TO MORE FREIGHTERS FOR INDIA POST

CHENNAI/ MUMBAI: Letters from Chennai to other metros would soon be delivered the very next day, as India Post has acquired two airplanes. From the first week of July, two aircraft bearing the logo of India Post will take off from Chennai and Mumbai. These freighters have been leased from Air India by India Post, under the ministry of communications, so that your stamped mails, sealed parcels and other expressions of sentiment can get to their destination faster than ever before. "We have been dependent on private airlines and connection flights all these years. The two dedicated aircraft will connect all metros, speeding up delivery of even ordinary mails. Now, a letter from Chennai takes up to three days to reach Delhi. Our aim is to deliver it the very next day," T Murthy, postmaster general, Tamil Nadu circle told TOI. The planes, each with a capacity of 15 tonnes, will connect cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Surat and Nagpur. "The aim is to have a more reliable service,'' says Manjula Parashar, chief general manager, mail business, at the postal directorate in Delhi. For this purpose, two of Air India's old Boeing 737-200s, have been converted into freighters, says Jitendra Bhargava, spokesperson of Air India. The cue for launching this service came from the success of India Post's first such aircraft which flies everything from handicrafts to foodgrain on the Kolkata-Guwahati route. As a result of this aircraft, which was launched in August 2007, birthday gifts reached the same day, businesses prospered, and the seven North Eastern sisters were brought that much closer to mainstream India. The services of this existing aircraft will be extended from next month to cover Delhi and Nagpur. Three citiesMumbai, Chennai and Kolkata will act as hubs for overnight transmission of mail. Every night before the freighters leave their centres at around 11:30 pm, all mail from nearby cities will reach them. The three Boeings will then converge at Nagpur and exchange palettes (metal sheets which carry mails sorted according to destination cities). The aircraft will then fly back with their respective palettes. When they touch down at their centres early next morning, local distribution services like trucks, trains and other airlines will take over. Dry runs for these aircraft will begin later this week. (Source : Times of India)

Women to get reservation in govt jobs: Chidambaram

MANAMADURAI (TN): Government will bring in a bill providing reservation for women n government jobs in the coming parliament session, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Sunday. "At present, there is no reservation for women in government jobs. We will bring forward a bill providing reservation for women in government jobs," he said addressing a meeting to thank voters in his constituency Sivaganga. Chidambaram said he was confident that the bill for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and Assemblies would be passed. (Source Economic Times)

Placement of non matriculate Group 'D' emplopyees in the Pay Band PB-1 w.e.f. 1.1.2006

Copy of Government of India Post, Ministry of Communications & IT

Department of Postgs (PC Cell) letter No 1-20/2008-PCC dated 27.3.2009

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject : Placement of non matriculate Group 'D' employees in the Pay Band PB-1 with effect from 1.1.2006

Consequent upon the acceptance of the recommendations of Sixth Central Pay Commission by the Government, non-matriculate Government servants who were in the pre-revised Group 'D' scales are to be granted the revised pay structure in the following manner:

Placement of all such employees initially in the corresponding 1-S pay scale of Rs 4440-7440 with appropriate grade pay Rs 1300, Rs 1400, Rs 1600 and Rs 1650 w.e.f. 1.1.2006

Fixation of pay of those employees, who already possess the revised minimum qualification of Matriculation or its equivalent, in PB-1 with grade pay of Rs 1800 with effect from 1.1.2006.

Those employees who do not possess the prescribed minimum qualification would need to be retrained before being placed in the PB-1 pay band with grade payh of Rs 1800.

2. The sixth CPC, while recommending higher pay scale to non-matriculate Group 'D' in PB-1, has suggested that job description of Group 'D' posts shall also be revised and redefined with emphasis on multi-skilling so that a single employee is able to perform various jobs. As per Rule 151 of Postal Manual Volume VI Part III the Group 'D' posts in the Department of Posts are of the nature of general assistance in the office who must be ready to give their help wherever required. The duties of Group D have been also been defined in Rules 144 to 152 of Postal Manual Volume VI Part III, which include wide range of functions. Keeping in view the changed environment and need of the time, following additional duties shall be entrusted to the staff in the Post Offices, RMS offices and Administrative offices who were in the pre-reised Group 'D' scales in addition to their existing duties:-

