Ministry of Finance, Department Pension and Pension welfare has issued Office Memorandum No 42/18/2010-P&PW(G) dated 31.3.2010 for revising the Dearness Allowance applicable to Central Government Employees from 27% to 35% with effect from 1.1.2010.
The DA will be paid cash and the arrears for DA for the months of January and February 2010 will be paid after 1.4.2010
Ministry of Pension and Pension Welfare Memo dated 31.3.2010
March 31, 2010
HOLIDAY FOR DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR BIRTH DAY ON 14.4.2010
Government has declared holiday on Wednesday, the 14th April 2010, as a
Closed Holiday on account of the birthday of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, for all Central Government Offices including industrial establishments throughout India.
March 29, 2010
Payment of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees - revised rates effective from 1.1.2010
Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure has issued Office Memorandum No 1(3)/2010-E-II(B) dated 27.3.2010 for revising the Dearness Allowance applicable to Central Government Employees from 27% to 35% with effect from 1.1.2010.
The DA will be paid cash and the arrears for DA for the months of January and February 2010 will be paid after 1.4.2010
Click here to view Finance Ministry Memo dated 27.3.2010March 23, 2010
25th All India Postal Weight Lifting, Power Lifting & Best Physique Tournament 2009-10 gets underway
The weight Lifting, Power Lifting and Best Physique competition will be conducted in 28 different weight categories i.e. 8 in Weight Lifting, 11 in Power Lifting and 9 in Best Physique competition. All the Categories will be having 3 Awards i.e. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals. The Best Physique Participant from All 15 Postal Circles will be adjudged for ‘Dak Sree’ Award. Last year championship was held in Ranchi, Jharkhand Circle.
Yesterday at managers meet held in the O/o the Chief PMG, Delhi Circle, New Delhi-110001,Shri Sanjeev Thapar, PMG (BD), welcomed all the participants. All concerned were briefed about the regulations and instructions and schedule of the tournament and were given copies of the same.
Shri Ajay Singh Chauhan, DPS (O), Delhi Postal Circle requested all the participants to maintain proper discipline and decorum in the tournament and conveyed his best wishes to all the teams.
Source : press Information Bureau
Postal department delivering under tough conditions.
SURAT: It's not unusual if sometimes a Diwali card is received after a few months and a letter by an old mother from a remote village of Madhya Pradesh to her son in Surat is never delivered. These days with private couriers delivering your valuable documents at your door step within 24 hours in cities, the role of postal department seems to be diminishing, though the reality is different. Even today more than 80 per cent of mail delivery and related work is done by postal department in rural areas.
"Looking at the expansion of the city, we need additional post offices," said member of Parliament Darshana Jardosh, who is also a member of information and technology board of Union government. The city limits have expanded after eight nagarpalikas and 27 gram panchayats were brought under Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC). The population in the city has crossed 40 lakh."
"Forget computerisation, records in some of the post offices in the city are eaten up by bugs. The staff has to work from under a temporary tent like roof," said a resident of Gopipura area Rajula Patel.
The plasters from walls of the rooms of post office here have fallen and the fans don't work. This is the situation of Sagrampura post office in the city. "We have 70 post offices in Surat city and district. Of these, 54 are in the city and we have demanded 10 more at Amroli, Karanj, Sarthana, Ghod Dod Road, Piplod, Anand Mahal Road, Adajan, Katargam, Puna Kumbahriya and Jahangirpura," said Jardosh adding, "We have also demanded immediate filling up of vacancies in the department. Surat should have separate division of its own. How can it be governed from Vadodara?"
Of the 54 city post offices, only two are run from the buildings owned by postal department. The rest are functioning from rented premises.
Arvind Joshi, post master general, Baroda region under which Surat falls, told TOI, "We have asked for land from SMC and the state government. However, we have not been allotted any land so far. We know we are short of staff, but unless a decision is taken at the Centre level, we can't do anything."
SHORTAGE GALORE
Vacant positions in Surat postal department at present
| Cadre | Staff | Staff at present | Vacancy | Demand |
| Postal assistant | 401 | 360 | 41 | 150 |
| Post man | 446 | 387 | 59 | 200 |
| Group D | 112 | 091 | 21 | 100 |
How postmen sort Dharavi maze?
