Friday 31 May 2013

There is no prescribed dress code for Aadhaar enrolment

Some reports have appeared in the media about residents being asked to adhere to a dress code when enrolling for Aadhaar. UIDAI would like to clarify that it has not prescribed any dress code for residents who wish to enroll for an Aadhaar number. The only criterion is that the face of the resident should be clearly visible while being photographed.

Residents are free to wear any kind of dress that they are comfortable with at the time of enrolment, provided it does not hide any part of the face (from forehead to chin). In fact, residents who wear a turban, burkha, or any such religious/traditional headgear are not required to remove them when being photographed as part of the Aadhaar enrolment process.

Any deviation from standard enrolment practice, such as prescribing a dress code where there is none, is a violation of the terms of engagement by the enrolment agencies. UIDAI constantly reviews the functioning of enrolment agencies and levies strict penalties, when such deviations come to light. Such instances can always be reported to the concerned Registrar or the Regional Offices of UIDAI. 


Source : PIB

Increase retirement age of government employees to 62

On 21st March 2013, there was an unstarred question in Rajya Sabha, about whether there was a proposal to increase the retirement age of Central government employees. The relevant MOS answered there was no such proposal. That’s not quite true, because there is such a proposal floating around and it went to Cabinet sub-committee and an in principle decision to implement was taken by Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT). One should not mix up existence of a proposal with a decision about implementing it. Evidently, a decision has now been taken to increase the age from 60 to 62 years, the last time such an increase took place was in 1998, when there was an increase from 58 to 60 years. Whenever such a decision is taken, debates centre on the big picture. What are arguments for? First, life expectancies are increasing. There is a shortage of good people within government. Let’s tap this expertise. Second, in any case there are extensions in “exceptional circumstances”. But that’s arbitrary and can be shot down by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC). Why not formalize the system by allowing extensions to everyone? The trouble with this argument is that there will be no finality about 62 either and there will be “exceptional circumstances” beyond 62.
Third, there should be parity. Professors now retire at 65. High Court judges retire at 62, Supreme Court judges retire at 65. The counter-arguments of the big picture are also obvious. India is a young country, young need employment opportunities. Promotional avenues of existing civil servants get blocked. Often, in the private sector, people retire at 60 and there are extensions, with the qualification that extensions are at consolidated monthly emoluments, with no perks. An increase in retirement age occurs with all perks. Therefore, there are significant fiscal costs. While these big picture arguments and counter-arguments are important, my problem is that such decisions aren’t taken because of logical coherence. They are ad hoc decisions, driven by myopic motives. First, increase in retirement age postpones the one-time superannuation burden of severance payments by around Rs 5000 crores. For a government that has drawn up red lines on deficit numbers, that’s a desirable objective, even though it is myopic because it increases fiscal costs on future governments. Second, there’s a clear political cum electoral motive. Outright, if we include Defence, we are talking about 1.5 million Central government employees.
In a broader sense, we are talking about something like 6 million, excluding State governments and quasi-government, all urban. This is therefore a significant component in that 65 million urban household figure. These two points will also be made when the 62 decision is announced. But the one that bothers me most is a third element, one that is invariably never talked about. Such ad hoc decisions are taken because of specific individuals. There is one particular individual whom government wishes to place in one particular position. Once he is placed there, government wishes him to benefit from increase in retirement age. But to ensure he is placed there, one needs to ensure those who are senior to him get out of the way first. After all, supersession is not desirable. Hence, announce the decision after some people have retired at 60 and exited. This is the way decisions are taken. At one level, there is no point complaining, because we have accepted corruption of institutions and systems as fact of life. But when this 62 decision is announced, as it soon will, let us not pretend there are any big picture considerations involved.
[http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/policypuzzles/entry/increase-in-government-retirement-age-to-62]

INDIA POST SET TO OPEN FIRST ATM IN BANGALORE

India Post set to open first ATM in Bangalore

BANGALORE, INDIA: When you hear 'ATM', what is the first thing that you relate to it? I am sure, many of us, including me, relate it to savings bank ATM card.
 
How about an ATM card similar to a debit card/ATM card issued by a bank for postal account? Sounds different right?
 
Yes, the Department of Posts, in an effort to provide enhanced solutions to its customers is all set to launch the first Automated teller Machine (ATM) in Bangalore GPO premises shortly, through a core banking solution.
 
Last year, the department of post had announced that it has plans to set up 1,000 ATM centres at different post offices across the country, with an aim provide better customer service through IT enablement of business processes and support functions.
 
Implementing new banking solution enables postal department to offer all kinds of services that are offered by private banks to more than 200 million post office saving bank (POSB) account holders in 1.55 lakh post offices.
 
