30th AIC of AIPEU, Group-C, CHQ conducted successfully from 04.06.2015 to 08.06.2015

LIST OF OFFICE BEARERS UNANIMOUSLY ELECTED IN THE ALL INDIA CONFERENCE HELD AT LUCKNOW (UTTAR PRADESH) FROM 04.06.2015 TO 08.06.2015.

President	Shri J. Ramamurthy, PA, Thiruvallikeni, Chennai – 600005 (Tamilnadu)
Working Presidents	Shri S. R. A. Majgaonkar, SPM, Taj Mahal PO, Mumbai - 400001 (Maharastra) Shri R. D. Purohit, PA, PSD, Shahibagh, Ahmedabad – 380004 (Gujarat)
Vice Presidents	Shri R. C. Mishra, OA, PSD, Bhubaneswar (Orissa) Smt. Nanda Sen, PA, Siliguri HO – 734001 (West Bengal)
General Secretary	Shri R. N. Parashar, SPM, Mathura City PO - 281001 (Uttar Pradesh)
Deputy General Secretary	Shri Janardan Majumdar, PA, Princep Street PO, Kolkata – 700072 (West Bengal)
Assistant General Secretaries	Shri T. P. Abdul Rehman, APM, Ottapalam HO - 679101 (Kerala) Shri A. Veeramani, PA, Anna Road HPO, Chennai - 600002, (Tamilnadu) Shri S. Raghupathy, PA, Park Town Chennai – 600003 (Tamilnadu)
Financial Secretary	Shri Balwinder Singh, PRI (P), Patel Nagar P.O. New Delhi – 110008
Assistant Financial Secretary	Shri Naresh Gupta, Dy. Postmaster, Ambala GPO – 133001 (Haryana)
Organizing General Secretaries	Shri U. K. Tiwari, P.A, Patna GPO - 800001 (Bihar) Shri N. Chandrasekhar, Postmaster Grade-III, HAL, 2nd Stage HPO, Bangalore – 560008 (Karnataka) Shri Tapas Kumar Nath, PA, Agartala HO- 799001(North East)

                                                     

MAHILA COMMITTEE

Chairperson	Com. Nanda Sen (West Bengal)
Convenor	Com. Mausmi Majumdar (Assam)
Members	Com. R. Manimegalai (Tamilnadu) Com. P. Rema (Kerala) Com. Aruna S. Joshi (Maharashtra) Com. Anna Rise Bhagat (Madhya Pradesh) Com. Angel Satyanathan (Tamilnadu) Com. C. Lilly (Kerala) Com. Geeta Bhattacharya (Delhi) Com. Renu Dwivedi (Madhya Pradesh)

                       

Postal bank on its way

New Delhi, June 7: Post offices are likely to turn into payment banks by late next month, reaching out to the unbanked section of the society under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Jan Dhan programme. Top officials said they expected the RBI to grant a payment bank licence to India Post, which has a network of 1.54 lakh post offices. Two years back, the finance ministry had stalled the move to convert post offices into retail banks in spite of the RBI's backing. Formal banks in the country have around 85,000 branches that have been stretched to their limit to serve Jan Dhan clients. However, analysis reveals that large swathes of the country still remain uncovered or have beneficiaries who are unable to access banking owing to the distance. The government has, therefore, decided to use post office branches to reach out to the poor, turning the postal department into a retail bank. Fresh thinking and the imperative to turn the Jan Dhan programme into a success have altered the approach of the North Block. The postal department, which has been relegated into oblivion by private courier companies and the spread of the Internet, is suffering losses of over Rs 6,000 crore annually. However, post office savings schemes and money order windows remain popular. Rural post offices, which account for nearly 90 per cent of the network, cover large parts of the country where bank branches are absent. "As financial inclusion, which means bringing payment and lending windows to rural India where banks have been hesitant to penetrate, will remain an important objective for any government, the idea of Post Bank remains one which has to be looked at seriously," officials said. Brics member Brazil saw more than 10 million bank accounts being opened between 2002 and 2011 after its postal department established Banco Postal in partnership with a financial institution. Officials also point out that with increasing labour mobility, poor daily wage earners who travel thousands of kilometres in search of work need efficient, safe and cheaper ways of sending home money. Source :  http://www.telegraphindia.com/

Tirumala darshan tickets on sale at more post offices

With the booking of Rs. 300 special darshan tickets of the Tirumala shrine at post offices getting a good response in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the Postal Department has decided to extend the facility to 256 more post offices in a phased manner.

The sale of the darshan tickets was launched in 101 post offices across the two States in January this year with the collaboration of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and as many as 11,050 tickets have been booked by April first week.

With the new ones to be covered under the scheme, the total postal offices offering the facility will go up to 357, according to Superintendent of Posts (Tirupati Division) T.A.V. Sarma.

Source :  http://www.thehindu.com

NCB Train Postal Staff to Spot Drugs

CHENNAI: In order to prevent drugs from being shipped in and out of the Country via normal post, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has embarked on a sensitization programme for India Post employees in the booking and sorting departments. The drive comes after Postal department employees tipped off NCB sleuths about the attempt to ship out contraband concealed in cartons by mixing it with some other material. 

