Com.M.KRISHNAN elected as Leader, JCM Staffside

The JCM (DC) staff side meeting held on 26.11.2013, elected unanimously Com. M. Krishnan, Secretary General, NFPE, as the Leader, JCM Staff Side, in the place of Com. K. V. Sridharan who retired from service. 

Com. Giriraj Singh, General Secretary, R-3 NFPE will continue as Secretary, JCM Staff Side.

JCM (DEPARTMENTAL COUNCIL) MEETING HELD ON 27-11-2013

JCM Departmental Council meeting was held on 27.11.2013 under the Chairpersonship of Ms. P. Gopinath, Secretary, Department of Posts at Dak Bhawan, New Delhi. The discussion lasted for more than four hours. 

All the notified items of the agenda are discussed. The minutes will be published on its receipt.

Secretary, Posts and Chairperson, JCM (DC) has made it clear that no circle level item will be entertained in the JCM (DC) and all the Circle level items should be discussed in the circle level JCM (Regional Council) meetings. Only those items which are not settled at circle level JCM will be discussed in the JCM (DC). For that the reply given by the Chief PMGs in the Circle JCM should be submitted. All General Secretaries and Circle Secretaries, Please note.

PAYMENT OF INCENTIVE / COMMISSION FOR PLI & RPLI THROUGH POSB ACCOUNTS IS GOING TO BE STREAMLINED

//COPY//

JK imposes 10.5 per cent service tax on insurance schemes

Jammu, Nov 25: The Jammu and Kashmir government’s move to impose a uniform 10.5 percent service tax on the insurance policies has evoked strong resentment among the policy holders of Postal department terming it as cutting on their hard earned savings.

Sources said that state Commercial Tax Department has imposed a uniform service tax of 10.55 per cent on the insurance policies offered by all insurance companies including the Indian Postal Department Insurance schemes.

In this regard the department of Posts India has recently issued a notification to inform the public that every insurance service, including Postal Life Insurance and Rural Postal Life Insurance have been brought under sales tax net with effect from April 2007 vide under Jammu and Kashmir Government SRO No 117 dated March 2007.

The Posts India Department notification further says that all the existing and prospective Postal Life Insurance and Rural Postal Life Insurance insurants shall be charged 10.5 percent tax on the premium amount w.e.f from Nov 2013 payable to the state Government.

Sources said that around two lakh policy holders of Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) in the State have been affected by the new tax regime. 

They said the imposition of such high rates of service tax would nibble at PLI and RPLI holders’ savings and benefits, adding that it would not affect much to the insurance policy holders of other companies which offer huge returns and high premium and long drawn Life Insurance policies and were already charging service and other taxes by including these in the premium itself.

Pertinently, only 1 to 3 percent tax has been imposed in other states after Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) issued a directive in this regard in June this year.

 “It is highly illogical to impose service tax on the Postal Department Insurance schemes which offer a very low return of seven percent on small premium policies.

It means that if a PLI policy holder pays 10.55 percent service tax on the premium it is losing the seven percent returns and also paying 3.50 percent from his own pocket”, an Indian Postal Service official said on condition of anonymity.

Astonishingly, while the IRDA has asked the state governments to impose up to 3 percent service tax, Jammu and Kashmir has imposed 10.55 percent much to the dismay of the policy holders, particularly those having policies of Indian Postal Service Insurance schemes.

“Indian Postal department offers PLI only to employees of central and state government departments, nationalised banks, officers and staff of the defence services besides RPLI to the poor people of backward areas where they don’t have other options of saving, on very marginal interest, which is even less than the amount they are being forced to pay as service tax,” the official said.

He termed the imposition of service tax on the premium of PLI and RPLI as a dig at the policy holder who are government servants and pay every tax in one way or other.

“The department made several requests to state government for exempting PLI and RPLI from the new tax policy but they paid no heed,” the official said.

He claimed that the Postal department also requested for reducing the tax rate from 10.55 per cent to 1 or 2 per cent like other states but that was also declined by finance department, adding “after getting disappointed by the attitude of state government India Post take up the matter with higher ups in Union Government.”