MUMBAI: Ever wondered what it's like to deliver post in Asia's biggest slum, Dharavi? Especially when the address reads something like this: 'Mahim Fatak ke baju mein' or 'Ajmal Kasab, Dharavi, Mumbai-17!' That the name of the addressee in the latter instance happens to be same as the lone 26/11 terrorist currently on trial at a special court is of course another story.
Dharavi is home to more than a million people. Every day, there are at least 4,000 ordinary letters to be delivered, a hundred registered ones, 150 speedposts, at least four parcels and about 15 money orders, says B S Jaiswar, sub-post master at Dharavi Post office. There are some company annual reports as well to be delivered, he adds.
Surprised? Dharavi is home to several thriving small-scale industries such as embroidered garments, leather goods, pottery and plastic. According to reports, Dharavi's products sell domestically and abroad. The slum's annual business turnover is estimated at more than $650m.
It can become a bit of a problem, says complaint inspector, Mumbai city, west division, Pratibha Parab, with speedposts that must be delivered the same day. Particularly as letters could bear addresses such as Laxmi Chawl, Room No 31, Kumbharwada Road. Or it might be NKP Stores, AKJ Nagar or simply c/o Pandit paanwala. These are not fictional addresses. This is how most letters arrive at the local post office no matter that the sender is a bank, mobile company or lives abroad.
Slum houses generally have no door numbers. Postman B R Rane says that rather than numbers, it is the locals and shopkeepers who help locate the addressee. These postmen become so good at nailing an address that the sleuths recently asked them for help during a hoax bomb scare.
In Dharavi, concrete huts, sometimes two-three floors are standing cheek-by-jowl. There are no numbers written on the door. Negotiating the labyrinthine lanes makes the job more difficult for postmen. They walk gingerly through lanes ducking the maze of electric wires drooping dangerously at times while negotiating open sewers and garbage piles at regular intervals. The walk becomes all the more tricky as sunlight barely passes through the densely built dwellings. So whether it is day or night, it is mostly dark.
Understandably, each postman, covering about 25 km every day, takes about two years to be a pro.
On Kumbharwada road, matters are worse as all the hutments have similar colours and designs since the same community reside here. "At Kumbharwada, whether you talk in Hindi or Marathi, people will still reply in Gujrati," says Mohan Sawant, who has put in 27 years here as a postman.
While there are movies and pictures on Dharavi, it is more on the filth and squalor of Dharavi and the spirit of its dwellers rather than these resilient postmen. Yet, for all their hardships, the weather-beaten faces of S T Nadkar and C R Dalvi wear a content smile.
Source : Times of IndiaMarch 22, 2010
CAT Madras holds the Group B examination held in 2008 as defective, arbitrary, irrational and discriminatory
An article published by Shri S. Samuel, General Secretary, All India Association of Inspectors and ASPs is reproduced below for information.
Normally, any departmental examination for promotion is held every year depending upon year-wise vacancies so that the eligible candidate for a particular year vacancy would get opportunity to get selection for subsequent year vacancies. But disregarding all principles, the department conducted Group B examination by bunching of vacancies for four years viz. 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Our Association objected to it. But the Department did not heed. Some of IP/ASP filed cases before CAT Madras and CAT Patna and prayed for a stay order. The honourable CATs at that time rejected to pass stay order. Though the single selection for all the four years is prejudicial to majority of the eligible candidates the Department successfully conducted the examination. With a result many juniors who were not at all eligible for the vacancies of 2004, 2005 and 2006 were allowed to appear, got selected and promoted. Now many ineligible candidates are working as PS Group B officer. The CAT Madras passed an order in OA 64/08 and some of the relevant paragraphs are reproduced below:
“ 15. If the selection for promotion is based every year separately for 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, depending upon year-wise vacancies, the eligible candidate for 2003 who did not get selection for the year vacancies, would get opportunity to seek selection for subsequent year vacancies and because of bunching of vacancies for all the four years and holding single selection is prejudicial to majority of the eligible candidate and such selection is detrimental to the eligible employees for whose purpose it has been intended. The respondents have not placed any instruction of guidelines in support their claim for holding the single selection by bunching of vacancies for 4 years or several years.
16. In view of such circumstances as discussed above, the decision to bunch the vacancies for all the four years together and holding a simple selection is discriminatory, arbitrary, unfair and also amounts to defect the selection.