The tip-offs led to the arrest of two African Nationals and the subsequent seizure of contraband, including 1,980 g of pseudoephedrine and 95 g of heroin — which they were trying to book and send through the General Post Parcel Service. By the time the arrest was made, the foreign nationals had already shipped a couple of consignments to Canada.

Sources said that premium drugs escape detection during checks as awareness is low among the staff screening it. For instance, a hashish stick resembles pencils lead, but for the dark brown colour, and a postal employee searching for contraband may not identify it. Similarly, ‘Blotting Paper’ which is perforated with Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) will just look like filter paper used in Chemistry labs. Except for experts and LSD users, very few will only be able to find the difference — and it can easily be tucked into a purse along with other bills and receipts.

According to a senior NCB official, drug cartels operating in the country have been forced to use snail mail after private courier firms handling international cargo had intensified their screening processes — with technology and manual screening. “LSD is mostly smuggled into the country from Europe where the postal agencies do not screen the contents properly and it reaches the destination through India Post,” the official said.When contacted, NCB Zonal Director Prem Anand Sinha said that sensitization was needed to stop this issue, “We make them question why such a parcel is being sent for a person living in an educational institution abroad, especially when the contents declared in it is available abundantly there. The same works vice versa also. Postal staff are adviced to flag the parcel and seek NCB’s help. The same applies in the case of booking parcels as well”, he said. 

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Source : http://www.newindianexpress.com

India Posts to sell 7 lakh bottles of Godavari water

Those interested can purchase the bottles from any of the 16,150 post offices that are located in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The Department of Posts will sell seven lakh bottles of water drawn from River Godavari during the 12-day-long Pushkaralu, which is considered to be auspicious. The bottles priced at Rs. 20 each will contain 500 ml of water that the Postal Department has named, GOD-JAL after Godavari Jalam. The department started the booking process on Wednesday. 

Chief Post Master General, AP and Telangana Circle B. V. Sudhakar at a press conference here on Wednesday said that going by the initial appreciation from general public, the Department will have to produce more bottles as the demand was expected to go over 20 lakh by July 14, the last date for placing bookings. 

A local ISI-certified water purification and bottling company Sapphire from Rajahmundry will manufacture the water bottles through reverse osmosis. The water drawn from Godavari during Pushkaram period that extends from July 14 to July 25 will undergo an 18 stage purification process that complies with Bureau of Indian Standards before it gets bottled. 

Online orders

 

Those interested can purchase the bottles from any of the 16,150 post offices that are located in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Believers from across the country and those residing in other countries can also place online orders on www.appost.in/eshop. Delivery charges will not be applicable within the state though the overseas orders will draw extra delivery rates. Purchases from abroad can be made only using American Express or Diner cards. 

If the Godavari bottled water project clicks, the Department plans to start bottling water from river Ganga too after acquiring permissions from respective state governments, Mr. Sudhakar said. 

The sale of water is part of the Postal Department’s revenue generation plans for the year 2015-16. The Andhra Pradesh Circle of the department has had a steady growth in revenue over the past three years due to strict implementation of projects that attract public interest, Mr. Sudhakar said. 

While the total turnover of Department of Posts, AP circle was Rs.47,912 crore in 2012-13, it increased by 5.5 per cent in 2013-14, the financial year that recorded a turnover of Rs.50,548 crore. 

“In 2014-15 we had a record turnover of Rs.67,211 crore which is a 29 per cent increase. We could achieve this due to drastic increase in the number of savings accounts. The revenue also increased due to innovative projects that we introduced,” Mr Sudhakar said. The number of savings accounts with the department had increased from 4.45 crore to 6.02 crore accounts over a span of one year, he added. 

The circle is also expected to open 14 new post offices and eight sub post offices at the mandal level this year, officials announced. Six new branches will also be opened at the village level, Mr. Sudhakar said. 

Source :  http://www.thehindu.com

Final Meeting with Seventh Central Pay Commission — June 9. 2015 -reg

Responding to the invitation received from the Vllth CPC, the JCM (Staff Side) delegation met the Pay Commission this day 09th June 2015 and deliberated again in detail on the following issues:-

(a) Minimum wage  (15th ILC norms/Dr. Achroyed Formula for determining minimum wage as proposed in the JCM Staff Side Memorandum),

(b) Rate of increment.

(c) Fitment Formula,

(d) Qualification related Pay Scales,

(e) Pay parity for common categories.

(I) Date of effect of revised Pay Structure and allowances etc.

,(g) Upward revision of Ex-gratia to the families of employees killed in the course of performing duties,

(h) Parity in pension for eliminating the discrimination,

(i) Rectification of MACPS aberrations,

(j) Grant of increment to those retiring on 30th June and 31st December of the year.

            Various other issues were also discussed with the VII CPC today. While the response of the Pay Commission by and large has been satisfactory on many points mentioned above, the revised pay structure/allowances is likely to be recommended to be given effect from January 1st, 2016. With today’s discussions in the final meeting with VII CPC, the deliberations by the JCM Staff Side got concluded.

