Postman to bring your Amazon order same day

At present, the postal circle is booking about one lakh e-commerce consignments at an average value of Rs 2 crore a month.

 

 

BENGALURU: The postman will now deliver your Amazon orders a tad faster. From April 6, he'll be at your doorstep the same day that you place the order. The Karnataka Postal Circle has collaborated with the e-commerce major to deliver shipments to all Bengaluru PIN codes. They'll be handed over to the Amazon booking centre at 10am and delivered to respective addresses through nodal delivery centres by 8pm.

Union minister for communication and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated the service on Thursday. At present, the postal circle is booking about one lakh e-commerce consignments at an average value of Rs 2 crore a month. To cater to growing needs, a nodal e-commerce business centre with a built-up area of 5,000 sqft was inaugurated by the minister via video conference. The facility in Yelahanka, 17 km en route to KIA, enjoys good air connectivity and is accessible to e-tailers's warehouses.

"With the Yelahanka facility and a few more expected in the current financial year, the consignments will grow to an assured volume of 5 lakh at an average value of Rs 10 crore per month," said MS Ramanujan, chief postmaster general, Karnataka Circle.

Prasad said the postal department should come up with out-of-the-box ideas to align itself with new avenues like e-commerce businesses. "The postman is still a respected figure; people trust him. It's time you came up with innovative ideas," he added.

Need dedicated aircraft:

Ramanujam said the department should be provided with dedicated aircraft to meet the burgeoning demand of e-commerce shipments. "Currently, we are dependent on private airlines and Air India, which make it a point to offload our cargo whenever they get shipment orders of premium cargo. We are facing this problem in Kolkata, which is a major gateway to northeastern states," he added.

ATMs in post offices:

If you have a post office account and are fed up with the prolonged wait for cash transactions, here is some good news. All you need to do is walk into the ATM set up at your post office. In a first, the postal department has started commissioning ATMs at its branches. The first one was inaugurated at the Bengaluru GPO by minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Thursday. The 336 post offices under the Karnataka Circle have been allotted 76 ATMs so far. By December 31, 2015, all machines will be functional. Debit cards will be issued instantly and free of cost.

Other facilities:

The Circle Processing Centre, a single entity for back office documentation work at the post office, was among the facilities inaugurated on Thursday. Post Shoppe, a shelf for aesthetic and utility products for customers was also launched. A special commemorative cover — Golden Chariot: an unforgettable journey with myriad experiences — was also released on the occasion.

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

State gets postal ATM

  Bengaluru, April 3, 2015

 

 

Union Minister of Communications and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad releasing a special commemorative cover on the Golden Chariot train in Bengaluru on Thursday.— Photo Sudhakara Jain

Union Minister of Communications and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday inaugurated a slew of new initiatives of Karnataka Postal Circle, including the State’s first postal ATM at the General Post Office here.

 

The Minister, who called upon the postal staff to utilise the vast network of post offices in the country to leverage services for the common man, also released a special commemorative cover on the Golden Chariot train.

 

Impressed by this collaboration with the Tourism Department, the Minister appreciated the Karnataka Postal Circle’s proposal to develop the post office on Museum Road into a Postal Museum.

 

At an other event, the Minister laid the foundation stone for an incubation facility of the STPI Bengaluru centre at Electronics City.

 

Mr. Prasad also inaugurated the Semiconductor Measurement Analysis & Reliability Test (SMART) Laboratory which has come up at a total project cost of Rs. 14 crore.

Source : http://www.thehindu.com/

 

Few takers for Yoga classes PM Modi wanted for government employees

IndiaToday.in  New Delhi, April 1, 2015 

 

Not many central government employees turned up as was expected in the special Yoga camp organised by the central government's Department of Personnel and Training on Wednesday.

 

The department admitted that despite an invitation to all government employees and their dependents in New Delhi, only 100 of the 500 expected participants showed up.

 

The Yoga sessions, scheduled on all week days except Sundays or gazetted holidays, are being held in association with the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in the national capital.

 

One of the key announcements in the NDA government's first full budget this year was the government's decision to accord a special status to Yoga, categorising its promotion as a charitable activity.

 

In December last year, less than three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed the idea, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring June 21 as International Day of Yoga.