17. In spite of objections raised by the applicants by way of representations an also by filing of this OA, the authorities have not taken any care and proceeded further in conducting examinations. The authorities have completed most of the selection procedure in conducting examination and also declared the result of the successful candidates in the written test.
18. In view of such circumstances, if this selection is restricted for the vacancies for the year 2003, no harm would be caused to any of the eligible candidates who faced the examination and selection for the year 2003 is held valid and the selection for the vacancies for 2004, 2005 and 2006 are held to be defective, arbitrary, irrational and discriminatory. Thus the claim of the applicants is allowed partly, directing the respondents to secure year-wise vacancies for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 in respect of promotion to the cadre of Postal Services Group B by preparing year-wise list of eligible candidates and also vacancies and thereafter hold fresh Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE), restricting the present selection only for the year 2003.
19. In the result, the OA is partly allowed as above, with no order as to costs.”
Note:
What is the use of this order? The Department has deliberately conducted this examination. No relief was given by the CAT to affected candidates at that time. Selected candidates have now promoted and working in the higher posts. Justice is supposed to be delivered in time.
Justice delayed is Justice denied!
S.Samuel
General Secretary
March 16, 2010
Integrity, honesty,objectivity, impartiality, transparency, accountability and devotion to duty are the core values which civil servants should cherish
Dear Chief Secretary,
Of late there have been some disturbing incidents which call for serious introspection by civil servants. It is important that we ponder over the manner in which we discharge our duties and fulfil our responsibilities and what we need to do to refurbish our image.
2. Civil servants are appointed on the basis of a fair and open competition. We must respond in full measure to the faith that citizens have reposed in us and meet their hopes and aspirations of good governance. Integrity, honesty, objectivity, impartiality, transparency, accountability and devotion to duty are the core values which civil servants should cherish and which should form an integral part of our decisions and actions.
3. The issue of corruption needs to be addressed fairly and squarely. The Government's policy of zero tolerance for corruption must be implemented fully and effectively. Preventive vigilance should be strengthened. Transparency must be introduced in decision making and in all our systems. Stringent action must be taken against officers found guilty. Disciplinary proceedings must be expedited.
4. We need to stand by and uphold our core values. Senior officers must set an example and mentor their colleagues. The Civil Services must work moleheartedly to provide good governance.
5. Please share these sentiments with all officers. Let us resolve to serve the nation and the citizens in a committed manner.
With regards,
Yours sincerely,
( K.M. Chandrasekhar )
Source : Department of Personnel and Training
DA calculation based on the All India Consumer Price Index for the month of January 2010
The All India Consumer Price Index number for (Industrial Workers) (Base 2001=100) for the month of December 2009 is 172 as announced by Statistics Department, Labour, Government of India.
Based on this index, the DA is calculated and given below. 8% DA is due from 1.1.2010.(Present DA rate from 1.7.2009 is 27%). 2% is increased from January 2010.
| Month | All India Index | % of increase |
| Nov 2008 | 148 | 21.44 |
| Dec 2008 | 147 | 22.38 |
| Jan 2009 | 148 | 23.39 |
| Feb 2009 | 148 | 24.32 |
| Mar 2009 | 148 | 25.12 |
| Apr 2009 | 150 | 25.98 |
| May 2009 | 151 | 26.84 |
| Jun 2009 | 153 | 27.78 |
| Jul 2009 | 160 | 29.00 |
| Aug 2009 | 162 | 30.23 |
| Sep 2009 | 163 | 31.45 |
| Oct 2009 | 165 | 32.67 |
| Nov 2009 | 168 | 34.11 |
| Dec 2009 | 169 | 35.70 |
| Jan 2010 | 172 | 37.43 |
March 14, 2010
The restriction of travel by Air India only need not to apply to non-entitled officers who travel by air and claim LTC reimbursement by entitled class of rail.
Department of Personnel and Training Memo No 31011/2/2006-Estt(A) dated 11.3.2010
Subject : Regulation of journeys by private airlines while availing LTC
The undersigned is directed to refer to Department of Expenditure OM No 19024/1/2009-E, IV dated 13/7/2009 and this Department's OM No 31011/2/2006-Estt (A) dated 27.7.2009 regarding journy by air while availing Leave Travel Concession (LTC), stipulating that in all cases of air travel (including LTC) both domestic and international where the Government of India bears the cost of air passage, the official concerned may travel by Air India only.
