relates to the cadre review of the Inspector Posts and Assistant Superintendent Posts. The cadre was constituted long back, and is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Communications. The officers of these cadres are selected through Staff Selection Commission and 66.66 percent of the vacancies is filled up by promotion through Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) from the feeder grade with not less than five years regular service as on 1st January of the year, to which the vacancies pertain to, in the grade of Postal or Sorting Assistants, Stenographer Grade-II and Lower Selection Grade including regular service put in as Postal or Sorting Assistants, if any.
1.2 The current exercise aims at strengthening the, cadre structure both at the headquarters and the field, on the basis of functional needs, and is designed to enable the department to provide better services in the emerging IT driven scenario, and to effectively respond to an increasing array of competitors and fully realize the potential of its vast network to enhance existing service and offer new services.
1.3 Department of Posts serves every household and touches the lives of millions every day. It serves both the privileged and under privileged sections of the society and reaches out to rural population and urban lives equally at each stage of human life. In the age of globalization, the operating environment and the role of Department of Posts is continuously evolving. The Department has evolved dynamically and is an important link between the Government of India, state governments and citizens for delivery of postal, communication, social and financial services. Postal services are experiencing exhilarating growth in Parcels, e-commerce, financial savings, Rural and Urban Life Insurance products, speed, express and time- sensitive, reliable mail services. Department of Posts has undertaken social benefit payments, such as MGNREGA and social security pension schemes. In order to meet the new developments and challenges, the services provided by the Department of Posts are being both upgraded, as well as, diversified and new services are being introduced. A major IT Modernization Project is in the process of being implemented.
1.4 The Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts are basically responsible for managing Postal and RMS Sub-Divisions. The Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts also occupy other positions like Office Supervisors / Assistant Superintendents (Head Quarters) and Assistant Superintendents (Out Door) in Postal /RMS Division, Investigating Inspectors / Assistant Superintendent (Investigation), Assistant Superintendent (Vigilance), Inspector / Assistant Superintendent (Complaints), Inspector/Assistant Superintendent (Technology) etc. to provide necessary functional support. The Department of Posts is on its way to restructure itself to meet challenges of 21st century. But, since 1979 no cadre review has taken place for Inspector Posts cadre. Second cadre review orders issued under No.28-29/87/PE-I dated 20-08-1990 (copy enclosed as Annexure-A) by Department Posts although Presidential approval was conveyed for up-gradation of 245 ASPs Posts. As per the guidelines issued by Department of Personnel and Training, an exercise to review the cadre structure of each service has to be carried out every five years. For IPoS cadre, 6cadre review already complement and implemented so far.
2 INTRODUCTION :
2.1 The Department of Posts, with its network of 1,54,910 Post Offices, is the largest postal network in the world. On an average, 8364 people are served by a Post Office in the country; in rural areas, a Post Office servers 6275 people, and in urban areas, a Post Office serves 26553 people. Average area served by a Post office is 21.22 sq. km. The Department has been in the service of the nation for 163 years. It has evolved dynamically and today is an important link between the Government of India, State Governments and citizens for delivery of postal, communication, social and financial services. Its core functions include booking, transmission and delivery of mail articles, provision of small savings and financial inclusion services. Postal services are experiencing huge growth in Parcels, e-commerce parcels, financial services, Rural and Postal Life Insurance products, speed, express and time-sensitive, reliable mail services. Department’s main vision is to continue to deliver social security services and to enable last mile connectivity as a Government of India platform. The IT Modernization Project aims at transforming the Department into a ‘Technology enabled, self-reliant market leader”. It will result in increased market share and revenues, launch of new products and services, improved service delivery system, motivated workforce and customer satisfaction. Under the IT Modernization Project, integrated modules will cover various functions of Post Offices, Administrative Offices, Account Offices and Mail Offices, etc. Digital India Programme is a flagship programme of Government of India launched in 2014 with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. The department is digitizing all the 1,54,910 Post Offices including 1,29,346 Gramin Dak Sewak Post Offices in rural areas. The digital Post Office shall work as multi service centre and become the nodal centre for the dissemination of information vis-a-vis government policies; disbursement of social security benefits; and financial inclusion. These post offices will offer a digital means of communications.
