Maha Dharna at New Delhi with Central Trade Unions & other independent federations on 9th, 10th& 11th Nov 2017

12 points charter of Demands of all workers

1.Urgent measures for containing price rise through universalization of public distribution system and banning speculative trade in commodity market.

2.Containing unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation.

3.Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of Labour laws.

4. Universal social security cover for all workers.

5. Minimum wages of not less than 18000/- per month with provisions of indexation.

6.Assured enhanced pension not less than Rs.3000/- per month for the entire working population.

7.Stoppage of disinvestment and strategic sale in Central/State Public Sector Undertakings.

8.Stoppage of Contractorisation in permanent periennial work and payment of same wage and benefits for contract workers as regular workers for same and similar work.

9.Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund; increase the quantum of gratuity.

10.Compulsory registration of Trade Unions within a period of 45 days from the date of submitting application and immediate ratification of ILO Conventions C-87 and C-98.

11.Against Labour law amendments.

12.Against FDI in Railways, Insurance and Defence.

21 points charter of Demands of confederation

1.    Honour the assurance given by the Group of Ministers to NJCA on 30th June 2016 and 6th July 2016, especially increase in minimum wage and fitment factor. Grant revised HRA at the rate of  30%, 20% and 10% with effect from 01-01-2016. Settle all anomalies arising out of implementation of 7th CPC recommendations, in a time bound manner.

2.      Implement option-I recommended by 7th CPC regarding parity in pension of pre-2016 pensioners.

3.   Scrap PFRDA Act and Contributory Pension Scheme and grant pension and Family Pension to all Central Government employees recruited after 01.01.2004, under CCS (Pension) Rules 1972.

4.    Treat GraminDakSewaks of Postal department as Civil Servants, and extend all benefits like pay, pension, allowances etc. of departmental employees to GDS.

5.    Regularise all casual, contract, part-time, contingent and Daily rated mazdoors and grant equal pay and other benefits.

6.    No Downsizing, Privatisation, outsourcing and contractorisation of Government functions.

7.    Withdraw the arbitrary decision of the Government to enhance the bench mark for performance appraisal for promotion and financial upgradations under MACP from “GOOD” to VERY GOOD” and also decision to withhold annual increments in the case of those employees who are not able to meet the bench march either for MACP or for regular promotion within the first 20 years of service. Grant MACP pay fixation benefits on promotional hierarchy and not on pay-level hierarchy. Personnel promoted on the basis of examination should be treated as fresh entrants to the cadre for grant of MACP.

8.     Withdraw the draconian FR 56 (J) and Rule 48 of CCs (Pension) Rules 1972 which is being misused as a short cut as purity measure to punish and victimize the employees.

9.     Fill up all vacant posts including promotional posts in a time bound manner. Lift ban on creation of posts. Undertake cadre Review to assess the requirement of employees and their cadre prospects. Modify recruitment rules of Group-‘C’ cadre and make recruitment on Reginal basis.

10.   Remove 5% ceiling on compassionate appointments and grant appointment in all deserving cases.

11.    Grant five promotions in the service carreer to all Central Govt. employees.

12.    Abolish and upgrade all Lower Division Clerks to Upper Division Clerks.

13.  Ensure parity in pay for all stenographers, Assistants, Ministerial Staff in subordinate offices and in all organized Accounts cadres with Central Secretariat staff by upgrading their pay scales. Grant pay scale of Drivers in LokSabha Secretariat to Drivers working in all other Central Government Departments.

14.    Reject the stipulation of 7th CPC to reduce the salary to 80% for the second year of Child Care leave and retain the existing provision.

15.    Introduce Productivity Linked bonus in all department and continue the existing bi-lateral agreement on PLB wherever it exists.

16. Ensure cashless, hassle free medical treatment to all Central Government employees & Pensioners in all recognized Government and Private hospitals.

17.  Revision of Overtime Allowance (OTA) and Night Duty Allowance (NDA) w.e.f 01.01.2016 based on 7th CPC pay scale.

18.    Revision of wages of Central Government employees in every five years.

19.  Revive JCM functioning at all levels. Grant recognition to the unions/Associations under CCS (RSA) Rules 1993 within a time frame to facilitate effective JCM functioning.

20. Implementation of the Revised Pay structure in respect of employees and pensioners of autonomous bodies consequent on implementation of CCS (Revised Pay) Rules 2016 and Revised Pension  Rules  in respect of Central Government employees and pensioners.