(A) Post Offices :

(i) Sorting of Mail (ii) Regd/Parcel delivery slips, (iii) VP receipts, Delivery lists for Registered articles, Money Order issue/paid lists, acquittance rolls etc (iv) Sale of Postage stamps and stationery, (v) Booking of Registered/Parcel articles (vi) Basic data entry on computers, Record keeping (vii) Booking of Speed Post articles (viii) Receipt and despatch of mails (ix) Duties of caretaker (x) Any other duty assigned by the office

(B) RMS Offices :

(i) Sorting of Mail (ii) Prepartion of Mail/Registered/Parcel Lists (iii) Sale of Postage Stamps and Stationery (iv) Booking of Registered/Parcel articles (v) Basis data entry on computers (vi) Record keeping (vii) Booking of Speed post articles (viii) Receipt and despatch of mails (ix) Handling customer enquiries (x) Duties of caretaker (xi) Any other duty assigned by the office

(C) Administrative/Other offices including DA(P)s:

(i) Maintenance of Diary/Despatch/Movement Registers or making entries in the computer (ii) Linking receipts in the files already opened (iii) Submission of periodical statements of routine nature like Absentee Statement etc (iv) Indenting and maintenance of Stationery in the Section/Office (v) Record keeping (vi) Photocopying and preparation of sets (vii) Duties of care taker (viii) Basic data entry on computers (ix) Any other duty assigned by the office

These employees will henceforth be known by the generic term of "Muti Skilled Employees". However, the specific designations like Mail Peon, Mail Man etc will continue and they will continue to perform the existing duties along with the assigned additional duties.

3. The issue was referred to Ministry of Finance for fixation of the pay scales of these employees of Department of Posts before completion of the training and that Ministry has concurred in the proposal subject to the conditions that necessary computer training may be provided to enhance their skill. Action may be initiated by the Heads of Circles to complete the required training on computer operations in consultation with the Training Division of the Directorate. Training Division of the Directorate will take necessary action to get the module developed to train all such non-matriculate employees in basic data entry and circulate to all circles. The Divisional Superintendents/Controlling Authorities should ensure that the training is imparted and required certificte is issued about completion of the prescribed training and necessary entry recorded in the Service Book of each official.

4 (i) All the Multi Skilled Employees who were in the pre-revised Group 'D' pay scales will be placed in the revised pay bands as indicated below with effect from 1.1.2006. Here table

(ii) Inter-se seniority of all the employees in erstwhile Group 'D' will be fully maintained with Group D employee in a higher Fifth CPC pay scale being placed higher vis-a-vis an employee in a lower pay scale. Within the same pre-revised pay scale, the seniority will be fixed on the basis of date on which the person came to be placed in that pay scale.

5. Heads of Circles will please issue necessary instructions to all concerned to take prompt action to complete the entire process including training by 30.4.2009 and report compliance to the undersigned latest by 15.5.2009.

6. The issues with concurrence of Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, I.C vide their U.O No 7.6./7/2009-IC dated 12.3.2009

A.K. Sharma, DDG (Estt)

DISCLOSURE OF FILE NOTING UNDER RTI 2005

The information asked for by the applicant in any form should be entertained by the CPIO (Central Public Information Officer) subject the conditions mentioned in the RTI Act 2005. Department of Personnel & Training has now issued clarification that the 'file noting' can be disclosed to the applicant if the information is not covered under Section 8 of RTI Act. Details available in the RTI web site. Memo (No 1/20/2009-IR dated 23.6.2009)

GOVT PROPOSED NEW HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME IN LIEU OF CGHS (CGEPHS - Central Government Employees & Pensioners Health Insurance Scheme)

Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) is a scheme for providing health care to serving Central Government employees and their dependant family members. Over the years, the scheme has been extended to cover central government pensioners, their dependant family members and certain other categories like members of parliament and ex-members of parliament, freedom fighters etc. Employees of some select autonomous bodies as also PIB accredited journalists have also been extended CGHS facilities on cost-to-cost basis in Delhi.