When CIOL enquired about the launch of India's first India Post ATM, an official concerned with the Bangalore post office said, on condition of anonymity, that the ATM facility will be launch shortly with good features.
 
He further added that the postal ATM card enables POSB account holders to withdraw money from any bank ATM, provided they have enough savings.
 
"POSB account holder need not rely only on Post Office ATMs," he added.
Recently, TCS announced that it had bagged a Rs 1,100 crore, six-year contract from the Department of Posts to provide end-to-end IT modernisation program to equip India Post with modern technologies and systems to enable it to serve more services to more customers, in an effective manner.
 
The IT modernisation project dubbed 'India Post 2012' will help the department achieve a wider reach among the Indian population through increased customer interaction channels and through new lines of business.
 
Source : http://www.ciol.com/ciol/news/189381/india-post-set-atm-bangalore

TCS will manage data migration, infrastructure, SLA, call centre and centralised 24x7 service desk operation for Department of Posts

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Wednesday said it has bagged a six-year contract from the Department of Posts (DoP) worth over Rs 1,100 crore. 
 
The end-to-end IT modernisation programme to be implemented by TCS will equip India Post with modern technologies and systems to enable it to provide services to customers in an effective manner, TCS said in a statement. 
 
The scope of the project, dubbed India Post 2012, includes developing and supporting mail, finance and accounts, HR, and customer interaction management solutions for all channels including Rural ICT platform. 
 
Under the deal, TCS will also manage data migration, infrastructure, Service Level Agreement (SLA), call centre and centralised 24x7 service desk operation for DoP, it said.
The end-to-end security solutions, Enterprise Management System (EMS) and over all integration for entire system is the responsibility of core system integrator ( CSI), the statement said. 
 

"India Post has a vision of being a technology-enabled self-reliant market leader and is looking to move from a government service provider to a customer-enabled service provider where the customer will be the focus of multifarious service delivery platforms," DoP Secretary P Gopinath said. 
 
Increased urbanisation, demand for financial services, increased funding by the government for the weaker sections and the rural sector have opened up new opportunities for India Post, which has necessitated development of new processes and supporting technology
 

"The core system integrator project is about service delivery transformation through a technology-led, service- oriented approach to offer world class delivery of postal services to Indian citizens," TCS Vice President and Global Head (Government Industry Solutions Unit) Tanmoy Chakrabarty said.
 
Source:-The Economic Times

India Post penalised for delaying Speed Post letter

New Delhi: A Speed Post letter that crawled to its destination and cost an unemployed man the chance of a job has earned the postal department the wrath of India’s top consumer court, which pulled it up for deficiency in service and ordered payment of compensation.
 
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission dismissed the pleas of head post master in Rajasthan’s Alwar town and post master of Jaipur’s Sitapura Industrial Area seeking a reduction in the Rs20,000 penalty imposed on them and said: “We feel that Rs 20,000 can in no way compensate the respondent for the lost opportunity.”
 
Commission’s Presiding Member V.B. Gupta and Member Rekha Gupta directed the postal department to pay complainant and Alwar resident Neeraj Gupta Rs10,000 as compensation for not delivering his job application in the same city within the prescribed time of 24 hours in 2010.
In its recent order, the apex consumer commission also directed the department to deposit Rs10,000 in the Consumer Legal Aid Account of the commission by July 20.

The department’s attempt to wriggle out of the mess did not go down well with the commission. “It is indeed surprising to note that in respect of the inordinate delay in delivery of the Speed Post article which had cost an unemployed youth his chances for obtaining a job, the department is trying to get out by paying a paltry compensation of Rs20,000 to Gupta,” said the commission.
 
The postal department had appealed in the national commission against a state consumer commission’s judgment in favour of Gupta. The apex consumer commission has now upheld the state commission’s verdict.
 
“We find that there is no jurisdictional error, illegality or infirmity in the order passed by the state commission warranting our interference. The revision petition is dismissed on merit as well as on limitation with cost of Rs20,000,” said the national commission.
 
The postal department “is a service provider and the Consumer Protection Act should be consumer-friendly and not one which works against the interest of the consumer”, the national commission said, rejecting the contention that Gupta was not entitled to compensation.
 
The national commission also frowned over the litigation cost the department would have incurred in its bid to avoid paying the Rs.20,000 penalty.
 
“The petitioner should also see whether it is justifiable and fair to deny paying a meagre compensation of Rs20,000 to the consumer by spending far more on legal expenses in fighting the case in different fora,” the national commission said.
 
Gupta said in his complaint he posted his job application letter through Speed Post December 23, 2010, for the office of district parishad, Alwar, that had invited applications for the post of gram sewak and ex-officio secretary.
 
He said the last date for applying for the job was December 27, 2010, and at the time of sending the letter the postal staff told him that it would be delivered by December 24, 2010.
Gupta said the letter returned to his house December 30, 2010, without any official explanation.