21.   Implementation of the “equal pay for equal work” judgment of the Supreme Court in all departments of the Central Government.

Link Aadhaar, mobile numbers with postal accounts by Dec. 31

The Department of Posts (DoP) is going to set up 585 Aadhaar enrolment centres in Andhra Pradesh, and people can get their Aadhaar identities updated at 1,595 post offices.

It is also in the process of opening 24 India Post Payments Bank branches, including one at the Buckinghampet Post Office in Vijayawada, said Chief Postmaster General (CPMG-A.P. Circle) K. Balasubramanian.

Addressing the media here on Friday, Mr. Balasubramanian said all the customers of DoP have to link their accounts with Aadhaar and mobile phone numbers by December 31, 2017, as per the Government of India instructions. Customers not complying with the requirement by that date would have their accounts rendered inoperative, subject to the Supreme Court’s judgment in the case.

As far as the payments banks are concerned, they will extend all services like a commercial bank, except lending and issuing credit cards.

Passport Seva Kendras

Mr. Balasubramanian said the DoP was set to establish Passport Seva Kendras at seven Head Post Offices (HPOs), and three had already been opened in the HPOs at Kadapa, Kurnool, and Nellore.

The DoP is conducting walk-in interviews to recruit agents for Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and rural PLI from November 6 to 17 at the respective divisional offices.

India Posts bank to have nationwide operations by April

NEW DELHI: India Posts Payments Bank services are expected to be available across the country by April, Communications Minister Manoj Sinha today said. 

"(India Posts) Payments Bank branches will be opened across 650 districts by around April. All these branches will be linked to rural post offices. This will be largest banking network in the country," Sinha said on the sidelines of the launch of Deen Dayal SPARSH scholarship scheme. 

The IPPB branches are operational in Raipur and Ranchi. It will use post offices for its operations. There are 1.55 lakh post offices in the country. 

In the private space, Airtel Payments Bank, launched in January this year, started operations with a network of 2.5 lakh merchants. Chinese internet firm Alibaba controlled Paytm also started payments bank operations this year. 

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.

Payments banks are set up as differentiated banks and will confine to accepting 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.

...

Online complaint management system titled "Sexual Harassment electronic-Box (SHe-Box)"

F. No. 11013/7/2016-Estt.A-III

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

Department of Personnel & Training

Establishment A-III Desk

North Block, New Delhi - 110001

Dated 1st November, 2017

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Online complaint management system titled "Sexual Harassment electronic-Box (SHe-Box)" - regarding

The undersigned is directed to say that Ministry of Women & Child Development launched an online complaint management system titled Sexual Harassment electronic-Box (SHe-Box) on 24th July, 2017 for registering complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace. The She-Box is; an initiative to provide a platform to the women working or visiting any office of Central Government (Central Ministries, Departments, Public Sector Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies and Institutions etc.) to file complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

2. Once a complaint is submitted to SHe-Box, it wiil be directly sent to the Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) of the concerned Ministry / Department/ PSU / Autonomous Body etc. having jurisdiction to inquire into the complaint. The She-Box also provides an opportunity to both the complainant and nodal administrative authority to monitor the progress of inquiry conducted by the ICCs. The SHe-Box portal can be accessed at the link given below:

http://www.shebox.nic.in/

3. Features of the SHe-Box are as under:

(i) SHe-Box is an online Complaint Management System for lodging complaints related to sexual harassment of women at workplace. The steps required for filing of complaint through SHe-Box can be downloaded from the link:

http://www.shebox.nic.in/assets/site/downloads/manual.pdf

(ii) Any woman working or visiting any office of Central Government (Central Ministries, Departments, Public Sector Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies an.d Institutions etc.) can file complaint related to sexual harassment at workplace through this SHe-Box.

(iii) Once a complaint is submitted to the SHe-Box, it will directly send the complaint to the Internal Complaints Committee. (ICC) of the concerned Ministry /Department/PSU / Autonomous Body etc; having jurisdiction to inquire into the complaint. The Internal Complaints Committee will take action as prescribed under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and update the status of the complaint through 'Administrator Login'

(iv) The status of complaint can be viewed at any time by pressing the tab 'View Status of Your Complaint' within SHe-Box.

4. The complaint registered in the She-Box contains only a brief description of the incident of sexual harassment at workplace. The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) is required to initiate inquiry as prescribed under Section 11 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 read with Department of Personnel & Training's O.M. No. 1l013/2/2014-Estt.(A-III) dated 16th July, 2015 by calling upon the complainant to provide detailed complaint along with all the relevant evidences (documentary or otherwise).