When contacted, Chandera Parkesh, Chief Post Master General J&K said, “Service tax on PLI and RPLI is the decision of state government. After receiving complaints from the customers regarding sudden increase in premium amount we have sent a representation to state finance department seeking waive off.”

He said the Directorate of Postal Service is also in touch with state government on the issue.

However, a senior officer in state finance department, on condition of anonymity, told Greater Kashmir that concerned minister is not in town and on his return the Postal department representation will be tabled for discussion.

Source : http://www.greaterkashmir.com

Aadhaar link mandatory for card transactions at merchant location

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India has made it mandatory for banks to implement Aadhaar authentication for card transactions at merchant locations.

The central bank said “all new card’s present infrastructure” has to be enabled for recent security measures, including an embedded EMV chip and a mandatory PIN, besides Aadhaar validation at point of sale (PoS) terminals.

Aadhaar is currently used by banks to establish identity while opening bank accounts, which can then be used to make sure that subsidy payments are routed directly to beneficiaries.

RBI had directed banks to issue chip-based cards by November 30 to tackle rising fraud.

The latest directive could mean additional expenditure for banks as they put in place the mechanism for biometric checks through the system established by the Unique Identification Authority of India that issues the Aadhaar number.

“The RBI’s directive to introduce biometric validation does not make sense,” said the payments head of a leading private sector bank, who expressed surprise at the move as banks are rolling out the EMV chip and PIN system, which he said was in line with best global practices for securing transactions.

Banks are issuing or have issued the new cards to customers who have used their existing cards at an international PoS terminal, the executive said.

“This facility will be later extended to other customers as well,” he said. “This new requirement is a challenge as we have very basic thumb print and reading devices. There is no service provider that manufactures such machines in bulk.”

Since the biometric validation is mandatory for new machines, most private banks may stop installing PoS terminals at merchant outlets, he said. The worst hit will be public sector banks.

State Bank of India and Bank of Baroda are among the large public sector banks that have announced plans to roll out a large number of PoS machines.

Source-TNN

"BUS DAY" FOR POSTAL DEPARTMENT - NEWS

Employees directed to use public transport to travel to work from home once a week based on directive by Centre

On Wednesday, employees of the postal department will head to work and back in public buses, as part of a campaign to ensure ‘fuel economy’. ‘Bus Day’ is part of an initiative by the Ministry of Petroleum to generate awareness about the need to conserve petroleum products, especially in the transport sector. And though some employees are grumbling about the extra time they will have to spend when using public transport, they can hardly refuse the Centre’s diktat. 

“Ahmedabad’s postal department employs around 2,000 people and around 80 per cent of them use personal vehicles to reach office. Even if around 1,500 vehicles are not used in a single day, it will send out a positive message and give intended results,” said B R Joshi, senior post master at Navrangpura post office. 

“Wednesdays will be ‘Bus Day’ and we intend to begin the initiative from November 27. The directive is on the basis of instructions by Ministry of Petroleum and we will ensure they are followed. Pitching in to conserve fuel is also a moral responsibility,” Joshi added. 

According to Joshi, the ministry has delivered instructions to the main post offices in Gujarat namely Vadodara, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Himmatnagar, Palanpur and Patan, Joshi informed. “Employees will be required to reach office by buses, not autorickshaws or taxis. Official work will remain unaffected by this policy,” he added.

 EMPLOYEES UNSURE ABOUT FOLLOWING DIRECTIVE 

Employees, however, are not motivated to be a part of this campaign. “There are many factors that will discourage an individual from using public transport. In fact, some employees are certain these are just instructions and are not to be followed.

Higher authorities will need to ensure strict vigilance if they want the initiative to be successful,” said a source from the postal department. Employees in the department confirmed this sentiment. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one employee said, “These are just instructions and it is not mandatory for us to follow them.” 

Another employee, seeking anonymity, said, “I reach office in 10 minutes if I drive my own vehicle. If I use the bus, it will take me 45 minutes to reach office. However, if the authorities insist, all of us will have to follow the rules.” 

