May 26, 2010

India's postal system is a huge asset which is currently under-utilised, under-skilled and under-developed

An article published in the Business Standard by Subir Roy

India’s postal system is a huge asset which is currently under-utilised, under-skilled and under-developed. The 1.5 lakh post offices in a country of 6.4 lakh villages (that’s where the post office really matters) represent a reach unmatched by any other organisation. If it is developed and used well, it can give a leg-up to those parts of the country and their denizens who have benefited the least from the high growth of the post-reform period.

Till not so long ago, post offices were relics of the past where the urban middle class would not venture unless absolutely necessary. The burgeoning private courier companies appeared to be driving the last nail in the coffin of the slowly declining giant. But then, just as hope always triumphs in India, the post office began to change. It gave itself a new logo, prominent urban post offices began giving themselves a new look and you could spot PCs across counters.

The post office management is now getting bolder by the day and big brothers in the government have given it permission to spend Rs 2,000 crore in the next two years to bring in an IT revolution. All post offices will be linked, a core banking solution will be installed and pre-paid cards will be introduced with which you will be able to send money from anywhere to any post office through your cellular phone. All that the person at the other end will have to do to get instant credit is have a savings bank account with his post office.

For that last leg of the operation to be completed, the post office’s savings bank operations will have to be transformed. That can happen in only one way — by converting the financial services operations of the postal department into a proper bank, giving it a banking licence. Banks have well defined procedures and processes, the skills needed to run them are standardised, as are the benchmarks by which they can be judged. And you can easily get the public sector banks to lend a helping hand to enable the Post Bank of India (PBI) to get going. Initially, PBI will be an outreach for the established banks, but over time it should be able to give vigorous competition.

A parliamentary standing committee has again reiterated the demand for such a bank to be set up. And if or when (it is really a matter of time) it is, it will be a behemoth from day one. In financial year 2008, postal savings bank schemes had total outstandings of Rs 3.4 lakh crore, which was second only to the deposits of the State Bank of India that stood at Rs 5.4 lakh crore. (ICICI Bank came third at Rs 2.4 lakh crore deposits.) In the same year, postal mail traffic fell by 4 per cent. So did the number of money orders, by 8 per cent, but their total value went up by 7.8 per cent. Simultaneously, the post office’s “business development activities”, the cumbersome name for newer services like Speedpost, grew revenues by 24 per cent to almost a quarter of the department’s total revenue. So like it or not, the post office is changing. It only makes sense to get it to change the right way.

Once the post office becomes a bank with a logistical arm and not the other way round, it will be able to bury the canard that it is a loss-making outfit. In 2008, the postal department’s budgetary deficit was Rs 1,511 crore. If it were a bank with assets equal to the savings bank liabilities, it should have been able to earn a very modest return on assets of 0.5 per cent, which would have put it at the bottom of the public sector banks league table. That works out to Rs 1,727 crore, over Rs 200 crore more than the deficit. Right now it is the Government of India and the finance ministry that keep the postal department poor. All the deposits go to the central exchequer, to be passed on to states as loans in proportion to their small savings. The department earns a fee to run the inefficient and archaic savings bank system.

Why is it necessary to reinvent the post office and improve the self-esteem of postal employees? The post office with its reach is the best placed to open bank accounts for the beneficiaries of the rural employment programme, recipients of government pensions and the like. The postman remains the best equipped to affirm a person’s proof of residence. Once the banking function of the post office gets going and expands, it will give a boost to India’s financial savings the same way bank nationalisation did and helped push up the national savings rate. The whole scenario is predicated on PBI being run efficiently and on keeping its transaction costs low with the use of information technology and processes for handling no-frill accounts currently being evolved.

The big question is, what does PBI do with its deposits which are relatively costlier as postal rates are higher than banks'. It should remain a narrow bank, eschewing retail and commercial lending and instead investing in secure but relatively high-yielding bonds issued by infrastructure companies looking for longer term funds. PBI could also subscribe to Nabard bonds whose proceeds Nabard could lend to microfinance organisations whose members could get paid through their savings bank accounts with PBI. You have a bit of a virtuous cycle there. An efficient PBI will not only boost financial inclusion but help reduce fraud in social welfare payments. All this must be made to happen.

Source: Business Standard

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Illustration 1: If an employee H is presently drawing Pay of Rs 55,040 (Pay in the Pay Band Rs 46340 + Grade Pay Rs 8700 = Rs 55040), his pay should be entered in the calculator as Rs 55040 i.e including Grade Pay. The Pay will be fixed as Rs 1,41,600 (Example No I in Para No 5.1.29)

Illustration 2: If an employee T is presently drawing pay of Rs 24,200 (Rs 20,000 + 4,200) and if the post occupied by T is placed one level higher in GP 4600, then the basic pay should be entered as Rs 24,600 (Rs 20,000 + 4,600) and the pay will be fixed as Rs 64,100 (Example No II in Para 5.1.29). Hence, this example is applicable to Inspector Posts in our Department.

