HAPPY MAY DAY
GREETINGS OF MAY DAY TO ALL COMRADES
Saturday 30 April 2016
ATTACKS ON WORKING CLASS CAN BE RESISTED
BY THE UNITED STRUGGLE
The present NDA Government lead by BJP after coming in power is going ahead to intensify the so called economic reforms in the wake of neo-liberal economic policies. Within these two years every decision taken by this Government is in favour of Corporates/Capitalists and against the working class. Subsidy to the poors on LPG is being snatched away in a phased manner. The rates of petroleum products have been deregulated and handed over to market forces. The rates of crude oil have come down drastically but no benefit has been given to the public. The Treasurery of the Government and Oil Companies are being filled up. Subsidy on fertilizers , seed, electricity and irrigation water is being reduced, resultantly hardship is being created to farmers. Fees in Government educational Institutions like IIMS and IITs is being enhanced putting more burden on common man. The prices of essential commodities mainly food items is increasing daily. No recruitment in Government services and Public Sector, Private Sector is also not generating more jobs resultantly lakhs and lakhs educated youth is wondering on the roads in search of job. Lakhs and Lakhs vacancies are available in Central Government Departments like Railways, Defence, Postal, Audit, Income Tax and other Departments. Coporatization and Privatisation of Government Departments and Public Sector is in process. 100% FDI in Railways and 49% in Defence has been declared. Disinvestment in profitable Public Sector is going on. Labour Laws have been amended in favour of Industrialists and Capitalists.
All the Central Trade Unions and Independent Federations are launching struggles continuously and consistently. Last 2nd September-2015 Strike was historic in which about 15 crorers workers from all sectors participated which resulted in increase of ceiling limit of bonus.
Recently Government had issued two orders one imposition of income tax on withdrawal of EPF which was protested strongly by the workers and government has to roll back these orders.
Again on 21st April-2016 Government of India issued notification restricting the employees to withdraw the amount from EPF. Under these revised rules the employee was permitted to withdraw the employees share from the fund. Which is 12% of the wages? However it was prescribed that the employer’s share of contribution towards the provident fund which is 3.67 % of wage, would be allowed to be withdrawn only at the age of 58 years.
When this move of Government was opposed and protested by the workers launching an united struggle, the Government of India was compelled to withdraw the said notification.
With these two examples the working class should clearly understand that to resist the attack in the wake of neo-liberal economic policies i.e. . Globalization policies, the united strong movement of working class is urgently required.
All the Central Trade Unions and Independent Federations after convening National Convention on 30th March, 2016 has declared One Day Strike on 2nd September,2016 in support of their 12 points Charter of demands which are related to all sections of society and working Class.
Further the convention has called upon all the trade unions and Federations across the sectors to widen and consolidate the unity at grass root level and prepare for country wide united movement and observe following programme of action:
(i) Joint Conventions and Campaigns during June-July-2016 in state, districts and at industry level and take initative to involve peasants, agrilabourers and mass of the people in campaign.
(ii) Day Long Mass Dharna /Satyagraha in the Capital of States and Industrial Centres preferably in the auspicious day of 9th August-2016(QUIT INDIA DAY).
NFPE calls upon the entirety of Postal , RMS and GDS employees to launch the agitational programmes as declared by the Central Trade Unions and make all the programme including ONE DAY NATIONAL STRIKE ON 2nd SEPTEMBER-2016 a historic success.
If we fight unitedly we can resist the attacks on working Class in the wake of globalization policies.
NOW THE BALL IS IN THE GOVT’S COURT LET US BE READY
FOR INDEFINITE STRIKE
Seventh Central Pay Commission has submitted its recommendations to Government on 19-11-2015. As most of the recommendations are retrograde and far below the expectations of the employees, the JCM National Council Staff side under the united banner of National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) strongly protested and demanded modification of the retrograde recommendations. It further decided to organise indefinite strike and letter conveying the decision was sent to the Cabinet Secretary.