Source :  http://gulfnews.com

Thursday 30 May 2013

Supplementary DPC for the promotion to the cadre of PS Gr. B for the year 2012-13...an update

Directorate is now busy in preparation of documentation to convene supplementary DPC for the promotion to the cadre of PS Gr. B for the year 2012-13. There may be approximately 45 to 46 vacancies.
 
Source : CHQ Blog
 

TRANSFER/POSTINGS IN ASSTT. SUPDT. POSTS CADRE

The Competent Authority is pleased to order the following transfer/posting in Asstt. Supdt. cadre with immediate effect in the interest of service :-
S No.      Name of officer                  Present Posting       Posting on Transfer  
1.       Smt. Suman Jakhar                ASP (Uniform), PSD     ASP (HQ), Delhi East
2.       Sh. Nitin Kr. Sharma             ASP (D), NDCD           ASP (II S D), Delhi East
3.       Sh. Sushil Joshi                     ASP (II S D), Delhi East ASP (I S D), Delhi East Dn.
4.       Sh. Dinesh Kumar                ASP (HQ), NDSD          ASP (I S D), NDSD
5.       Smt. Poonam Dahiya           ASP (HQ), ND Stg. Dn.  ASP (HQ), ND South
                                                 (Presently attached in M.O.Sec, C.O.)
6.      Sh. Naresh Kumar               ASP, RMS Bhawan          ASP (HQ), Delhi Stg.  on medical ground

Authority : Circle Office Memo No. Staff/BB-5/ASP/Tfr/10  dated 28.05.2013

Tuesday 28 May 2013

Availing of LTC (Leave Travel Concession) in current block year.

Everyone knows that all central government employees can avail LTC through their respective department and can use this opportunity for travelling to any part India. This concession can be availed in block years.  A block year consists of four calendar years. As far this block year is concerned, this year 2013 is the last year in this particular block year – i.e. 2010-2013.

Employees can use this opportunity this year itself without waiting for an extension in the next year. In the last couple of years the block years were extended for another one year for the benefit of many of our employees who are not utilizing it properly. In JCM Meetings, Trade unions and Federations are demanding more facilities in LTC like Air Travel from anywhere in India. Now employees can travel to Jammu & Kashmir and North Eastern States by air. The government has informed that only about 20% of the employees are utilizing this concession.
Going for vacation to different places with family and friends gives the entire family, a fresh atmosphere.  Mingling with friends and other people in different places nourishes our thoughts and minds. In foreign countries, going for a vacation is encouraged very much. To conclude, all central government employees should grab this golden opportunity to travel to any part our country and can enjoy their vacation.
[http://employeesorders.com/2013/05/availing-of-ltc-leave-travel-concession-in-current-block-year/]

Supplementary DPC for the promotion to the cadre of PS Gr. B for the year 2012-13...an update

Today, it is learnt that the requisite information called for by Directorate under memo No. 9-23/2012-SPG dated 22/4/2013 to convene supplementary DPC for the promotion to PS Gr.B. is received from all Circles except from  APS Directorate.
 
Source : CHQ Blog

Saturday 25 May 2013

HOW TO FILE AN RTI APPLICATION

An RTI application can be made on a sheet of plain paper and can have any number of questions. It should be addressed to the public information officer of the department or organisation concerned. Rs.10/- should be paid as application fee by cash or through postal order, court fee stamp or demand draft. Questions should be direct and leave no room for the information officer to give vague replies. Information officer has to reply within 30 days of receipt of the application, failing which he is liable to a fine of 250 per day. Appeal can be filed with the head of the department in which the application was filed, if the information officer fails to reply within the deadline. Second appeal can be filed before the central or state information commission if applicant is not satisfied with the replies.

According to Section 2(f) of the RTI Act, information means any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails , press releases, circulars, contracts, samples, models, data held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law in force.

REVIEW OF THE SPECIAL RECRUITMENT DRIVE LAUNCHED TO FILL UP THE BACKLOG RESERVED VACANCIES OF THE SCHEDULED CASTES, SCHEDULED TRIBES AND OBCS.

          The Union Cabinet today approved the Special Recruitment Drive launched to fill up the backlog in reserved vacancies of the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

          The achievement of the drive was reviewed in July, 2011 by the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions as there was a large backlog of vacancies which were yet to be filled. The drive was re-launched to fill up the remaining identified backlog vacancies by the end of the financial year i.e. 31.03.2012. All Ministries/Departments were requested to make concerted efforts to ensure that the remaining backlog reserved vacancies of SCs, STs and OBCs were filled up by 31st March, 2012.