 

However, in sharing Modi's love for yoga, his party colleagues have also created embarrassing situations for the prime minister. Veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi had said Yoga can help in bringing down incidents of rape in the country. He also said Muslims do Yoga five times a day - a reference to their prayers - and even called Prophet Mohammad as the greatest "Yogi".

Bank holidays hit central employees to get salary

New Delhi: Central government employees are in for a rude shock as the new financial year begins on April 1. Their salaries for March is likely to be delayed by a week as Public sector banks will be closed from today to April 3, followed by the weekend, in many parts of the country.

 

A government employee said, “Every month our salary gets credited to our bank account up to the last working day of that month except March. March salary is passed by DDO on the first working day of April from new budget, salary of March gets credited to our accounts on April 2 due to the annual closing of Banks on April 1.”

 

“This year , on April 2, the banks will remain shut because of Mahavir Jayanti, followed by the holiday for Good Friday on April 3. The next day being a Saturday, an off day for central government employees.The banks will be closed the next day, on April 5, because it’s a Sunday. Accordingly, central government employees are likely to get salary of the March’ 2015 only on April 6 or 7,” he added.

 

However, these holidays differ from one State to the other, and not all will have consecutive holidays.

 

Information posted on the website of the Indian Banks’ Association says Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh will have continuous holidays from April 1 to 3, while in other States, some banks will work on April 2 and some others on April 3.

 

It is interesting to note that the central government didn’t announce 6 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) payable to its employees and pensioners from January 1 this year as the revised Consumer Price Index-Industrial Workers data for December 2014 was released by Labour Ministry.

 

The previous UPA government had always announced DA increasing with effect from January 1, in the month of March.

It reveals ‘indifferent’ attitude of BJP led NDA government towards government employees.

Source : http://www.tkbsen.in/

Massive Response for Modi's Sukanya Samriddhi Account

By Express News Service

Published: 01st April 2015

 

CHENNAI: Three months after the Union Government rolled out the Sukanya Samridhi Account for girl children, Tamil Nadu, Chennai postal region and Tambaram division have emerged among the top performers in adding accounts under the new scheme.

 

A whopping 40 per cent of new accounts opened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Sukanya Samridhi Account were from Tamil Nadu, said Post Master General of Chennai City Region Merwin Alexander, adding that the State is ranked top among all other States.

 

Alexander told Express that the State has opened 6.10 lakh accounts in the last two months, substantially higher than the other States. The scheme has caught the interest of every region across the State, with Chennai City Region that comprises seven northern districts and Union Territory of Puducherry accounting for 2.23 lakh new accounts.

 

Alexander added that Tambaram postal division alone had opened 52,000 accounts, the highest by any postal division in the country.

 

Senior Superintendent of Post, Tambaram division, Leela Krishnan, attributed the success to the campaign by the field staff. “We have 95 sub post offices and three head post offices besides 148 branch offices. Our field staff went around temples, marriage halls and distributed pamphlets and circulars to the people," said Leela Kishnan.

 

Assistant superintendent of Posts, Babu, said that camps were organised at six to eight places besides help was sought from ward members and councillors.

 

Maharajan, a temple priest in Anna Nagar said that he came to know about the scheme through campaigning being done by the postal department. "The scheme is very attractive. Nobody gives you 9.10 per cent interest (now 9.20 pc) on savings of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1 lakh. I have a seven-year-old daughter and I think this will secure her future," he said while hailing the scheme.

 

Raghunath, a resident of Avadi, said that he knew about the scheme through his relative. "The scheme has such wonderful returns. No other scheme gives you such returns," he said.

 

"Usually such schemes don't reach people. However, due to the reach of postal department, even a small rural post office was able to open 200 acounts," Alexander noted.

 

This has boosted the coffers of the Postal department in the most remote location. Currently, the postal department is giving 9.20 per cent interest on the deposits, said Alexander.

 

Launched in January, the Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme is a small savings scheme aimed at encouraging savings for a girl child's education and marriage.

 

Account under Sukanya Samriddhi can be opened and operated either by the minor girl child below 10 years or by guardian of the girl child. Only one account shall be opened in the name of a girl child under these rules after furnishing birth certificate of the girl child along with other documents relating to identity and residence proof of the depositor.