Main demands raised by NJCA are: (1) minimum wage of Rs.26,000/- as against 18000 recommended by CPC, (2) upward revision of the fitment formula and application of the same in all pay scales in the pay matrix, (3) retention of percentage of HRA as 30%, 20% and 10% as against 24%, 16% and 8% recommended by CPC. (4) recommendation of the CPC to abolish important allowances should be rejected, (5) reject recommendations to discontinue all non-interest bearing advances, (6) reject the recommendation to reduce the salary to 80% for the second year of child care leave, (7) reject recommendations to impose more stringent conditions on MACP scheme such as “very good” benchmark, qualifying examination, re-introduction of efficiency bar etc. (8) modification in the parity-in-pension and acceptance of other minimum demands of pensioners and (9) Grant of Civil Servants Status to Gramin Dak Sevaks and extending all the benefits of departmental employees to Gramin Dak Sevaks on pro-rata basis. There are other demands also which are equally important.
Govt. constituted an Implementation Cell in the Finance Ministry to study the recommendations and submit its proposal to the Empowered Committee of Secretaries under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary. Empowered Committee will submit final concrete proposals to Cabinet for approval. On receipt of the letter of NJCA addresed to Cabinet Secretary regarding indefinite strike, the Implementation Cell called the JCM staff side leaders to present its view points before the cell. Accordingly the NJCA leaders met the Convenor of Implementation Cell and explained the justification of each demands in the charter of demands.
NJCA decided to give strike notice on 11th March 2016 to commence the indefinite strike from 11th April 2016. At this stage the Cabinet Secretary invited the JCM National Council staff side leaders for discussion with Empowered Committee of Secretaries on 1st March 2016. The NJCA leaders attended the discussion and once again explained the justification of all demands before the Empowered Committee. Cabinet Secretary gave a patient hearing but made no commitment on any of the demands. He finally appealed the staff side to give some more time for the Government for inter-departmental consultations and to take a final view and decision on ech demand raised by the staff side in the charter of demands.
NJCA met and reviewed the whole situation and came to the conclusion that as the Government has appealed for some more time to take a decision, it will be appropriate on the part of the staff side to give time to the Government, so that later on Government cannot blame that NJCA went on sudden strike inspite of the appeal from the Government to give some more time. Secondly, Railways and Defence departments come under the purview of Industrial Dispute Act and as per the ID Act, if strike notice is served on 11th March 2016, strike should commence within six weeks from the date of serving notice, by which time the election in four states will not be over. Thirdly, as the Assembly elections in four states have been notified and election code of conduct has come into force, the employees of four states will find it difficult to join the strike as many of them will be drafted for election duty. Taking into consideration all the above aspects, the NJCA decided to defer the indefinite strike from April 11th to July 11th and to serve the strike notice on June 9th instead of March 11th.
Now the ball is in the Govt.’s court. Before June 9th, ie. date of serving strike notice, the Government will be getting seven month time from the date of submission of the 7th CPC report, to take a final decision on all the demands and also to come to a negotiated settlement with the staff side. Any further delay is unwarranted and unjustified and cannot be tolerated. If the Government take an adamant stand and reject the justified demands of the staff side, then we will be forced to serve notice for indefinite strike from July 11th. Government cannot take the staff side for granted.
AIPEU Group-C CHQ appeals to all the constituents of NJCA to take a firm stand and not to compromise on minimum demands. Let us also pledge that we will be second to none, in organising the indefinite strike in Postal and ensure cent per cent participation of our membership at gross root level in the impending strike.
Friday 29 April 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
Government gives in to pressure, EPF interest rate increased to 8.8% from 8.7%
Giving in to pressure from trade unions, the finance ministry has agreed to increase interest rate on provident funddeposits to 8.8 per cent from the 8.7 per cent decided by it earlier.
The rollback comes after the Finance Ministry and the Labour Ministry were locked in an intense tussle over the rate of interest on EPFdeposits for 2015-16 with the former pegging the rate at 8.7 per cent, 10 basis points lower than decided by the EPFO.
The Labour Ministry sought a review of the Finance Ministry's decision after trade unions, including the RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh attacked the lowering of the rate.
Finance Ministry had defended its decision to pay 8.7 per cent interest on EPF saying last year's surplus would have to be used to pay this rate.