5. All the Ministries/Departments are requested to bring the contents of this OM to the notice of all officers and staff working under them. The Ministries/ Departments are also requested to advise the PSEs / Autonomous Bodies under their administrative control to bring the content of SHe-Box to all officers and staff.

6. Hindi version will follow.

(Nitin Gupta)

Under Secretary to the Govt of India

Tel: 23040264

To

The Secretaries of All Ministries/Departments

(as per the standard list)

Source: DoPT

Rule 38 Transfers under Vijayawada Region : Andhra Pradesh Circle

Extension of time period for submission of Postal Circle preference

MAXIMUM AGE OF JOINING NATIONAL PENSION SYSTEM (NPS) INCREASED FROM THE EXISTING 60 YEARS TO 65 YEARS UNDER NPS- PRIVATE SECTOR

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Finance

01-November-2017 17:08 IST

Maximum age of joining National Pension System (NPS) increased from the existing 60 years to 65 years under NPS- Private Sector. 

In continuance of the several initiatives under taken by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) during the last few years to increase the pension coverage in the country, PFRDA has now increased the maximum age of joining under NPS-Private Sector (i.e. All Citizen and Corporate Model) from the existing 60 years to 65 years of age.

         Now, any Indian Citizen, resident or non-resident, between the age of 60- 65 years, can also join NPS and continue up to the age of 70 years in NPS. With this increase of joining age, the subscribers who are willing to join NPS at the later stage of life will be able to avail the benefits of NPS.

         NPS provides a very robust platform to the subscriber to save for his/her old age income security. Due to the better healthcare facilities and increased fitness, along with the opportunities and avenues available in the private sector as well as in the capacity of self-employment, more and more people in their late 50s or 60s are now living an active life allowing them to be employed productively.

         The subscriber joining NPS beyond the age of 60 years will have the same choice of the Pension Fund as well as the investment choice as is available under the NPS for subscribers joining NPS before the age of 60 years.

         Subscriber joining NPS after the age of 60 years will have an option of normal exit from NPS after completion of 3 years in NPS. In this case, the subscriber will be required to utilize at least 40% of the corpus for purchase of annuity and the remaining amount can be withdrawn in lump-sum.

         In case of such subscriber willing to exit from NPS before completion of 3 years in the NPS, he/she will be allowed to do so, but in such case, the subscriber will have to utilize at-least 80% of the corpus for purchase of annuity and the remaining can be withdrawn in lumpsum.

         In case of unfortunate death of the subscriber during his stay in NPS, the entire corpus will be paid to the nominee of the subscriber.

         The increase in joining age will provide the options to the subscribers who are at the fag-end of the employment and expecting lump-sum amount at the time of retirement, but willing to defer their retirement planning for future, to open the NPS account and contribute the lump-sum corpus to NPS for better fund management by Professional Fund Manager to fetch better returns and plan for the regular income after some time. The Annuity rates available in the older age fetch better annuities than that at the age of 60 or less age.

This initiative will allow a larger segment of the society particularly senior citizens to reap the benefits of NPS and plan for their regular income.

Mandatory installation of LED based lighting in all Government buildings

Most Immediate

No.25(24)/E.Coord/2017
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 30th October, 2017

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Economy Measures- Mandatory installation of LED based lightings in Government Buildings- reg.

Reference is invited to this Department's OM of even number dated 04.08.2017 on the subject mentioned above and to inform that the implementation progress was reviewed recently by Group of officers vide meeting in Cabinet Secretariat on 29.09.2017.

2. As per decision taken during the deliberation, all Ministries/Departments are requested to ensure that replacement work of old bulbs with new LED based lightnings is completed by 31.10.2017 in your offices including Attached/Subordinate Offices, CPSUs, Autonomous Bodies and field offices.

3. It is requested that Ministries/Departments should apprised Department of Expenditure with the action taken in this regard by 10.11.2017 positively as per the format attached.

4. Further, each Ministry/Department should nominate a Nodal Officer at the level of Joint Secretary for monitoring the progress and certifying completion of installation of LED based lightings and energy efficiency measures on behalf of the Ministry/Department. The names of the nominated officers should be provided by 03.11.2017.