 

Total no of SSA accounts opened in the FY 2014-15 - Tamil Nadu - 6,11,835 - Chennai City Region -- 2,23,340 - Central Region (Trichy) --- 1,72,054 - Southern Region (Madurai) --- 1,22,540 - Western Region (Coimbatore) -- 93,901

 

NEW POSTAL HOLIDAY HOME AT PONDICHERRY

A new Postal Holiday Home will start functioning at Pondicherry with effect from 01.04.15. The address of the Holiday Home is:

10/11, Paradise Apartment

Venkata Nagar

Pondicherry 605011

The controlling officer is SSPOs, Pondicherry Division, Pondicherry 605001. Tel: 0413-2344877.

The Holiday Home has 2 Suites with 2 beds in each.
 

PMG (CCR)

Chennai 600002

Confederation News

Circular No. 23/2013-16                                                                         Dated – 02.04.2015

Dear Comrade,

We invite your kind attention to the synopsis of the discussions the staff side had with the 7^th CPC on 23^rd and 24^th March, 2015. You will notice there from that the discussions were cordial and the staff side had been able to present their case admirably well.  You must have also noticed that the 7thCPC has categorically stated that they would go by Dr. Aykhrod formula in arriving at the minimum wage. However, they were a little skeptical of the rates quoted by us.  As you are aware we have taken the rates from the information we have collected through our units in the 8 Metro Cities.  Since this is likely to be the bane of contention at the time of finalization of the report, we must be able to establish that the rates other than the one we had submitted is not acceptable to us being bereft of the benefit of retail prices ruling at the relevant point of time.  In order to bolster our argument, we would like our leaders especially in the following cities and in other places to purchase the following articles from a reputed Mall as also from a normal provision store with bills duly signed by the owners of the retail outlet and send over to the Confederation CHQ immediately. The bill should bear the signature, the rate per kg. and the signature or seal of the concerned establishment.  Please treat this as most urgent and a task of serious nature for the rates adopted  by the 7^th CPC will have far reaching consequences if not contested at the appropriate time. 

With greetings,

Yours fraternally,

Sd/-

(M. Krishnan)

Secretary General.

Rice/Wheat: Different qualities: Rate per kg. (Purchase the highest, lowest and middle rate quality items)

 

Dal: Toor, Moong, urid:  May be different qualities are available.  Purchase three qualities. The highest, lowest and the middle of each item. (Rate per kg.)

 

Raw vegetable:  Mention the names of each item: rates must be per kg. Mention the names in Hindi and English. 

 

Green Vegetable:  Mention the names of each item : (rates per kg.)  Please mention the Hindi and English names.

 

Other vegetables: per kg. rate: same as above.  Mention the names in Hindi and English.

 

Fruits:  Purchase variety of fruits:  with names in Hindi and English: Different qualities: Quote rates per kg. (We shall take the average price at the end).

 

Milk:  Purchase both from the Government owned outlets like Mother diary etc. as also from the private vendors.  Quote the price per kg. 

 

Sugar/Jaggery: Varied qualities may be available.  If that the case purchase the highest, lowest and middle quality: Rate per kg.

 

Edible Oil: (Please prefer the sunflower oil). All other oils can also be purchased and bills obtained.  Rate per kg.

 

Fish and Meat: (Fish = different varieties are available.  Purchase the best, lowest and the middle level: Same for the meat also.  In any case cased, goat meat to be the basis)

 

Detergents:  There are different qualities:   Purchase the best, the cheapest and the middle quality.  Rate per kg.

 

Eggs; Rate per one:

 

Clothes: per meter: Purchase only cotton white and coloured clothes; (Quality: Best, Cheapest and middle quality)

 

Metro Cities taken;  Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Trivandrum .

MARCH TO PARLIAMENT

Delhi  Chalo !

28th april 2015

Five Lakhs Central Govt. Employees March to Parliament.  Clarion Call of JCM National Council Staff Side for settlement of ten points charter of demands. Indefinite strike if demands are not settled by Govt.  Railway Federations, Defence Federations and Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers will spearhead the nationwide struggle.

______________________________________________________

All affiliates of Confederation and all State Committees (C-O-Cs) are once again requested to ensure maximum participation of employees in the rally as per quota already fixed and circulated.  Please bring flags, banners and playcards also.

______________________________________________________

Come in Thousands to make the Rally the biggest rally in the history of Central Govt. Employees.  Let us demonstrate the anger, protest and determination of thirty lakhs central Govt. employees in front of Narendra Modi Government.