Illustration 3: In our Department the GP of IP/ASP/SP has been upgraded to Rs 4600, 4800 and 5400 respectively. Hence as per the Illustration 2 given below Para 5.1.29, the MACP IPs and MACP ASPs are eligible for GP Rs 4800 and Rs 5400 respectively. i.e their new pay level would be 8 and 9.

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Case I - Para 10.1.70:

Pensioner 'A' retired at last pay drawn of Rs 79,000 on 30.5.2015 under VI CPC regime, having drawn three increments in the HAG scale 67000-79000. Basic Pension fixed in VI CPC is Rs 39,500. Initial pension to be fixed under VII CPC is Rs 1,01,515 (39,500 X 2.57) This is Option 1. Notional Pay fixation based on 3 increments is Rs. 199100. Hence option 2 would be 50 percent of Rs 199100 i.e Rs 99,550. As option 1 is higher, pension admissible is Rs 1,01,515.

Case II - Para 10.1.71:

Pensioner 'B' retired at last pay drawn of Rs 4,000 on 31.1.1989 under IV CPC regime, having drawn 9 increments in the pay scale of Rs 3000-100-3500-125-450. Basic pension revised in VI CPC is Rs 12,543. Initial pension fixed under VII CPC is Rs 32,236 (Rs 12,543 X 2.57). This is Option 1. Notional Pay fixation based on 9 increments is Rs 88,400. Hence option 2 would be 50% of 88,400 i.e Rs 44,200. As option 2 is higher, pension admissible is Rs 44,200.



Table showing 4th Central Pay Commission (CPC) Pay scale corresponding to revised 5th CPC post/grade & pay scale and corresponding to 6th CPC pay band & grade pay:-