          The achievement of the Special Recruitment Drive on its conclusion on 31st March, 2012, as reported by various Ministries/Departments is as follows

          (
i) A total of 75,522 backlog vacancies were identified. Of these, 44,427 were in the direct recruitment quota and 31,095 in the promotion quota.

          (ii) Of the 44,427 backlog vacancies in the direct recruitment quota, 28,588 have been filled up so far. The success rate in direct recruitment quota is therefore 64.35 percent.

          (iii) Out of 31,095 backlog vacancies in the promotion quota, there are 11,347 vacancies (SC 4,239 & ST 7,106) for which eligible candidates are not available even in the extended zone of consideration. Therefore, it has not been found possible to fill up these vacancies. Out of the remaining 19,748 vacancies in the promotion quota, 19,446 vacancies have been filled up so far. After excluding the vacancies for which candidates are not available, achievement of the drive in respect of the promotion quota is 98.47 percent
.
                                                              *****
SH/SK (PIB 23.05.2013)

Taxable income of over Rs 5 lakh? Be ready to file I-T returns online

If you are used to the old-fashioned pen on the paper form of filing annual tax returns, you are going to have a bit of a problem this year. Earlier this month, the Income Tax Department issued a notification making e-filing mandatory for those with a taxable income of over Rs 5 lakh. This means that if you are not IT-savvy , it's time to brush up your technical skills.

After all, July 31 — the last date for filing the return — is not too far away. However, you don't have to fret about it as the process is not as tedious as it is imagined to be. Once you follow a few simple steps and avoid the common mistakes , you could be through in a couple of hours. Also, you have some time on hand, as all the new forms are yet to be released. "Only
ITR 1 (Form Sahaj) and ITR 4S (Form Sugam) have been released for e-filing ," informs Vaibhav Sankla , director with tax consultancy firm H&R Block.

Keep preceding year's return filed at hand

Before you start filing your return, ensure that you have a copy of last year's return filed as well as the Form 16 issued by your employer on your desk. It will help you quickly refer to the figures and other details required while completing the form. Next, you should register yourself on the I-T Department's website (www.incometaxindiaefiling .gov.in) and create an account.

Select the appropriate tax return form

While this may sound elementary, the fact is that many tax-payers make this mistake quite often. This year in particular, you need to take additional care as the tax return form you had chosen last year may not be applicable now. "Most taxpayers would now be required to use Form ITR 2 to file their taxes. This is because those having tax exempt income of more than Rs 5,000 cannot file their taxes in Form ITR 1 (that is Form Sahaj). Most salaried individuals are in receipt of several tax exempt allowances such as conveyance allowance, house rent allowance (HRA), leave travel allowance, etc, the total of which easily exceeds Rs 5,000 for a year," explains Sankla.

Check your tax credit statement

Next, you need to figure out whether taxes deducted by your employer are reflecting in this form. "You should verify tax credits by viewing the Form 26AS downloaded from the e-filing portal," says Sonu Iyer, tax partner and national leader, human capital services, Ernst & Young. The website www.incometaxindiaefiling .gov.in facilitates viewing of the Form 26AS of the tax payer.

"The income and the details of the taxes deducted, advance tax or selfassessment tax paid should be taken into consideration while e-filing the return of income. This will ensure correct issuance of refund and avoid additional tax demands due to proper tax credits not being granted ," says Suresh Surana, founder, RSM Astute Consulting.
 
Source : Economic Times

Grant of one increment in pre-revised pay scale – OM dated 19.03.2012 – clarification regarding

F.No.1/1/2008-IC
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure
North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 22nd May, 2013
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject: Grant of one increment in pre-revised pay scale – OM dated 19.3.2012 – clarification regarding.
 
The undersigned is directed to invite a reference to this Ministry’s Office Memorandum of even no. dated 19.3.2012 which provides that those Central Government employees who were due to get their annual increment between February to June during 2006, may be granted one increment as on 1.1.2006 in the pre-revised pay scale as a one time measure and, thereafter, will get the next increment in the revised pay structure on 1.7.2006.
 
2. As per this Ministry’s OM No. F. No. 1/1/2008-IC dated 30th August, 2008. fitment tables have been prescribed in Annexure-1 thereto, specifying the stages of revised pay in the revised pay band with reference to each stage of pre-revised pay in various pre-revised pay scales. As per the fitment tables, the stage of revised pay in the pay band has been mentioned at the same stage in respect of two consecutive pre-revised stages of pay in cases of certain pre-revised scales.
 
3. This Ministry has been receiving references as to whether in cases where the fitment table provides for the same revised stage in case of two consecutive pre-revised stages in a particular pre-revised scale of pay, the  benefit of bunching is admissible after grant of one increment in the pre-revised pay scale by virtue of this Ministry’s OM dated 19.3.2012.
 