(H. Atheli)
Director

To,
All Secretaries of Ministries/Departments

Source: DoE

Income Tax 2017-18 (Assessment Year 2018-19) - Tax slab

Latest Position on CSI Rollout

Dear All, 

Secretary Posts reviewed the CSI situation with the Government Business Head of TCS today. TCS has assured that they are working on the technical issues through the weekend and will come up with the status on Tuesday. Based on the report/ solution and progress report from the field, a decision will be taken on further course of action. All rollouts may be kept on hold till further notice from Directorate. The immediate priority is to restore operations and accounting to a stable level. 

In the meantime, I would request that please concentrate on pre rollout activities as we will have to accelerate rollout after the technical issues are fixed. Also please take this time to focus on service book digitization which is also lagging. Training may please continue as planned.

There are problems and these have been taken up the highest level. We have to tackle this with patience. Hopefully, a more conclusive status will be posted next week. 

Regards, 

B.P.Sridevi, 

DDG Technology.

Minutes of Joint Memorandum given by FNPO &NFPE with CPMG , AP Circle on 23.10.2017

Financial Inclusion Will Be Marketed By India Post Payments Bank

Manoj Sinha, the Communications Minister, this week claimed that the government is operating on setting up 650 outlets for India Post Payments Bank to make easy the financial enclosure, and revealed 2 new schemes by the postal division.

“We will be opening almost 650 outlets for India Post Payments Bank all over India. Two, namely in Ranchi and Raipur, have already commenced. The goal is that via 650 banks for post payments, we can force financial enclosure in 1.55 Lakh rural areas,” Sinha claimed to the media.

Sinha urged the postal workers to carry on reorienting themselves with disruptions and technological changes in order to drive innovative schemes to users, all the while keeping the communal values.

“Given the disruptions and with the approach technology is changing, it is fine to connect yourself with tech but values of department too have to be preserved, and that is the largest defy,” he claimed pointing out the long past of postal services in India, specifically the importance of the postman in rural area of the country.

The minister who was talking at an occasion to memorialize National Postal Week also declared 2 new schemes namely e-IPO (Indian Postal Order) and International Tracked Packet Service. The e-IPO was rolled out in denominations of Rs 50, Rs 20, and Rs 100 and now can be employed for educational institutions for fee payment and other causes. Previously, e-IPO of Rs 10 might be utilized only for RTI purposes.

The e-IPO has been launched out as a lead project in Delhi, Bihar, and Karnataka and is anticipated to be rolled out in the whole nation in the upcoming 2 Months. “Users can obtain e-IPO online from workplace or home of their own, as per their convenience. This roll out is a fraction of Digital India proposal since the transaction will be made via credit card, debit card, and net banking,” claimed Department of Post to the media in a statement.

The minister claimed that the postal department of India has undergone a huge change over the time, be it core banking, inter-operability of ATMs, or Aadhaar enrolment and providing of Passport Seva.

TAMIL NADU CIRCLE UNION LETTER TO CPMG ON CSI IMPLEMENTATION

NFPE Letter to Minister of Communications & IT

National Federation of Postal Employees

1^st Floor North Avenue Post Office Building, New Delhi-110 001

Phone: 011.23092771                                                      e-mail: nfpehq@gmail.com

       Mob: 9868819295/9810853981                       website: http://www.nfpe.blogspot.com

NO.PF-NF/2017                                                                                          Dated 24-oct-2017

To

                   Sri. Manoj Sinha

                   Hon’ble Minister for Communications & IT

                   Govt of India, Sanchar Bhavan,

                   New Delhi-110 001.

Respected Sir,

                   National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE) and all its affiliated Unions/Associations representing about 70% of the Postal Employees request your immediate intervention to save the Department of Posts and five and a half lakhs employees working in the department including about three lakhs Gramin Dak Sevaks.

                   As you are aware, the finance Ministry has already issued notification permitting all Nationalised Banks and three private Banks (ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and HDFC Bank) to accept deposits for all Small Savings Schemes, viz; Recurring Deposit (RD), Time Deposits (TD), Monthly Income Scheme (MIS), Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS), Sukanya Samridhi Account (SSA), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and National Savings Certificate (NSC VIII issue) with effect from 10th October, 2017.

                   Small Savings Schemes are the monopoly of Postal Department and hence they are known as “Post Office Small Savings Shemes”.  The compensation paid by Finance Ministry to Postal Department for running the Savings Bank business on agency basis is a major source of revenue for the department.  About 45% of the revenue of Department of Posts accounts for compensation received for Small Savings business.  Permitting Banks also to operate Small savings will adversely affect the business of Post offices and revenue will fall steadily, thereby increasing the total deficit of the Department of Posts.