SL. NO 4th CPC Pay scale w.e.f. 1.1.1986 5th CPC Post/Grade and Pay scale w.e.f. 1.1.1996 6th Central Pay Commission w.e.f. 1.1.2006 Corresponding Proposed 7th CPC Pay Levels
GRADE SCALE Name of Pay Band/Scale Pay Bands/ Scale Grade Pay
1 750-12-870-14-940 S-1 2550-55-2660-60-3200 -1S 4440-7440 1300 Level-1 Minimum Pay Rs 18000
2 775-12-871-12-1025 S-2 2610-60-3150-65-3540 -1S 4440-7440 1400 Level-1 Minimum Pay Rs 18000
3 775-12871-14-955-
15-1030-20-1150
S-2A 2610-60-2910-65-3300
-70-4000
-1S 4440-7440 1600 Level-1 Minimum Pay Rs 18000
4 800-15-1010-20-1150 S-3 2650-65-3300-70-4000 -1S 4440-7440 1650 Level-1 Minimum Pay Rs 18000
5 825-15-900-20-1200 S-4 2750-70-3800-75-4400 PB-1 5200-20200 1800 Level-1 Minimum Pay Rs 18000
6 950-20-1150-25-1400/
950-20-1150-25-1500/
1150-25-1500
S-5 3050-75-3950-80-4590 PB-1 5200-20200 1900 Level-2 Minimum Pay Rs 19900
7 975-25-1150-30-1540/
975-25-1150-30-1660
S-6 3200-85-4900 PB-1 5200-20200 2000 Level-3 Minimum Pay Rs 21700
8 1200-30-1440-30-1800/
1200-30-1560-40-2040/
1320-30-1560-40-2040
S-7 4000-100-6000 PB-1 5200-20200 2400 Level-4 Minimum Pay Rs 25500
9 1350-30-1440-40-1800
-50-2200/1400-40-1800
-50-2300
S-8 4500-125-7000 PB-1 5200-20200 2800 Level-5 Minimum Pay Rs 29200
10 1400-40-1600-50
-2300-60-2600/
1600-50-2300-60-2660
S-9 5000-150-8000 PB-2 9300-34800 4200 Level-6 Minimum Pay Rs 35400
11 1640-60-2600-75-2900 S-10 5500-175-9000 PB-2 9300-34800 4200 Level-6 Minimum Pay Rs 35400
12 2000-60-2120 S-11 6500-200-6900 PB-2 9300-34800 4200 Level-6 Minimum Pay Rs 35400
13 2000-60-2300-75-3200/
2000-60-2300
-75-3200-3500
S-12 6500-200-10500 PB-2 9300-34800 4200 Level-6 Minimum Pay Rs 35400
14 2375-75-3200-100-3500 / 2375-75-3200
-100-3500-125-3750
S-13 7450-225-11500 PB-2 9300-34800 4600 Level-7 Minimum Pay Rs 44900
15 2500-4000 S-14 7500-250-12000 PB-2 9300-34800 4800 Level-8 Minimum Pay Rs 47600
16 2200-75-2800-100-4000/
2300-100-2800
S-15 8000-275-13500 PB-2 9300-34800 5400 Level-9 Minimum Pay Rs 53100
17 2200-75-2800-100-4000 NEW SCALE 8000-275-13500
(Group A Entry)
PB-3 15600-39100 5400 Level-10 Minimum Pay Rs 56100
18 2630/- FIXED S-16 9000 PB-3 15600-39100 5400 Level-10 Minimum Pay Rs 56100
19 2630-75-2780 S-17 9000-275-9550 PB-3 15600-39100 5400 Level-10 Minimum Pay Rs 56100
20 3150-100-3350 S-18 10325-325-10975 PB-3 15600-39100 6600 Level-11 Minimum Pay Rs 67700
21 3000-125-3625/
3000-100-3500-125-4500/ 3000-100-3500-125-5000
S-19 10000-325-15200 PB-3 15600-39100 6600 Level-11 Minimum Pay Rs 67700
22 3200-100-3700-125-4700 S-20 10650-325-15850 PB-3 15600-39100 6600 Level-11 Minimum Pay Rs 67700
23 3700-150-4450/
3700-125-4700-150-5000
S-21 12000-375-16500 PB-3 15600-39100 7600 Level-12 Minimum Pay Rs 78800
24 3950-125-4700-150-5000 S-22 12750-375-16500 PB-3 15600-39100 7600 Level-12 Minimum Pay Rs 78800
25 3700-125-4950-150-5700 S-23 12000-375-18000 PB-3 15600-39100 7600 Level-12 Minimum Pay Rs 78800
26 4100-125-4850-150-5300/
4500-150-5700
S-24 14300-400-18300 PB-4 37400-67000 8700 Level-13 Minimum Pay Rs 118500
27 4800-150-5700 S-25 15100-400-18300 PB-4 37400-67000 8700 Level-13 Minimum Pay Rs 118500
28 5100-150-5700/
5100-150-6150/
5100-150-5700
-200-6300
S-26 16400-450-20000 PB-4 37400-67000 8900 Level-13A Minimum Pay Rs 131100
29 5100-150-6300
-200-6700
S-27 16400-450-20900 PB-4 37400-67000 8900 Level-13A Minimum Pay Rs 131100
30 4500-150-5700
-200-7300
S-28 14300-450-22400 PB-4 37400-67000 10000 Level-14 Minimum Pay Rs 144200
31 5900-200-6700/
5900-200-7300
S-29 18400-500-22400 PB-4 37400-67000 10000 Level-14 Minimum Pay Rs 144200
32 7300-100-7600 S-30 22400-525-24500 PB-4 37400-67000 10000 Level-14 Minimum Pay Rs 144200
33 7300-200-7500
-250-8000
S-31 22400-600-26000 HAG
SCALE
67000-79000 NIL Level-15 Minimum Pay Rs 182200
34 7600/-FIXED /
 7600-100-8000
S-32 24050-650-26000 HAG+
SCALE
75500-80000 NIL Level-16 Minimum Pay Rs 205400
35 8000/- FIXED S-33 26000(FIXED) APEX SCALE 80000(FIXED) NIL Level-17 Fixed Pay Rs 225000
36 9000/- FIXED S-34 30000(FIXED) CAB. SEC. 90000(FIXED) NIL Level-18 Fixed Pay Rs 250000


CLASSIFICIATION OF CITIES FOR HRA

'X' Cities - 24% HRA

Tamilnadu


States


Cities Classified as "X"
Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad (UA)
Delhi Delhi (UA)
GujaratAhmadabad (UA)
Karnataka Bangaluru (UA)
Maharashtra Greater Mumbai (UA), Pune (UA)
Chennai (UA)
West Bengal Kolkatta (UA)