4. The matter has been considered and it is clarified that Fitment Table contained in the aforesaid OM dated 30.8.2008 is to he strictly followed for fixation of pay in the revised structure without any deviation.
 
5. In cases where the stages of fixation of pay in the revised pay band as per fitment table contained in the aforesaid OM dated 30.8.2008 provides for the same revised stage in the Pay Band with reference to two consecutive stages of pre-revised pay in the corresponding pre-revised scales, then in such cases due to application of this Ministry’s OM dated 19.3.2012, there will be no change in the revised pay as on 1.1.2006, if the revised stage with reference to the pre-revised pay after accounting for one increment in the pre-revised scale does not undergo any change as per the Fitment Table. It is also clarified that no further bunching will be allowed in such cases and no re-fixation of pay will be admissible in the revised pay as on 1.1.2006.
sd/-
(Amar Nath Singh)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India
Source : www.finmin.nic.in

Thursday 23 May 2013

Restructuring of the Income Tax Department

The Union Cabinet today approved the proposal for creation of 20,751 additional posts in the Income Tax Department in various cadres that is 1349 additional posts in the IRS cadre and 19,402 additional posts in the non-IRS cadres. This will help the Income Tax Department collect increased revenue and provide better tax payers services.

An additional expenditure of Rs. 449.71 crore per annum is likely to be incurred on creation of additional posts and upgradation of some existing posts. This additional expenditure would be more than compensated by the increased revenue of more than Rs. 25,000 crore per annum proposed to be generated as a result of this exercise. 


Source : PIB

Government urges all tax Payers to Disclose their True income and pay Appropriate taxes within the Current Financial Year...

Government urges all tax Payers to Disclose their True income and pay Appropriate taxes within the Current Financial Year...
A Compliance Management Cell has been set-up to Ensure Follow-up Action and Track Return Filing and Tax Payment of the Target Segment; 70,000 Letters are being sent in 2 Batches to High Priority Cases in this Month 
The Union Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram has repeatedly emphasized that there is need for a non–intrusive tax administration to enable the tax payer to file his/her return and pay appropriate taxes. 

In the statement made by the Revenue Secretary, Government of India to the media on 11th February 2013, he had mentioned that the Directorate of Systems has undertaken a business intelligence project to identify PAN holders who have not filed Income Tax Return and about whom specific information is available in Annual Information Return (AIR), Central Information Branch (CIB) data and TDS/TCS Returns. Information in the Cash Transaction Reports (CTRs) of FIU-IND was also included as part of this data matching exercise. This data analysis has identified target segment of 12,19,832 non-filers linked to more than 4.7 crore information records. Rule based algorithms were used to identify high priority cases for follow-up and monitoring. 
Letters were sent in three batches to 1,05,000 high priority cases seeking to know whether the person had filed his Income Tax return or not. The letter contained the summary of the information of financial transaction(s) along with a customized response sheet. 
Preliminary assessment of the results show that a large number of taxpayers have filed return of income and paid self assessment tax after initiation of this exercise. Taxes of more than Rs. 600 crore has been paid as self assessment tax and advance tax by the target segment in last three months. 
This exercise is now being expanded and a compliance management cell has been set up to ensure follow-up action and track return filing and tax payment of the target segment. Another 70,000 letters are being sent in 2 batches to other high priority cases in this month, of these, the first batch of 35,000 letters has been dispatched on 20/5/2013. 
This data analysis initiative has also helped in defining the scope and requirements of a comprehensive Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence (DW & BI) Project of the Income Tax Department. The DW&BI Project will develop a comprehensive integrated platform for effective utilisation of available and accessible information to promote voluntary compliance, deter non-compliance and impart confidence that all eligible persons pay appropriate tax. The project will integrate enterprise data warehouse, data mining, web mining, predictive modelling, data exchange, master data management, centralised processing, compliance risk management and case analysis capabilities. 
Government once again urges all tax payers to disclose their true income and pay appropriate taxes within the current financial year. 

Publishing of Compendium of Best Practices on RTI

                                                                        1/3/2013-IR
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training
IR Division
North Block, New Delhi-110001
Dated: 14.5.2013
Subject: Publishing of Compendium of Best Practices on RTI
The Department of Personnel and Training, Govt. of India proposes to publish a compendium of best practices on RTI being adopted by Public Authorities all over the country. Write ups are invited from the Indian Citizens about the best practices on RTI being adopted by Public Authorities all over the country. The best 20 write-ups would be selected for inclusion in the compendium. The individuals whose write ups are selected for inclusion In the compendium would be rewarded with a lumpsum amount of Rs. 25000 each.