PRIVATE SECTOR, COMMON MAN SUPPORT THOUGHT

Meanwhile, the private sector and common man seem to be lauding the thought. “While using public transport on a daily basis will not be feasible for our employees and will affect their productivity, they do make individual efforts to ensure they do their bit,” said Sweta Papaiyawala, assistant manager for human resources, Futura Group.

“Most of the employees are part of car pools; even our peons use bicycles when heading to closer locations,” she said. JG Chaturvedi, executive directorasset manager at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) said, “The company understands the importance of conservation since ONGC is involved in exploring and producing hydrocarbon. We encourage our workers to use public transport.“

 He added, “We have also arranged bus services and car pooling to help conserve fuel.” Meanwhile, lauding the initiative, Gayatri Dave who works with a bank near Ashram Road said, “If the postal department complies with this directive, not only will there be fuel conservation but it well help curb traffic flow for a day.” 

MINISTRY SPEAK 

‘Bus Day’ is part of the Union government's nationwide campaign aimed at cutting oil demand. Declared by Petroleum Minister M .Veerappa  Moily in September 2013, employees will be required to use public transport once a week as part of this mega fuel conservation campaign. 

Source : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com

On 7th Central Pay Commission - NEWS

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Latest News: Govt workers want DA to be merged --- Pay Commission could be notified over the next two months. Govt workers want DA to be merged with salary.

Government employees have asked the Centre to consider merging Dearness Allowance with their pay, arguing that the Sixth Pay Commission -- quite like the Centre -- could not have anticipated the high inflation that has eroded real wages over the last decade.

Since 2006 – when the recommendations of the last pay commission came into force – the Dearness Allowance has increased to 90%, a reflection of the high inflation environment that employees have to cope up with.

The demand was made at a preliminary meeting held between the Department of Personnel and the Employee Representatives to discuss the proposed Seventh Pay Commission announced by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in September.  

Congress media department chief Ajay Maken had asked the Prime Minister to announce the next pay commission in March this year. Writing in his capacity as a Cabinet Minister, Maken had also argued for a liberal increase in the salaries of government officials to attract and retain talent. 

Representatives of government employees weren’t as optimistic.

Umraomal Purohit, Secretary, Staff side, however, did stress on the merger of Dearness Allowance (DA) with the basic pay. Purohit said that the Sixth Pay Commission did not recommend merger as they could not have anticipated a high rate of inflation which resulted in employees being granted a 90% rate of DA.

Purohit and other representatives also emphasised that a system should be put in place to ensure that anomalies created due to recommendations of pay commissions should be resolved within a year of the implementation of the report.

Government sources said the pay commission could be notified over the next two months or so, well before the model code of conduct  for the general elections kicks in. Also, the Centre is expected to give the panel enough time to prepare its report in the hope that the government would be a lot more comfortable vis-a-vis the fiscal deficit by the time the panel submits its report.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/

Now, SMS alerts in post offices soon .....A.P circle

HYDERABAD: In a novel initiative, India Post will use short message service (SMSs) alert system to deliver dak to citizens. In the new system, people expecting mail, including Speed Post and Parcels, will now get an SMS alert before the local postman delivers them at the designated address. India Post (Department of Posts) is making all efforts to launch the system from December second week in post offices across the state.

  

"We have named the new system 'Mee Uttaram Vachindi' (your letter has come). India Post has tied up with National Informatics Center (NIC) recently. A trail run has begun at some post offices and we got positive response to the service. Andhra Pradesh will be the first state in the country to launch the free SMS alert system, Chief Postmaster General, AP Circle, B V Sudhakar told TOI.

With the service fully operational, citizens would not miss their dak or would not have to do the rounds of the local post office. At times, postmen find door lock and return the dak without delivering them. "It has become a headache to postmen to visit houses on more than one occasion to deliver the dak. As a result, dak has been piling up at post offices," he added.

"To avoid these problems, India Post has decided to introduce SMS alert to deliver the dak promptly. However, we will need mobile numbers of both the sender and receiver," the official added.

The postman would send an SMS to the addressee an hour before delivering the mail. After delivering the dak, an SMS would also be sent to the sender stating 'letter delivered.' 

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/