            It is expected that the VIIth CPC would submit its report to the Government by the end of August 2015

Verification of Membership for recognition of Service Association under CCS(RSA) Rules, 1993 - Procedure regarding

 

 

 

 

Team Bhubaneswar leaves Bhubaneswar to attend 30th AIC at Lucknow

Team Bhubaneswar leaded by Com. B Samal, Divisional Secretary leaves Bhubaneswar today to attend the 30th All India Conference of AIPEU, Group-C, CHQ to be held in the historic city of Lucknow from 4th June to 7th June, 2015. The delegation consists of the following members.

 

1. B Samal, Divisional Secretary

2. Anil Kumar Mohanty, Vice-President

3. Lingaraj Sahoo, Vice-President

4. Sukhalal Tudu, Treasurer

5. Nihar Ranjan Pattnaik, Organizing Secretary and

6. Laxmidhar Rout, Member

 

Now all roads open to Lucknow - Circular of the Reception Committee of 30th AIC

 

 

Modification of rotational transfer memo of P As in Bhubaneswar Division.

A request had been made by this Divisional Union for modification of the place of posting of the above officials made during last rotational transfer. The SSPOs, Bhubaneswar Division had assured the union for reconsideration and kept his words with above modification.

 

The AIPEU, Group-C, Bhubaneswar Division thanks the SSPOs, Bhubaneswar Division for the above modification in welfare of the employees.

7th Central Pay Commission's Final Meeting with JCM Staff Side National Council on 9th June 2015 at 11 AM at New Delhi

 

Introduction of new and healthy food items in the Departmnental Canteens located in Central Government Offices.

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NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE (NOC) IS NOT REQUIRED FOR GOVT EMPLOYEES TO OBTAIN PASSPORT

            New Delhi: No Objection Certificate (NOC) is not now a mandatory requirement for government employees to get a passport.

            To streamline and check the undue delay in getting passports to the government employees, the Ministry of External Affairs has relaxed provisions for issue of passport and asked the government employees to attach the copy of prior intimation letter submitted by the government employees to their controlling authority before applied for passport.

            The Ministry of External Affairs has recently issued an Office Memorandum No.VI/401/01/05/2014 making the ‘Prior Intimation Letter’ valid proof like ‘No Objection Certificate (NOC)’ to obtain passport for government employees, public sector undertakings (PSU) employees and autonomous body employees.

            Government employees, who applies for passport with ‘Prior Intimation Letter’, they do not need to police verification.

            The above provision is applied for getting passport only not for VISA, the government employees are required to obtain ‘No Objection Certificate (NOC)’ from their departments concerned for getting VISA from foreign embassies for travelling abroad as per CCS (Conduct) Rules and the instructions have been issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) from time to time

INCOME TAX FORMS SIMPLIFIED, DATE FOR FILING RETURNS EXTENDED TO AUG 31

            The finance ministry on Sunday came out with a new three-page income tax return (ITR) forms, in a corrective measure after facing strong criticism from public. The new forms no longer require mandatory disclosure of foreign trips and dormant bank accounts as mandated by the previous form. The new form can be submitted till August           31 this year instead of the regular July 31 deadline.

The new forms will be up on websites for e-filing from the third week of June since the government is yet to update the software with new proposed changes.

            According to a finance ministry statement, the new forms — ITR 2 and ITR 2A — will have only three pages and other details will have to be filled in schedules, as per each individuals criterion and income.

            The revenue department has also proposed to come out with a new ITR 2A form, which can be filed by an individual or HUF, who does not have capital gains, income from business/ profession or foreign asset/foreign income. This according to the government will cover a maximum number of tax payers.

            On the major sticky issues like details and source of income of foreign trips and bank accounts, the government eased the disclosures sought earlier and said: "It is now proposed that only passport number, if available, would be required to be given in forms ITR-2 and ITR-2A. Details of foreign trips or expenditure thereon are not required to be furnished."

            For information related to bank accounts the ministry has decided to ask information of only those dormant accounts which were operational during the last three years, from the filing year.

"As regards bank account details in all these forms, only the IFS code, account number of all the current/savings account which are held at any time during the previous year will be required to be filled-up. The balance in accounts will not be required to be furnished," the statement added.

            Further clarifying for non Indian citizen individuals, the income tax department said that it is not mandatory for them to report the foreign assets acquired by him during the previous years in which he was non-resident and if no income is derived from such assets during the relevant previous year.

            "Individuals having exempt income without any ceiling (other than agricultural income exceeding Rs 5,000) can now file form ITR 1 (Sahaj). Similar simplification is also proposed for individuals/HUF in respect of form ITR 4S (Sugam)," the statement added.

            Following the controversy over the ITR forms for assessment year 2015-16, which sought details of bank accounts and foreign visits, the revenue department had put them on hold.

            The ITR forms, which was notified last month by the CBDT for the current assessment year, had specific columns for banks accounts, IFSC Code, names of joint account holders and foreign visits, including the ones paid by companies.