2. The format for the write-Ups would be as follows:
1) Name of the Public Authority, whose practice is being considered in the write up.
2) Need felt/problem faced by the Public Authority leading to adoption of such practice.
3) Details of the said practice, including its scope, financial implications, and deployment of resources such as manpower, infrastructure, etc.
4) Lessons learnt by the Public Authority during implementation of the said practice.
5) Positive outcome of such practice in the implementation of the RTI Act.
6) Scope of its replication in other Public Authorities.
3. The write-ups should be of about 5000 words, neatly typed in 1.5 linespace and 14 size font. All documents in support of the best practice should be attached separately. The complete name and address including telephone and email id of the individual submitting the write-up should be mentioned. Handwritten write-ups would not be considered. Two copies of the write-ups should be submitted to the Deputy Secretary(IR), Department of Personnel and Training, North Block, New Delhi-110001 by 28th June, 2013 through post.
4. The individuals whose write ups would be selected could be asked by the department to resubmit the same after making desired changes, if any.
sd/-
(Sarita Nair)
Under Secretary to the Govt of India
Source: www.persmin.nic.in
[http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02rti/1_3_2013-IR-14052013.pdf]

RTI Act 2005 - Furnishing Wrong Information

Furnishing Wrong Information 
There are a number of cases where an applicant has filed first appeal with the First Appellate Authority in the Public Authority concerned and second appeal/complaint with the Central Information Commission/State Information , as the case may be, inter-alia, due to the following reasons:
(i) Non-receipt of information within prescribed time;
(ii) Denial of request of information;
(iii) If he/she believes that incomplete/misleading or false information under this Act has been given by the Public Information Officer.
The number of second appeals/complaints registered by the Central Information Commission during three years is as under:

2009-102010-112011-12
228002887533922

The Right to Information Act, 2005 already provides for imposition of penalty and recommendation of disciplinary action by the Central Information Commission/State Information Commission, as the case may be, against the Public Information Officer who has knowingly given incorrect, incomplete or misleading information under the RTI Act. The CIC/SICs have been imposing such penalties and also recommending disciplinary action against such Public Information Officers.
This was stated by Shri V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office in written reply to a question by  Shri Bharat Ram Meghwal on 10.05.2013.
PIB News

Supplementary DPC for the promotion to the cadre of PS Gr. B for the year 2012-13...an update

Today, it is learnt that the requisite information called for by Directorate under memo No. 9-23/2012-SPG dated 22/4/2013 to convene supplementary DPC for the promotion to PS Gr.B. is yet to be received from Kerala and APS Directorate. 
Source : CHQ Blog
 

Income limit of 'Creamy Layer' increased to Rs. 6 lakh

Union Cabinet yesterday approved to increase the limit of 'Creamy layer' bar from Rs.4.50 lakh to Rs.6 lakh...
 
Revision of Income Criterion to exclude Socially Advanced Persons/ Sections (Creamy Layer) from list of other Backward Classes (OBCs)
 
The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for increase in the present income criterion of Rs. 4.5 lakh per annum for applying the Creamy Layer restriction throughout the country, for excluding Socially Advanced Persons/Sections (Creamy Layer) from the purview of reservation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The new income criterion will be Rs. 6 lakh per annum. The increase in the income limit to exclude the Creamy Layer is in keeping with the increase in the Consumer Price Index and would enable more persons to take advantage of reservation benefits extended to OBCs in government services and admission to central educational institutions.

This would bring about equity and greater inclusiveness in society. The Department of Personnel and Training and the Ministry of Human Resource Development would issue necessary orders to this effect.
 

Source: PIB News

Finance ministry opposes India Post’s banking licence plan

Mumbai: The finance ministry has opposed India Post’s plan to seek a commercial banking licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on grounds that the postal service doesn’t have the expertise needed in relevant areas, such as handling credit.
 
India Post is keen to set up a commercial bank called the Post Bank of India, arguing that it can significantly boost financial inclusion in Asia’s third largest economy through its nationwide network of 155,000 post offices.
 
This will also allow the organization, which posted a loss of Rs.6,346 crore in fiscal 2012, to make up for business dropping off over the years as letter writing dwindled and private courier firms took away market share.
 
Losses have significantly increased in recent years on account of higher expenses.
 
However, the finance ministry’s department of financial services doubts India Post’s ability to set up and run a bank, according to a senior postal department official who didn’t want to be named.
 
Some of the country’s large public sector banks have also been lobbying against the proposal, concerned that India Post, with its vast branch network, could pose a threat to their business, said the official, who’s directly involved with the proposal.
 
“The larger idea of setting up a bank is to further the cause of financial inclusion. Entry of India Post into banking can significantly help address this situation,” the official said.
 