'Y' Cities - 16% HRA



States


Cities Classified as "Y"
Andhra Pradesh Vijayawada (UA), Warangal, (UA),
Greater Vishkhapatnam (M.Corpn), Guntur (UA), Nellore (UA)
Assam Guwahati (UA)
Bihar Patna (UA)
Chandigarh Chandigarh (UA), SAS Nagar, Mohali
Chattisgarh Durg-Bhilai Nagar (UA), Raipur
(UA)
Gujarat Rajkot (UA),
Jamnagar (UA), Bhavnagar (UA), Vadodara (UA), Surat (UA)
Haryana Faridabad*(M.Corpn), Gurgaon*(UA)
Jammu & Kashmir Srinagar (UA), Jammu (UA)
Jharkhand Jamshedpur (UA), Dhanbad (UA),
Ranchi (UA), Bokara Steel City (UA)
Karnataka Belgaum (UA), Hubli-Dharwad,
Mangalore (UA), Mysore (UA), Gulbarga (UA)
Kerala Kozhikode (UA), Kochi (UA),
Thiruvananthapuram (UA), Thrissur (UA), Malappuram (UA), Kannur (UA), Kollam (UA)
Madhya Pradesh Gwalior (UA), Indore (UA),
Bhopal (UA), Jabalpur (UA), Ujjain (M.Corpn)
Maharashtra Amravati (M.Corpn), Nagpur (UA),
Aurangabad (UA), Nashik (UA), Bhiwandi (UA), Solapur (M.Corpn), Kolhapur (UA), Vasai-Vrar City (M.Corpn), Malegaon (UA), Nanded-Waghala (M.Corpn), Sangli (UA)
Orissa Cuttack (UA), Bhubaneswar (UA), Raurkela (UA)
Puducherry (Pondicherry) Puducherry/Pondicherry(UA)
Punjab Amritsar (UA), Jalandhar (UA),
Ludihiana (M.Corpn)
Rajasthan Bikaner (M.Corpn), Jaipur (M.Corpn), Jodhpur (UA),
Kota (M.Corpn), Ajmer (UA)
Tamilnadu Salem (UA), Tiruppur (UA),
Coimbatore (UA), Tiruchirappalli (UA), Madurai (UA), Erode (UA)
Uttarkhand Dehradun (UA)
Uttar Pradesh Moradabad, Meerut (UA),
Ghaziabad* (UA), Aligarh(UA), Agra (UA), Bareilly (UA), Lucknow (UA), Kanpur (UA),
Allahabad (UA), Gorakhpur, Varanasi (UA), Varanasi (UA), Sahranpur (M.Corpn), Noida (CT), Firozabd (NPP), Jhansi (UA)
West Bengal Asansol (UA), Siliguri (UA), Durgapur (UA)

*only for the purpose of extending HRA on the basis of dependency


Remaining cities/towns which are not covered under "X" or "Y" are classified as "Z" for the purpose of HRA.



6h Commission - Pay Band and Grade Pay

STANDARD PAY SCALES

Pay Band Pay in the Pay Band (Rs.) Grade Pay (Rs.)
PB-1 5,200-20200 1,800
PB-1 5,200-20200 1,900
PB-1 5,200-20200 2,000
PB-1 5,200-20200 2,400
PB-1 5,200-20200 2,800
     
PB-2 9,300-34800 4,200
PB-2 9,300-34800 4,600
PB-2 9,300-34800 4,800
PB-2 9,300-34800 5,400
     
PB-3 15,600-39100 5,400
PB-3 15,600-39100 6,600
PB-3 15,600-39100 7,600
     
PB-4 37,400-67000 8,700
PB-4 37,400-67000 8,900
PB-4 37,400-67000 10,000
     
HAG Scale 67,000 (annual increment @ 3%) - 79000 Nil
HSG+ Scale 75,500 (annual increment @ 3%) - 80000 Nil
Apex Scale 80,000 (Fixed) Nil
Cabinet Secretary 90,000 (Fixed) Nil

Rates of Fixed Conveyance Allowance under SR-25

The revised rates of Conveyance Allowance under SR-25w.e.f. 1.9.2008 revised under Ministry of Finance OM No F. No 19039/2/2008-E.IV dated 23.9.2008 are as under:-

Average Monthly travel on official duty For journeys by own motor car (in Rs.) For journeys by other mode of conveyance (in Rs.)
201-300 Kms 1120 370
301-450 Kms 1680 480
451-600 Kms 2070 640
601-800 Kms 2430 750
Above 800 Kms 3000 850

The above rate wll be increased by 25% whenever the Dearness Allowance goes up by 50%

GDS SERVICE DISCHARGE BENEFITS

Nature of benefit Present Benefits Revised Benefits (w.e.f. 9.10.2009)
Ex-gratia Gratuity Granted at the rate of half months basic TRCA drawn immediately before discharge of service for each completed year of service subject to a maximum of Rs 18,000 or 16.5 months basic TRCA last drawn whichever is less. Minimum service prescribed is 15 years. Continuance of the existing formula for grant of Ex-gratia Gratuity subject to a Maximum of Rs. 60,000.
Severance Amount A Lumpsum severance amount of Rs 30,000/- is paid on discharge provided a GDS has completed 20 years of continuous service. In case of a GDS completing 15 years of service but less than 20 years of continuous service the severance amount paid is Rs 20,000 Severance Amount shall be paid at the rate of Rs 1500 for every completed year of service subject to a Maximum of Rs 60000 with reduction in Minimum eligibility period to 10 years.

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