2.2 Rural Information Communication Technology (RICT) project has been launched by the Department in 28107 Branch Post Offices (as on 1/7/2017) and it has been planned to rollout in 40000 BOs through out India during current year. The Core Banking Solutions (CBS) Project is bringing in facilities of ATM banking, Internet Banking and Mobile Banking to Post Offices Savings Bank (POSB) customers 24x7 along with the facilities of National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS). In the Budget 2015-16 speech in Parliament, the Union Finance Minister announced the Government’s intention to set up the Payment Bank by Department of Posts to promote financial inclusion and ease the access of the people to the formal financial system. The Department of Posts received an ‘In Principle’ approval from the RBI on 7/9/2015 for setting up of a Payments Bank. The main objectives of the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) is to bring a large number of individuals and small businesses into the formal banking channel by offering MSMEs, small entrepreneurs/ merchants, village panchayats, Self Help Groups (SHGs) etc. Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) of social security payments of various Ministries to beneficiaries, Utility Bill payments for electricity, water, telephone, gas, payments of various central and state government and municipal dues, person to person remittances, distribution of third party financial products such as insurance, mutual funds, pension and credit products. Finally, it was decided by department to roll out 650 branches of IPPB and their linkages with post offices across the country by September 2017.
2.3 The department is facing stiff competition and has been impacted by external factors of liberalization, globalization, digitization which have changed the dynamics of the market. Several new services have been introduced and the existing products redesigned to effectively compete with other players in the market. New products have been designed for various segments of the society. Steps have been taken to introduce information technology on a large scale, which has strengthened the customer interface at each stage of the value chain and improved delivery of service. The complex e-commerce, cash on delivery, logistics movement of consignments and instant money transfer are some new technology driven services that the department has recently embarked upon to meet the changing requirements of the public.
2.4 Department of Posts on an average delivers 624.04 crore pieces of mail every year reaching out to every nook and corner of the country. New opportunities are on the rise from e-commerce and parcel business. In the financial year there are over 40 crore accounts under the Savings Schemes at the end of financial year 2015-16 in Post Office Savings Bank scheme. There is huge potential from savings accounts and remittance business. The Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural PLI have also registered phenomenal growth. Aggregate number of PLI policies and aggregate sum assured as on 31/3/2016 was 4930000 and Rs. 109982.09 crore respectively. Department has published the projection of revenue growth up to 2019-20 which is appended as Annexure-B to this report.
2.5 As on 31/3/2016, there were a total 448840 employees in Department of Posts, of which, 193811 Departmental employees and 255029 are Gramin Dak Sevaks who run the large rural postal network. The present sanction strength of Inspector Posts is 2187 and ASP 1824. Therefore 4011 IPs/ASPs are serving the Department in field and headquarters.
2.6 It is a fact that not a single post of Inspector or Assistant Superintendent Posts has been sanctioned in the Department of Posts since 1979 despite full justification based on the existing Staff Inspection Units (SIU) norms. The work load and job description of Inspectors / Asst. Superintendents Posts have increased manifold due to subsequent diversification of business activities by the Department in different spheres.
2.7 It is a fact that the Inspector (Posts) and Asst. Supdt. Posts are instrumental in achieving the phenomenal growth of the Department of Posts in its savings bank services over the years. Currently DoP has 400.05 million accounts that hold deposits amounting to Rs 486264.66 crore. The department performs these agency services on behalf of the Ministry of Finance and provides financial inclusion to the poorest of the poor in remotest corners of the country through its postal network of 154910 post offices.
2.8 Department of Posts provides Life Insurance Services to Government employees known as Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance services (RPLI) to prospective clients across the country. It currently has a PLI Fund corpus of Rs 109982.09 crore from 49.30 lakhs live policies. The RPLI corpus is Rs 81733.73 from 149.15 lakhs policies. The PLI and RPLI corpus has shown a exponential growth rate. The Department has therefore been at the forefront of providing rural and quality life insurance services to Government staff and has registered an exponential growth in the sector over the last ten years.
3 Promotional Avenues :
3.1 The examination for promotion to the cadre of Inspector Posts is common for Postal / Sorting Assistant having a minimum 5 years qualifying service with just 4 chances for any official and comes with age restrictions. The exam comprises of four papers, each of 3 hours duration for 300 marks. This is one of the toughest competitive examinations conducted at All India level and only few aspirant candidates can get through. How stiff and competitive this examination is, can be easily assessed based on the syllabus. Paper I and II demands in-depth knowledge of the rules and regulations relating to Postal and RMS functions laid down in Postal Manuals and what the officers in All India Services in Central Govt. and Central Secretariat services are required to possess. Paper III deals with various laws comprising Constitution of India, Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.PC), Indian Evidence Act, COPRA Act & CAT Act, RTI Act 2005, CPC. Paper IV deals with General Knowledge and current affairs.
3.2 The Inspector Posts is required to acquire a fair knowledge of legislature enactments like Constitution of India, Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.PC), Indian Evidence Act, COPRA Act & CAT Act, RTI Act 2005, Indian Post Office Act 1898, Indian Post Office Savings Bank Act 1984, Indian Post Office Savings Banks Rules 1933, Indian Post Office Savings Certificate Act 1881, Indian Post Office Savings Certificate Rules.