However, “They (finance ministry officials) are asking too many questions. Why (do) you need a bank? What is your expertise to run a bank?” the official said.
India Post is engaged in several related functions, such as running a savings bank scheme, selling tax-saving instruments and accepting public provident fund deposits. The government also uses post office accounts to route payments to beneficiaries as part of the rural jobs programme and the direct transfer of subsidies.
 
A former government official said the postal department should focus on its existing business.
 
“It is totally illogical for the postal department to enter into banking. They do not have the experience in handling credit or the ability to manage a bank,” said D.K. Mittal, who was finance secretary till recently.
 
“Mere experience in collecting deposits under the post office scheme is not enough. The department should ideally focus on improving their core activity.”
According to Mittal, the department should adopt new technology and try to become profitable instead of diversifying operations.
 
Emails to financial services secretary Rajiv Takru last week remained unanswered.
 
RBI invited applications from private and public sector entities in February to set up banks, three years after former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee made the suggestion and nine years after the last round of licences were issued.
 
The application deadline expires on 1 July. The minimum capital required by applicants is Rs.500 crore.
 
Companies that have expressed interest in starting banks include L&T Finance Holdings Ltd,India Infoline LtdReligare Enterprises LtdAditya Birla Financial Services GroupMahindra and Mahindra Financial Services LtdLIC Housing Finance Ltd, Bandhan Financial Services Pvt. Ltd, Janalakshmi Financial Services Pvt. Ltd, Tata Capital LtdIDFC LtdReliance Capital LtdIndia Infrastructure Finance Co. LtdBajaj Finserv Ltd and Srei Infrastructure Finance Ltd.
 
Despite the finance ministry’s reservations, India Post is determined to go ahead with its application and has appointed consultancy firm Ernst and Young (E&Y) India to advise it on the plan, officials said.
 
The department is still in consultation with various ministries on the modalities of setting up a new bank.
 
While the plan is almost two decades old, the department got serious about it sometime in 2006, conducting internal viability studies and seeking the opinion of consultancy firms.
 
The move gathered momentum when RBI announced final licensing norms for new banks in February.
 
According to an interim report submitted by E&Y India in April, the proposed Post Bank of India will focus on the bottom of the pyramid, or the poor, in non-metro centres and avoid urban areas that are already well served by large banks.
 
“The existing deposit holders under the post office savings bank scheme will have an option to transfer their deposits to the bank if they choose to do so,” said the postal department official cited earlier in the story.
 
In the initial phase, the Post Bank will have 300-400 branches and a specific number of postal outlets will be managed by each of them.
 
According to the official, the department of posts plans to introduce an advanced technology platform that will connect all post office branches. It has also studied models of post offices that run banks in Germany and Japan.
 
E&Y will soon submit its final report to the postal department, said Ashvin Parekh, partner (financial services).
 
“There have been some concerns raised by the finance ministry regarding the proposal,” he said. “We are in the process of submitting our final report, which will...answer all...concerns.”
 
Financial inclusion, or ensuring that more of the country’s citizens become part of the banking system, has been a key aim of both the central bank and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for several years. About 40% of India’s population still do not have access to formal financial services.
RBI introduced a three-year financial inclusion programme in April 2010 that saw banks opening outlets in 200,000 villages. RBI has advised banks to draw up a financial inclusion plan for 2013-2016 to further broaden access.
 
India Post will pitch its vast branch network as an advantage in this direction, although the current state of some of these outposts isn’t likely to inspire much confidence in those looking for a safe place to keep their money.
 
Out of the total 154,866 post offices, 139,040 are in rural areas. About 6,000 people are covered on average by a post office in rural areas and about 24,000 in urban areas, according to a 2011 estimate by the postal department.
 
As of 31 March, the outstanding balance under the post office savings scheme stood at Rs.6.05 trillion, which is equivalent to half the deposits of government-owned State Bank of India, the country’s largest commercial bank, and double that of the largest private lender, ICICI Bank Ltd.
 
E&Y’s Parekh said: “The idea is not to convert the existing post office savings into a bank. The plan is to create a completely new bank. Hence there won’t be any large requirement of capital in the beginning,”
 
As for the finance ministry’s concerns about lack of credit experience, Parekh said: “This can be built up gradually.”
 

Thursday 9 May 2013

Transfer/Posting in the JTS of IPoS, Group "A" cadre

Sh. Aparjit Patnaik, SSRM, Air Mail Sorting Dn., New Delhi has been posted as APMG (Technology),Circle Office.

Remarks :- 1. The post of APMG (Mktg) has been redesignated as APMG (Technology) which has fallen vacant due to transfer of Sh. Rahul Kaushik to Tamilnadu Circle.
                  2.The post of APMG (IT, FS & PMU) is redesignated as APMG (FS & PMU).

