All India Consumer Price Index Numbers for Industrial Workers

All India Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) on base 2001=100 for the month of January, 2012 increased by 1 point and stood at 198 (one hundred & ninety eight).

                During January, 2012, the index recorded maximum increase of 9 points each in Haldia and Bhilai centres, 7 points  in Jamshedpur centre, 6 points each in Tiruchirapally and Srinagar centres, 5 points  in 2 centres, 4 points in 7 centres, 3 points in 7 centres, 2 points in 11 centres and 1 point in 18 centres. The index decreased by 3 points each in Rangapara Tezpur and Godavarikhani centres, 2 points each in Madurai and Mercara centres, 1 point in 8 centres, while in the remaining 16 centres the index remained stationary.

                The maximum increase of 9 points in Haldia and Bhillai centres is mainly on account of Housing Index and increase in the prices of Wheat, Mustard Oil, etc. The increase of 7 points in Jamshedpur centre is mainly due to Housing Index and increase in the prices of Mustard Oil, Goat Meat, Vegetable & Fruit items, Tea (Readymade), Firewood, Soft Coke, Barber Charges, etc. The increase of 6 points in Tiruchirapally and Srinagar centres is mainly on account of Housing Index and increase in the prices of Rice, Wheat Atta, Mustard Oil, Milk, Vegetable & Fruit items, Tea (Readymade), etc. The decrease of 3 points in Rangapara Tezpur and Godavarikhani centres is due to decrease in the prices of Rice, Onion, Chillies Green, Vegetable items, etc. The decrease of 2 points in Madurai and Mercara centres is due to decrease in the prices of Rice, Wheat, Fish Fresh, Poultry (Chicken), Onion, Vegetable & Fruit items, etc.

                                The indices in respect of the six major centres are as follows :

1. Ahmedabad	192
2. Bangalore	200
3. Chennai	187
4. Delhi	181
5. Kolkata	184
6. Mumbai	199

                The point to point rate of inflation based on CPI-IW (General) for the month of January, 2012 is 5.32% as compared to 6.49% in December, 2011. Inflation based on Food Index dipped to the level of 0.49% in January, 2012 as compared to 1.97% in December, 2011.

Source : PIB Release, Feb 29, 2012

LEGAL BATTLE FOR JUSTICE CONTINUES FOR PENSIONERS

GOVERNMENT FILES APPEAL AGAINST PRINCIPAL CAT JUDGMENT ON MODIFIED PARITY IN PENSION  TO PRE 1.1.2006 PENSIONERS

The Government has filed an Appeal against the 1^ST November 2011 judgment of the Principal Bench of Delhi Central Administrative Tribunal on modified parity in pension to the pensioners retired prior to 1.1.2006. You may remember that the Principal Bench of Delhi CAT had directed implementation of OM dated 1.9.2008 based on the Government's Resolution dated 29.08.2008 accepting the recommendation of 6^th CPC for modified parity of pension to pre 1.1.2006 pensioners by nullifying the clarificatory orders issued subsequently that denied the real content of the 6^th CPC recommendation as accepted earlier by the Union Cabinet through its Resolution dated 29.08.2008. However now the Government has filed an Appeal against the judgment of the CAT. The legal battle therefore is not over for the pensioners.

Courtesy : confederationhq.blogspot.in

Postman rings twice in rural areas for inflation data

NEW DELHI: The postman in rural areas across the country has his hands full. Apart from his regular job, he now has to go out three to four times a week to collect data from retail outlets which is then used to calculate the rural consumer price inflation.

Faced with an acute manpower shortage, the ministry of statistics and programme implementation tied up with the department of posts to get over the problem of collecting such massive amount of data from rural areas across the country.

"When we were discussing about the comprehensive CPI data we were looking for a department which had reach across the country. We zeroed in on the postal network," said Pronob Sen, adviser in the Planning Commission and former chief statistician of the country.

It was a perfect opportunity for the postal department, which readily accepted the offer. Rising competition and new technology has posed serious challenges for the department of posts. It is working on several ideas to maximize revenues and use its vast network to help other government departments.

"We were looking at new avenues for raising our revenue and we entered into a memorandum of agreement with the ministry of statistics and progamme implementation," said Sachin Pilot, minister of state for communications and information technology.

He said the rural CPI data is being collected by 1,181 rural post offices. About 1,800 employees undertake the exercise for 3 to 4 hours a week. The statistics ministry paid the department of posts Rs 6.32 crore in 2010-11 and is to pay Rs 7.66 crore in 2011-12. "We just collect the data, the CPI is calculated by the statistics ministry on department of posts and National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) inputs," Pilot said.

Price data is collected from selected towns by the Field Operations Division of NSSO and from selected villages by the department of posts. This data is then fed into web portals being maintained by the National Informatics Centre.

Postal employees identified for the mission were put through intensive training sessions. "They were taught how to collect the data, the questions to be asked and how to put the data in the portal," Sen said, adding most employees had education up to Class 8.