                   Further, about 50% of the work load of Post offices comes from the Samll Savings related work.  Outsourcing this work to Banks including private Banks will result in fall of overall workload of the Post Offices and staff becoming surplus.  Thus, in the long run the very existence of Post Offices and Postal employees will be at stake.

                   Secondly, we want to bring to your kind notice, the plight of about three lakhs Gramin Dak Sevaks working mostly in the Branch Post Offices in rural villages of our country.  Their wage revision has not yet taken place eventhough the wage revision of their counterpart (departmental employees) had taken place and orders issued on 25-7-2016 itself.  The one man committee headed by Sri. Kamalesh Chandra, Retired Postal Board Member had submitted its report to the Government on 24-11-2016.  Almost one year is over and the file is still pending with Finance Ministry.  Justice to this poor, downtrodden section of employees is long overdue. 

                   Similarly, the Re-verification Membership of Gramin Dak Sevaks under Check-off system under the provisions of GDS (RSA) Rules for grant of recognition was ordered by the Department and the verification process reached in the final stage.  Recovery of subscription from pay of the officials in respect of all the Applicant Unions/Associations was made in the month of September 2017.  But suddenly Department issued an order stopping the membership verification process until further orders.  The Reverififation of Membership of GDS was due in the year 2015 itself as the recognition granted to one of the GDS Union had expired in 2015 after five years period fixe by the Government.

                   In view of the above, we most humbly request the Hon’ble Minister is personal intervention so that favourable orders will be issued in the following issues:

(1)     Stop the implementation of the Finance Ministry’s notifiation permitting Banks to do Small Savings business.

(2)     Immediate Implementation of favourable recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra Committee on Gramin Dak Sevaks.

(3)     Completing the Re-verification process of Membership under check-off system and granting recognition to eligible applicant Unions/Associations of GDS.

        With profound regards,

                                                                                                                       Yours faithfully,

                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                  (R.N. Parashar)

Secretary General,

NFPE

AP CIRCLE -- JCA MEMORANDUM ON PROBLEMS OF STAFF

SB Order No.: 17/2017 - Mobile number is mandatory of opening of account in PO small saving scheme

Implementation of Government's decision on the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission - Revision of rate of Training Allowance : DoPT

CIRCULAR Dtd 21-10-2017

CSI - OVER VIEW

CLICK HERE  TO DOWNLOAD THE FILE

RBI CLARIFIES THAT LINKING AADHAAR TO BANK ACCOUNTS IS MANDATORY

NFPE & AIPEU-GDS Protest demonstration programme on 23-10-2017

STATE-WISE WAGES FIXED FOR MNREGS

Recovery of wrongful / excess payment made to Government servants.

No.2-1612017-PAP

Government of lndia

Ministry of Communications

Department of posts

Establishment Division/PAP Section]

Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg

New Dethi- 110001

Dared: 13.10.2017

To

All Chief Post Masters General,

All General Managers (Postal Accounts & Finance),

All Directors of Accounts (Postal),

The Director, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai National postal Academy, Ghaziabad, U.P.

All Directors of PTCs

Sub.. : Recovery of wrongful / excess payment made to Government servants.

I am directed to forward herewith the copy of Ministry of personnel, public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Personnel a Training, Office Memorandum No.1U03/2015'Estt.(Pay-l) dated 02.03.2016 on the subject- cited above and as downloaded from the official website of concerned Ministries, for kind information and further necessary action at your end.

2. Office Memorandum may be circulated to all sub-ordinate offices concerned, with direction to dispose all case on the subjects.

Encf,: As above.

[K.V. VIJAYKUMAR]

Asstt. Director General [ESTT] 

Copy for kind information to :

1. Sr. PPS to Secretary (Posts) /PPS to DG (Posts).

2. All member of Postal Services Board,

3. JS & FA (Posts), 4. DDG (PAF / Secretary (PSB) /GM(F)BDD/ CGM(PLI)

5. All other DDsG in Postal Directorate

6. Guard File, 7. Spare Copy

8. SO(C&A)

9. Departmental Website through : CEPT Mysore

Nagesh Nath Jha

Asstt. Accounts Officer (PAP)

CLICK HERE  FOR COPY OF THE O.M