3.3 This is a pure selection depending upon merit and the vacancies declared for the year. During the year 2016 out of 3207 candidates who appeared for the examination, only 165 have been selected against the declared vacancies by the deartment i.e. only 5.14.% have been declared successful. The cadre therefore, comprises of the cream of the Department. The successful candidates are required to undergo theoretical training at Postal Training centres and practical training in the field.
3.4 As recommended by the fifth CPC the Government has introduced Direct Recruitment at the level of Inspectors through Staff Selection Commission for 33.33% of the posts. 7CPC has now recommended GP of Rs 4600/- to Inspector posts cadre which is equal to the Inspectors working in other Ministries. An All India Seniority is drawn up based on the merit position of the candidates and this becomes the ultimate document for further promotion to Postal Services Group B Cadre.
4. Prposed scenario and Improvement after implementation of proposed cadre restructuring:-
4.1 The Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts are playing a very pivotal role to achieve the goals outlined for development of the Department through tremendous growth in its Savings Bank services and Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance services (RPLI), e-Commerce and bringing success to Government of India Social and Financial schemes vizMGNREGA payments.
4.2 With a large network of with over 1, 54,910 Post Offices (as on 31.03.2016) of which 1,29,346 (83.50%) in the rural areas, the Post Office touches the life of everyone. At the time of independence, there were 23,344 Post Offices, which were primarily in urban areas. Thus, the network has registered a seven-fold growth since Independence, with the focus of this expansion primarily in rural areas which is the focus of present Government to ensure overall growth. The Department is preparing to manage the massive changes that have arisen on introduction of the IT Modernization Project. With this kind of technology initiative, the Post Office will be in a position to become the front office of the Government to the citizens. Role of the Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts has also increased in many folds in implementation & Roll out of IT Modernization Project in general and particularly in Rural ICT.
4.3 In the present environment, inspection of Post Office work which is performed by the Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts is the foremost compliance verification tool. In the cadre restructuring of Group-C employees of Department of Posts the posts of SPMs in single and double handed offices have been upgraded to the extent of LSG Posts. Similarly, the posts of SPMs in triple handed offices have been upgraded to the extent of HSG-II Posts. The rising incidents due to technological advancement requiring dedicated man power to be trained and deployed for combating frauds. Therefore, it is proposed to have a dedicated Team of Group-B Officers at each Circle/Regional level for inspection of Offices of having the status of LSG and above.
4.4 Over a period of time, with increased competitiveness, increased accountability and commitment to society (as reflected in Citizen’s Charter), increased transparency (on account of transparent business process, automation and RTI etc.), streamlining of processes, the service delivery expectations and expeditious redressal of Public Grievance and the expectations for quick resolution of Public Grievance are much higher. We have also committed ourselves for improved services. Therefore, it is proposed to have additional Posts of Group-B Officers at Circle/Regional level for e-Commerce, Public Grievance, Technology, Business Development etc. and to upgrade the posts of ASP(HQ) and ASP(OD) in JTS Divisions (Postal/RMS) to PS Group-B Cadre.
4.5 There are 92 National Sorting Hubs (NSHS) in the Country which are headed by Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts. Out of these 92 NSHs, around 20 NSHs are under the jurisdiction JTS Divisions (Postal/RMS). It is proposed to upgrade these 20 posts to PS Group-B Cadre to head the NSHs under the jurisdiction JTS Divisions (Postal/RMS). Besides this hubs which are exclusively looking after the work of Parcel and e-commerce articles etc should be upgraded to PS Gr. B cadre.
4.6 On implementation of Core Banking Solution (CBS), Circle Processing Centers (CPCs) have been established at each Circle Head Quarters. It is proposed to upgrade 23 posts to PS Group-B Cadre to head the Circle Processing Centers (CPCs).
4.7 The issues like career opportunities and career progression are extremely significant for the Department as a whole. For an Inspector Posts it is taking more than 24 years to get PS Group-B through inter-se-seniority promotion. The ratio of Staff strength in PS Group-B cadre to that of the feeder cadre i.e. the Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts is 1:5. A career progression is a must to keep the motivation of an Officer alive throughout his career.
In view of the significant work profile in delivery of quality services expeditiously, disposing of Disciplinary /Vigilance cases in a time bound manner, in achieving the desired objective of complaints verification effectively and to meet the career expectations of the Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts there is need to upgrade certain posts of Assistant Superintendents of Posts to PS Group-B level at Circle /Regional Offices and Postal/RMS Divisional Offices.