"There were initial hiccups for about 3-4 months but then it settled down. They collect data and then feed it into the computers available in the post office. The data is carefully examined before it is used," said Sen, adding that the department of posts compensates the employees for collecting data.

Data collection in the country faces several hurdles and often international agencies and analysts question the quality of Indian data. Government officials say lack of competitive salaries forces students with economics and statistics background to explore opportunities in the private sector. They say even now the NSSO has vacancies for nearly 800 analysts and statisticians.

The Central Statistics Office on Monday unveiled the first comprehensive annual inflation rates based on the consumer price indices series. Provisional annual inflation rate based on all India general CPI (combined) for January stood at 7.65% while the inflation rates for rural and urban areas were 7.38% and 8.25% respectively, the CSO data showed.

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, Feb 27, 2012

National Pension Schemes will be linked to Aadhar, says Jairam

The Rural Development Minister Shri Jairam Ramesh today said that National Social Assisstance Programme, NSAP will be completely restructured and all payments under the scheme will be done through Aadhar-based payment system. Talking to a select group of media persons here, he said, the restructured system will be in place by 10th of March this year and it will ensure that each beneficiary under old age, disabilities and widow pension schemes will get one’s entitlement every month and there will be no delay in payments. He said, the Central government spends nearly 8,000 crore rupees under the NSAP scheme, but the devolvement of funds is being done in a complicated process in a layered manner, which he said will be rectified and only one State Agency will be identified for receipt of funds for final disbursement to pass book holders through Aadhar-based system. The Minister informed that he had already written to the Finance Ministry for relaxation of certain norms like reducing the criteria for disability to 40% from the existing 80%, which leads to exclusion of a very large number of disabled persons in rural areas. Moreover, they also face problem in getting a medical certificate verifying 80% criteria. Shri Ramesh said, presently the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme gives assistance of Rs-200 per month to BPL widows over the age of 40, which can be modified to cover widows over the age of 18. There is also a demand to enhance the amount under National Family Benefit Scheme from Rs-10,000 to Rs-20,000, which is paid to a BPL family whose main bread-winner dies, besides inclusion of children/youth in the 5 to 20 age group to get the disability pension benefit, which is now restricted to those over the age of 20.

Source : PIB Release, Feb 28, 2012

Kids of widowed daughters to be included in CGHS

It’s a move that will go a long way in empowering widowed/separated daughters dependent on their parents. Last month, the ministry of health and family welfare decided to expand the ambit of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) to include dependent children of widowed/separated daughters as beneficiaries under the government’s comprehensive health scheme. Till now, serving central government employees, pensioners, current and former members of Parliament, serving and retired judges of Supreme Court and high court, freedom fighters, accredited journalists, former governor and former vice president of India could avail of CGHS benefits.

“The move has been initiated with the aim of empowering widowed and separated daughters who live with parents who are CGHS beneficiaries,” said a health ministry official.

Though the health ministry does not have an exact count of dependent children of widowed/ separated daughters of CGHS beneficiaries, senior officials said the move would benefit thousands of children.

“It’s a conservative estimate that the number would run into thousands,” said a ministry official.

Currently, there are nine lakh CGHS beneficiaries in India, of which six lakh are serving government employees.

Currently, the health ministry spends approximately R1,200 crore on CGHS. “The number of dependent children of widowed/separated daughters of CGHS beneficiaries runs into a few thousands. It won’t result in any massive hike in the CGHS budget,” said a senior ministry official.

The decision was taken following the recommendation of the 6th Central Pay Commission to expand the definition of “family” under CGHS.

“The health ministry has examined the matter and it has now been decided, with the approval of the competent authority, to expand the definition of family under CGHS to include minor children of widowed/separated daughters, who are dependent upon the CGHS beneficiary,” a ministry circular stated.

The upper age limit of the dependents for the purpose of being eligible for CGHS medical facilities will be 18 years. “They should normally be residing with the government servant/pensioner,” the circular added.

The Central Government Health Scheme was started in 1954 to provide comprehensive health care facilities to central government employees, pensioners and their family members residing in CGHS covered cities.

The medical facilities are provided through wellness centres, polyclinics under allopathic, ayurveda, yoga, unani and homeopathic system of medicines.

Source : The Hindustan Times, Feb 28, 2012

Holding of CRC meeting for Departmental Cadres and GDS employees.

The Circle Relaxation Committee meeting for Departmental Cadres and GDS employees is scheduled to be held on 12^th March’2012. As such all SSPOs/SPOs in Hqrs. Region including the SRM ‘N’ Cuttack, the DA(P), Cuttack, the SPOs, PSD/CSD, Bhubaneswar and the Manager, PPP, Bhubaneswar  have been  requested by C O to submit the eligible proposals complete in all respects with 100-point calculation sheet prepared on the basis of up-to-date information latest by 05.03.2012.