Opposing the lowering of interest rate, as many as 10 central trade unions decided to hold a day-long protest against the Finance Ministry's decision. A Finance Ministry source said the earlier decision was based on "pure arithmetic calculation" and is aimed at ensuring sustainability of the EPFO and providing "stable returns" to its members in falling interest rate scenario.
The rollback comes after the Finance Ministry and the Labour Ministry were locked in an intense tussle over the rate of interest on EPFdeposits for 2015-16 with the former pegging the rate at 8.7 per cent, 10 basis points lower than decided by the EPFO.
The Labour Ministry sought a review of the Finance Ministry's decision after trade unions, including the RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh attacked the lowering of the rate.
Finance Ministry had defended its decision to pay 8.7 per cent interest on EPF saying last year's surplus would have to be used to pay this rate.
Opposing the lowering of interest rate, as many as 10 central trade unions decided to hold a day-long protest against the Finance Ministry's decision. A Finance Ministry source said the earlier decision was based on "pure arithmetic calculation" and is aimed at ensuring sustainability of the EPFO and providing "stable returns" to its members in falling interest rate scenario.
Source:-The Economic Times
Thursday 28 April 2016
Review of performance of public servants
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
28-April-2016 15:09 IST
Review of performance of public servants
The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions is aware that review of performance of public servants occurs only after attaining age of 50 years or completion of 30 years of service. As per Fundamental Rule (FR) 56 (j):
“The Appropriate Authority shall, if it is in the opinion that it is in the public interest so to do, have the absolute right to retire any Government servant by giving him notice of not less than three months in writing or three months’ pay and allowances in lieu of such notice:
If he is in Group ‘A’ or Group ‘B’ service or post in a substantive, quasi-permanent or temporary capacity and had entered Government service before attaining the age of 35 years, after he has attained the age of 50 years.
(i) in any other case after he has attained the age of fifty-five years”.
(ii) In addition, as per Rule 48 of CCS(Pension) Rules, 1972, at any time after a Government servant has completed thirty years' qualifying service, he may be required by the appointing authority to retire in the public interest, and in the case of such retirement the Government servant shall be entitled to a retiring pension provided that the appointing authority may also give a notice in writing to a Government servant at least three months before the date on which he is required to retire in the public interest or three months' pay and allowances in lieu of such notice.
Further, as per Rule 16(3) (amended) of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, the Central Government may, in consultation with the State Government concerned, require a Member of the Service to retire from Service in public interest, after giving such Member at least three month's previous notice in writing or three month's pay and allowances in lieu of such notice, -
after the review when such Member completes 15 years of qualifying Service; or
(i) after the review when such Member completes 25 years of qualifying Service or attains the age of 50 years, as the case may be; or
(ii) if the review referred to in (i) or (ii) above has not been conducted, after the review at any other time as the Central Government deems fit in respect of such Member.
(iii) The above provisions have been reiterated from time to time and recently vide DoPT’s O.M. No. 25013/02/2005-AIS-II dated 28.06.2012 and 03.08.2015, and O.M. No. 25013/1/2013-Estt.A-IV dated 11.09.2015.
Disciplinary cases are conducted as per prescribed procedures. Normally, the details and monitoring of disciplinary cases is to be done by the respective cadre authorities. The Central Government has also from time to time been stressing on the need to complete disciplinary cases expeditiously and monitoring the same.
This was stated by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question by Shri Vivek Gupta in the Rajya Sabha today.
MoU signed for delivery and collection of water billsthrough post offices in Odisha circle
Delivery and Collection of water bills on behalf of Engineer-in-Chief, PHEO Odisha, Bhubaneswar under Housing & Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha through Post Offices in Odisha Circle.