2. It is clarified that restriction of travel by Air India only need not apply to non-entitled officers who travel by air and claim LTC reimbursement by entitled class of rail.
3. The above orders will be applicable with effect from the date of issue of this OM. Past cases already settled will not be re-opened.
Source : Department of Personnel and Training Memo dated 11.3.2010The restriction of 18 years of age in respect of disabled/mentally challenged children for grant of Child Care Leave relaxed upto 22 years of age.
Department of Personnel and Training Memo No 13018/6/2009-Estt(L) dated 3.3.2010
Subject : Implementation of Governnient's decision on the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission - Child Care Leave Waiving of age restriction of 18 years for Government servant having mentally challengedidisabled children.
The undersigned is directed to refer to DOP&T OM No. 13018/212008- Estt.(L), dated 11.9.2008 on the subject mentioned above and to say that this Department has been receiving various references regarding waiving of the age restriction of 18 years in respect of disabled/mentally challenged children for grant of Child Care Leave to women employees. The matter has been considered in consultation with Ministry of Finance and it has been decided to permit Child Care Leave to women en~ployeesw ith disabled children upto the age of 22 years for a maximum period of 2 years (i.e 730 days) subject to the other conditions stipulated by the Government in this regard from time to time. However, it is stressed that CCL cannot be demanded as a matter of right and under no circumstances can any employee proceed on CCL without prior approval of the Leave sanctioning authority. Disabled Child having a minimum disability of 40% is elaborated in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Notification No. 16- 18197-NI.1, dated 1.6.2001 (copy enclosed).
Documents relating to the handicap as specified in the Notification, as well as a certificate from the Government Servant regarding dependency of the child on the God. servant would have to be submitted by the employee. The Child Care Leave would be permitted only if the child is dependent on the Government servant.
Guides for PS Group B examination
PTC Vadodara has brought out the following publications to the benefit of aspiring candidates for PS Group B examination:
(1) Question papers of past years for the PS Gr B Exam.(2) Reading material.
(3) Model question paper containing 5 sets.
Cost of one complete set is Rs 1000/- (Rupees One thousand only). Remittance should be made by eMO only to the following address:
Publication Division, Postal Training Centre, Vadodara – 390022
Publications will be sent by speed post. Please write your complete address with PIN code in the communication portion of the MO form.
March 13, 2010
Rs 16 lakh fraud at Tivim Sub Post Office 403502 in North Goa
MAPUSA: Devidas V Mandrekar, from Sal-Bicholim, has been booked by the Mapusa police for committing a fraud of Rs 16,89,672.
According to the police, Mr Ratnakar Topare, the post inspector from Mapusa sub-division post office, has complained that the accused working as a postmaster of Tivim, at the Tivim sub-post office, has committed a misappropriation of Rs 16,89,672, prior to March 9 this year. It is learnt that the accused has also been missing from March 6, which prompted the Mapusa inspector to inquire into his absence, wherein this fraud came to light. Interestingly a missing complaint has also been filed at the Bicholim police station by the family of the accused.
Source : NavHnidi TimesMarch 11, 2010
There is no proposal to alter the terms and conditions of engagement already enjoyed by the Gramin Dak Sevaks.
They are paid Time Related Continuity Allowance on a pro-rata basis. They are also paid discharge benefits like ex-gratia gratuity & severance amount at the time of discharge. The women Gramin Dak Sevak are, now, paid maternity grant equivalent to 3 months Time Related Continuity Allowance for the birth of two children. Gramin Dak Sevaks are also eligible for 20 days paid leave in a year.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology, Shri Gurudas Kamat in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
Source : Press Information Bureau
March 8, 2010
India Post as a Point of Presence (POP) for New Pension Scheme (NPS) on behalf of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
Coimbatore March 7, 2010 :Commissioner of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax, C. Rajendiran on Saturday launched the New Pension Scheme (NPS) through India Post as a Point of Presence (POP) wherein the Head Post Offices would initially market the scheme.
Launching the scheme, Mr. Rajendiran said that post offices were a bridge between people and Government departments. The Department would play a pivotal role in every one's life. “Change is a must for growth and post offices have changed over a period both in terms of appearance as well as services”.
He exhorted the postal staff to follow a corporate culture and be a trendsetter for others to emulate and pointed out that network and identity with the people was the strength of the department.