Let Postman be Eyes and Ears of the Govt

By The New Indian Express

Published: 01st April 2015

 

Long before modern telecommunication systems started, the postman was the only mode of communication in India. He was not only a carrier of news and letters, but a friend, philosopher and guide of the people living in far-flung areas. Now that private couriers and telecommunication have reduced their workload, the government must use the Indian postman for reaching out to citizens in backward areas and educate them about the various policies and incentives. The Modi government has done well to appoint a task force under former cabinet secretary, T S R Subramanian, to ascertain how the Indian postman can be used under the current circumstances.

 

With the world’s largest postal network, India Post has about 1.55 lakh post offices spread across the country. On an average, a post office serves an area of 21.21 sqkm and a population of 7,175 people. Digital boards and panels can be set up at the post offices to educate the people on not just schemes and policies, but also on issues related to health and education. Besides, the postman can be used for collecting feedback from the people in rural areas.

 

Given the romance and reliability of the postal service, it will be a pity if it fades away into obscurity with disuse. While the romance is exemplified by the stories of “runners” who carried the mail on foot through jungles and pathways infested with animals and dacoits, the reliability was noted by V S Naipaul in his celebrated novel, A House for Mr Biswas. Such a stirring background is a befitting prequel to a new era when the friendly postman, who also read out letters to a blind recipient, as in the film, Sholay, will act as a purveyor of official messages and also be the eyes and ears of the government. Such tasks are not improbable, having found mention in Chanakya’s Arthasastra (3rd century BC) which says that the “chief of the secret service, known as the postmaster, maintained the lines of communication”.

Payment of Dearness Allowance to Central Government Employees - Revised Rates effective from 01.01.2015 - Fake Order/ Instructions - Clarification

Click here to view

Enrolment for Aadhaar Number and its seeding in pension records of all pensioners and family pensioners - regarding.

Click here to view

Three-days Training on Marketing and Soft Skill to the postal employees conducted by the Deptt. of MBA, Utkal University concluded successfully

First Day

 

 

 Second Day

 

 

 Third Day

 

 Trainees with Prof. Dr. B B Mishra, HOD, Deptt. of MBA, Utkal University and Shri P K Singh, DPS(HQ), Bhubaneswar

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Yoga training sessions for Central Government Employees and their dependents.

Click here to view

Happy Utkal Diwas

 

India Is One of the Least E-Commerce Friendly Markets Says U.N. Body

India is one of the fastest growing e-commerce markets in the world, but the country’s online retailing infrastructure is struggling to keep up.

 

According to a new index compiled by the United Nations, India lags way behind many other economies of the world, including Brazil, China and Sri Lanka, in terms of its ability to serve online customers.

 

The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development  business-to-consumer e-commerce index shows that India last year came 83rd out of 130 countries in the ranking that measures the number of Internet users, the availability of secure server infrastructure, credit card penetration and postal delivery.

 

Luxembourg, Norway and Finland came out top as the most e-commerce ready markets in the world in that order.

 

India scored 40.6 on the index compared to Luxembourg’s 91.7.  On Monday, The Wall Street Journal published a front-page story about the men who deliver the goods to India’s swelling numbers of online consumers in bulging backpacks.

 

While almost all of India has access to postal delivery at home — a big plus in e-commerce economics — the report stated that India remains predominantly a cash-based economy and the vast majority (80%) of all online transactions are paid for in cash upon delivery of the item.

 

Only 1.8% of over 15 year olds have access to a credit card and there were 48 secure servers for a million users in 2013.

 

Online retailing accounted for a major share of e-commerce in most markets such as the U.S., Brazil, U.K., Germany and Russia, according to the study. However, in India almost three-fourths of online sales were travel-related, it said.

 

The U.N report says assessing e-commerce readiness can serve as a first step towards formulating a national e-commerce strategy.

 

“As the digital economy expands and more business activities are affected, it becomes more important for governments to consider policies that can help to harness e-commerce for sustainable development,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said in a statement.

 

With more than 300 million Internet users last year, India is the world’s second-largest Internet market after China. The number of Internet users is expected to more than double in the next five years as the number of smartphone users grows in tandem.

 

India doesn’t allow foreign companies to sell multiple brands online. But foreign companies can operate marketplace technology platforms where multiple sellers can list their wares to sell.

Source : http://blogs.wsj.com/