Authority : C. O. Memo No. Staff/50-2/XVIII/KW-I dated 07.05.2013

Posting on promotion in JTS of IPoS, Group "A"

Sh. B. S. Umesh, PS Group "B" officer working in Karnataka Circle has been posted on promotion in JTS, Group "A" on regular basis in the PB-3, Rs. 15600-39100+GP Rs. 5400/- as SSRM, Air Mail Sorting Division, New Delhi-110021

Authority : C. O. Memo No. Staff/50-2/XVIII dated 07.05.2013

LDCE for the promotion to the cadre of PS Gr. B for the year 2013.

It is learnt from Postal Directorate that, due to filing of CAT cases individualy by candidates at various benches in connection with last year examination and as per the decision taken by Directorate to recast the marks of the said examiantion, this years PS Gr. B Examination is likely to be delayed. Recasting of marks of PS Gr. B examination 2012 is said to be entrusted to Rafi Ahmed Kidwai National Postal Academy (RAKNPA) Ghaziabad.
Source : CHQ Blog
 

Monday 6 May 2013

POSTAL DEPARTMENT HIRING: CBI CONDUCTS RAID IN BIHAR

                                                  TNN May 4, 2013, 05.10AM IST
PATNA: The CBI on Friday conducted raids at 16 different places located in Sitamarhi and Samastipur districts in connection with the irregularities detected in the appointment of Gramin Dak Sevaks. These appointments were made by the postal department in 2008 and 2012.
Confirming the raids, CBI DIG B K Singh said the CBI sleuths detected 17 such appointments in Sitamarhi and 13 in Samastipur district. "Though no arrest has been made so far in the matter, a thorough investigation is on to nab the real culprits behind such appointments," he said. Singh said the appointments were made after preparing a merit list on the basis of marks obtained in class X by the candidates irrespective of their board. All these 30 candidates were prima facie appointed on the basis of fake Madhyama certificates purportedly issued by Sanskrit Shiksha Board, he said.
(Times of India, Patna)

Empanelment of private hospitals (including dental clinics and eye care centres) and diagnostic centres under CGHS, DELHI & NCR

Gazette of India Notification regarding Retention of Quarter on Retirement or Terminal Leave

Directorate of Estates Orders 2013 : Gazette of India Notification regarding Retention of Quarter on Retirement or Terminal Leave

Ministry of Urban Development
(Directorate of Estates)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 10th April, 2013

G.S.R. 262(E). - In pursuance of provisions of rule 45 of the Fundamental Rules, the President hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Allotment of Government Residence (General Pool in Delhi) Rules, 1963, namely :-
1. Short Title and Commencement :
(1) These rules may be called the Allotment of Government Residence (General Pool in Delhi) Amendment Rules, 2014.
(2) They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Allotment of Government Residence (General Pool in Delhi), Rules, 1963
(a) In Supplementary rule 317-B-11, in the table below sub-rule (2), against the item (ii) relating to retirement or terminal leave, for the figure and words "2 months on normal licence fee and another 2 months on double the normal licence fee" occurring under the column relating to permissible period for retention of the residence, the figure and words :2 months on normal licence fee" shall be substituted.
(b) In Supplementary Rule 317-B-22, the existing provision in para 3 i.e.
"Provided further that in the event of retirement or terminal leave, the allottee shall be eligible to retain the Government accommodation for a further period of two months on payment of four times of the normal licence fee and subsequent two months on payment of six times of the normal licence fee for special reasons involving medical/educational grounds, subject to appropriate certification by the authorities concerned."
shall be substituted by
"Provided further that in the event of retirement or terminal leave, the allottee shall be eligible to retain the government accommodation for a further period of one month on payment of six times of the normal licence fee for special reasons involving medical/educational grounds, without certificate".
[F.No.12035/28/96-Pol.II (Vol.II)
S.K.JAIN, Dy.Director of Estates (Policy)
Source : www.estates.nic.in
[http://estates.nic.in/WriteReadData/dlcirculars/Circulars20214.pdf]

Adhoc Promotion in PS Group "B"

Following ASPs have been promoted in PS Group "B" on adhoc and temporary basis :-

1. Smt. Rekha Rani, ASP (D), ND South Dn. has been posted as Asstt. Director (QS), Circle Office.
2. Sh. R. K. Meena, ASP, Palam TMO has been posted as Supdt., Circle Stamp Depot.
3. Sh. V. S. Duhoon, ASP Ist, ND South Dn. has been posted as Dy. CPM, Delhi GPO.
4. Sh. S. N. Dhondiyal, ASP (D), ND South West Dn. has been posted as Asstt. Director (Dely), GPO, New Delhi.
5. Sh. C. P. Sarswat, ASP (HQ), Delhi Sorting Dn. has been posted as Supdt., Delhi RMS. 

Authority : Circle Office Memo No. Staff/50-3/XXIV dated 06.05.2013