To meet the functional requirement as well as career expectations of the Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts and in view of the aforementioned paras the cadre restructuring proposal of the Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts is placed as detailed below:-
Sl. No.
|
Grade
|
Existing Strength
|
Sl. No.
|
Grade
|
Proposed Strength
|
Proposal
|
1.
|
PS Group-B
|
750
|
1.
|
PS Group-B (Non Functional Selection Grade)
|
300
|
The exiting PS Group-B (Non Functional Selection Grade) in the level of Pay Matrix-10 only for those who are senior most and completed not less than a minimum service of two years in PS Group-B.
|
2.
|
PS Group-B
|
1088
|
It is proposed to upgrade the posts of ASP (HQ) and ASP (OD) in JTS Divisions/units (Postal/RMS) to PS Group-B Cadre(171x2=342). It is also proposed the head of National Sorting Hubs (NSHs) in JTS Divisions (Postal/RMS) (20) and all CBS CPCs (23)upgraded to PS Group-B Cadre. Certain posts of Assistant Superintendents Posts(113 + 140) to PS Group-B level at Circle /Regional Offices for looking after new services and Inspection Team.
| |||
2.
|
Assistant Superintendents of Posts
|
1824
|
3.
|
Assistant Superintendents of Posts
|
1264
|
All the Assistant Superintendent Posts will be at Circle / Regional Offices and Postal/RMS Divisional Offices. Also in PSD/ RSD/ CSD /Foreign Post/CBO/BPCs etc.
|
3.
|
Inspector Posts
|
2187
|
4.
|
Inspector Posts
|
2109
|
All the Inspector Posts will function as Sub-Divisional Head (Postal and RMS)
|
Total
|
4761
|
Total
|
4761
| |||
It is also proposed to keep leave reserve post 10% of cadre strength of PS Gr. B.
5. Financial Implications / Financial Neutrality:-
5.1 The financial implications have been computed based on sanctioned strength. The Cadre re-structuring, as proposed above, would not entail any additional expenditure as shown in the Annexure C and accordingly therefore in nutshell it will be total saving of Rs. 17,11,300/- to the department of posts.
5.2 At present there are 350 numbers of MACP III officials in the Pay Matrix Level-9 and 100 numbers of MACP II officials in the Pay Matrix Level-8 from the cadre of Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts are available in the Department. Hence the question of matching savings in the respective levels of Pay Matrix to the extent does not arise at all.
5.3 141 HSG-I Posts (IP Line) surrendered to General Line may be taken toward Financial Neutrality. If at all any matching savings is required, the same may be taken in to account and these 141 posts may be adjusted as matching savings.
Conclusion:
Since last 35 years no cadre review has taken place for IP cadre whereas all other cadres had managed to get benefits in their favour periodically. Only one cadre review was taken place for IP cadre, whereas 6 cadre reviews have already been carried out for IPoS cadre. In the year 2012 this Association was called for to attend meeting in connection with Organizational Restructuring in Department of Posts and in the said meeting it was discussed about up-gradation of Class II divisions to Class I division and in each division there would be 2 PS Gr. B officers. In view of the said meeting, the upgraded posts of ASPs to PS Gr. B may be placed in division/RO/CO. Overall there is an attempt to rationalize the cadre structure both at the headquarters and the field on the basis of functional requirement. It will provide more avenues to earn revenue and respond effectively to the growing customer needs. This will also reduce the stagnation and improve career aspects of Inspector Posts by saving of total Rs.17,11,300/- reducing the cost of the establishment permanently thereby it will vouchsafe the deficit of the department minimize.
We are waiting for positive response and if required meeting may be held with our Association for detailed discussion/clarification.
Yours sincerely,
Sd/-
(Vilas Ingale)
General Secretary
ANNEXURE - C
Financial Implications
Sl. No.
|
Grade
|
Existing Strength
|
Entry Pay
|
Total Pay
|
Sl. No.
|
Grade
|
Proposed Strength
|
Entry Pay
|
Total Pay
|
1.
|
PS Group-B
(Level-9)
|
750
|
53100
|
39825000
|
1.
|
PS Group-B (Non Functional Grade) (Level-10)
|
300
|
56100
|
16830000
|
2.
|
PS Group-B (Level-9)
|
1088
|
53100
|
57772800
| |||||
2.
|
Assistant Superintendents of Posts
(Level-8)
|
1824
|
47600
|
86822400
|
3.
|
Assistant Superintendents of Posts (Level-8)
|
1264
|
47600
|
60166400
|
3.
|
Inspector Posts (Level-7)
|
2187
|
44900
|
98196300
|
4.
|
Inspector Posts (Level-7)
|
2109
|
44900
|
94694100
|
4.
|
141 HSG-I Posts surrendered to General Line
|
141
|
44900
|
6330900
| |||||
Total
|
4902-141= 4761
|
231174600
|
Total
|
4761
|
229463300
| ||||
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