Central Government Health Scheme is available in 25 cities [Delhi (including Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad), Ahemdabad, Allahabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Meerut, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, Pune, Ranchi, Shillong and Thiruvanthapuram]. Central Government Employees living outside the CGHS areas are entitled to reimbursement for medical attendance and treatment under the Central Services (Medical Attendance) Rules [CS(MA) Rules]. Pensioners of the Central Government are not covered under these rules. At present, Central Government Pensioners living in non-CGHS areas are paid a sum of Rs. 100 p.m. for meeting their medical expenditure. Consequently, there has been a long standing demand from Central Govt. pensioners residing in non CGHS areas for medical services at par with those available to Central Govt. pensioners in CGHS areas. The VIth Pay Commission has recommended the introduction of a health insurance scheme in lieu of the CGHS.

Government of India, therefore, proposes to provide inpatient health care services to their all personnel of the Central Government including All India Service officers, serving and retired, and others who are covered under the existing CGHS (Central Government Health Services) and under CS (MA) Rules [Central services (Medical attendance) Rules] through a Health Insurance Scheme catering to their health care requirements. The proposed scheme shall be on voluntary basis for current set of employees & pensioners but compulsory for future employees & pensioners. The existing CGHS beneficiaries will have an option to avail CGHS facilities for OPD requirements and the insurance scheme for inpatient treatment.

With the introduction of health insurance scheme, the Central Government Employee (existing/ retired) will have the choice to select the best available health facilities for meeting their health care and can get best available treatment in areas in the close proximity. Click here to download expression of interest published by ministry of health.

WHEN GDS' PAY WILL BE REVISED?

In our Department we have nearly 2.86 Lakhs Gramin Dak Sevaks which is more than the number of regular employees. 6th Pay Commission has revised the pay of departmental employees and during August 2008 and all have been paid with 1st instalment of arrears. 2nd instalment of arrears is also due and likely to be paid during August 2009. But the pay of the Gramin Dak Sevaks has not been revised so far. GDS Committee was formed on during October 2007 and Shri R. S. Nataraja Murti, Chairman of the Committee has also submitted its report during October 2008. The pay has not been revised so far and arrears have also not been paid. Department has nominated one more comittee to suggest for some revision and the same has been submitted during Feb 2009 and the revised scales have been proposed. Let us see when the Department will issue orders for the poor Gramin Dak Sevaks.....

ENCASHMENT OF LEAVE WHILE AVAILING LTC WITHOUT LINKING TO THE NUMBER OF DAYS AVAILED AND TYPE OF LEAVE

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions vide memo No 14028/4/2009-Estt. (L) dated 3.6.2009 has ordered that the number of days to be availed and type of leave are delinked for encashment of leave while availing LTC. The order is reproduced below:-

The undersigned is directed to refer to Rule 38-Aof CCS(leave) Rules, 1972 regarding encashment of earned leave alongwith LTC while in service which says that Government servants are permitted to encash earned leave upto 10 days at the time of availing Leave Travel Concession subject to the condition that earned leave of at least an equivalent duration is also availed of by the Government servant simultaneously. This Department has been receiving a number of references from various Ministries/Departments to waive this condition citing practical problems faced by them as the facility of LTC is also admissible while availing Casual Leave.

2. The matter has been examined in this Department in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and it has now been decided to permit Government servants encashment of earned leave upto 10 days at the time of availing LTC without any linkage to the number of days and the nature of leave availed while proceeding on LTC.

3. These orders shall take effect from the date of issue.

4. Formal amendment to the provisions of CCS(Leave) Rules, 1972 are being issued separately.

5. Hindi version will follow.

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Before issue of this order, equal number of days is to be availed to enchash the leave. i.e to say if 10 days of EL is to be encashed 10 days of EL should be availed. Now you can encash 10 days of EL by availing even 1 day as CL, EL or any other kind of leave.

DISBURSEMENT OF PAY AND ALLOWANCES THROUGH BANK

The Department has issued an order for pay disbursement through bank cheques/direct credit to the salary savings accounts of employees maintained in any of the banks governed by RBI regulations vide DG Posts Order No.2-1/2007-08-PA[Tech.I] / D-255-34 Dated 14.05.2009

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Due to this revised system, there will be no cash handling. Hence, this will be very convenient for the employees and as well as the administration. However, the manpower at treasury is to be relocated.