The Postmaster General, Mr. Rajarajan, said that the Department would act as a POP for extending the new pension scheme on behalf of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
The scheme was being made available through head post offices on an experimental basis in Coimbatore region of Tamil Nadu and Southern Region of Karnataka. In the first phase, 21 head post offices in the nine districts of Western Region namely Coimbatore, R.S. Puram, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Erode, Bhavani, Gobichettipalayam, Namakkal, Tiruchengode, Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, Pollachi, Udumalpet, Salem, Aatur, Suramangalam, Tirupur, Dharapuram, Mettupalayam, Tirupattur and Gudiayattam will act as POP. The department would operationalise the NPS in terms of subscriber registration for opening new pension account, acceptance of forms, verification, processing and forwarding the forms to Central Record Agency-Facilitation Centre, initial contribution processing, regular subscriber contribution upload through Meghdoot Software, subscriber servicing, grievance handling and MIS uploading.
Any Indian citizen in the age group of 18 to 55 years could join and continue till 60 years. Minimum contribution is Rs. 500 a month and Rs 6,000 per annum and there should be a minimum of four contributions. Account holders could decide on the frequency and extent of contribution across the year as per their grievance. Subscribers' contribution would be invested as per the scheme preference opted by the subscriber and options are low risk: low returns, moderate risk: moderate returns and high risk and high returns. The subscriber could opt for the options failing which the investment would be done in auto choice considering the age of the subscriber. The pension contribution would be invested in various schemes by any one of the seven pension fund managers appointed by PFRDA. The return on investments would be in the range of six to seven per cent.
Courtesy : The Hindu
Union Minister for Communications and IT Shri A. Raja launched the ‘My Child First’ initiative under the Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPIL) Scheme of our Department at Avinashi Post Office
The concept is aimed at promoting the habit of investing in insurance scheme among families in rural areas for securing means to provide higher education to their children. Explaining the salient features, Mr. Raja said that the insurance cover ranging from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 3 lakh would provide the insured with adequate funds to take care of the education of their children on its maturity after 15 years. The premium paid by the insured would go into a corpus and the entire earnings would be returned to them with bonus.
“The amount insured will thus get doubled in 15 years,” he added.
The Minister announced that Avinashi sub-post office would be given a thorough makeover both in terms of physical outlook as well as upgrading delivery of services through IT-enabled procedures under the ‘Project Arrow’ scheme of the Department of Posts before March end.
Courtesy : The Hindu
March 4, 2010
Post offices in Mysore will accept bills of Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC)
A newsitem published in Times of India, Mysore on 2.3.2010 is reproduced below for information.
MYSORE: For convenience of people, India Post has entered into an agreement with Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) for acceptance of electricity bills at the post offices in the city.
The bills will be accepted in about 30 offices in the city.
They are: Mysore Head Post Office, Bannimantap, Bogadi, Devaraja Mohalla, Jayalakshmipuram, K R Circle, Krishnamurthypuram, Lakshmipuram, Mandi Mohalla, Mysore Fort, Mysore South, Narasimha Raja Mohalla, Siddharthanagar, University Campus, Vijayanagar II stage, Saraswathipuram head post office, Belavadi, Chamundi Extension, Ittigegud, Jayanagar, K R Mohalla, Kuvempunagar, Manasagangotri, Metagalli, Mysore Law Courts, Mysore University, Ramakrishnanagar, Udayagiri, V V Mohalla and Yadavagiri.
Source : Times of India, MysoreRe-employed pensioners are also eligible for 10 days encashment of leave - clarifications issued by DOPT
Department of Personnel and Training in Memo No.1402811/2010-Estt.(L) dated 2.3.2010 has issued clarification on the above subject as under:-
The undersigned is directed to refer to DOP&T O.M.No.3 1 0 1 1 /4/2008-Estt.(A), dated 231d September, 2008 allowiiig encashment of earned leave alongwith LTC and to say that various references are being received froin Mnistriesmepartments with regard to the applicability of encashment of earned leave by re-employed pensioners.
2. In this regard, it is clarified that re-employed pensioner will be entitled to encashinent of Earned Leave aloiigwith LTC during the period of re-empioyment upto the linlit of 60 days in accordance with Rule 38-A (including the no. of days for which encashment has been allowed alongwith Leave Travel Concession while in service) provided he is entitled to LTC.
Department of Personnel and Training Memo dated 2.3.2010
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