Standard Operating and Accounting Procedure
1. Introduction:
i. This scheme will be carried out in all HOs, MDGs and S.Os having e Payment facility only in Odisha Circle.
ii. The water bills will be accepted in the Post Offices only in shape of cash. The counter of the Post Offices will ensure that at least the Present Bill Amount as mentioned in the Bill is fully collected and no partial amount is permissible for collection. Arrear amount, if any, may be collected fully or partially.
iii. The data would be stored in a Central Data Server. Authorized users in Post offices can access and do the transactions.
iv. The Application Software provides options for acceptance of water bills of PHEO Odisha. Billers are created at Circle level on the authority of Head of the Circle.
v. The Head Post Offices attached in (Annexure-A) have been identified as the Nodal Post Offices for the delivery of BMS articles and also collection and payment of water Bills of PHEO Odisha under e Payment.
vi. The Nodal Officers will collect the water bills from the identified P.H.Divisions of PHEO Odisha as per Annexure-A of the concerned Urban Local Body (ULB) within 4 (four) working days of the 1st week of each month and the same will be distributed to consumer within 10th of each month.
vii. The Nodal Officers will make necessary arrangement to collect the water bill statements from the identified P.H.Divisions of PHEO Odisha for delivery. The identified P.H.Divisions of PHEO Odisha will make necessary arrangement to handover the BMS articles to the representative of DOP, Odisha before the cut off time.
viii. The cut off time to receive the Bill Mail Service articles in the identified P.H.Divisions of PHEO Odisha is 10.00hrs.
2. Mode of payment of bill collection:
(i) E Payment here allows bill collection only in shape of cash.
(ii) The service provider PHEO Odisha who has agreed to avail the service would be available on the computer screen and it would be updated automatically through central server. The interface will be biller specific. Therefore, the bill collection transaction should be done carefully after identifying and selecting the correct biller from the screen.
(iii) Commission/ transaction fee would be levied as per agreement and this would be configured and a unique biller ID would be created by the Circle Administrator based on the area of operation of service for a particular service provider and instruction in this regard will be sent to all concerned.
(iv) The collections made in the post offices would be uploaded to central server. If a sub office under a Head post office is designated as e Payment office for a particular biller, its attached HPO shall by default have to be identified as e Payment office for that biller.
3. Bill Collection:
(i) E Payment option is inbuilt in Meghdoot software 7.9.4 Version under Financial Services.
(ii) On accessing the e Payment module, the lists of all biller services for which payments are accepted at the post offices are displayed as selectable option.
(iii) Counter PA will receive the amount of the bill in cash from the customer. The Counter PA depending on the biller and mode of payment (by cash only) a customer wants to pay, will select the appropriate biller service option.
(iv) Biller service specific option payment screen is displayed.
(v) The counter PA keys in (the Consumer no of the customer and click on fetch button . If the data for the said consumer no is available in the central server , the data in all relevant field will be popped up automatically) the required payment information with reference to the bill and clicks on PRINT button, after confirming the correctness of the information and complete the entries in other fields also, if any.
(vi) Receipt is printed on the pre-printed stationery as is being done for BSNL billers. As it is computer generated, no signature of counter staff or date stamp of the office is required to be affixed in both the copies of the computer generated receipt.
(vii) PA can cancel the payment operation, at any time during the display of the payment entry screen by clicking on the cancel button on the payment entry screen.
(viii) Counter PA hands over both the copy of the receipt to the customer .
(ix) If the customer failed to submit the bill and only provide the SMS for the bill or only consumer number than also the counter PA should collect the bill . As there will be mapping with the central server for all the biller. After selecting the biller when the Counter Asst entered the consumer number and click on fetch button the entire amount to be paid by the customer will be fetched by the system and accordingly the amount to be collected, provided there is internet connection in the system to fetch the data from central server.
(x) At the end of counter transaction, the PA made over the cash to treasurer and after treasurer acknowledge the cash, PA takes print out of submit account. The counter PA should not perform his shift end , until supervisor verifies the submit account data.
(xi) The Supervisor will login to the Point of Sale and verify the accounts. While verifying the transactions, if the Supervisor finds any mistake, he can cancel the transactions and ask Operator to re-do the transaction. Such action will find a mention in the Error Book with brief of reasons. Of the newly generated two receipts, both the copy to be pasted in the Error Book. . The correct receipt may be given to the customer in case available and the receipt issued to him earlier will be obtained and cancelled and pasted in the Error Book.
(xii) Then follow the procedure for transfer cash to treasury and receipt of cash from counter etc. should be followed again. Then supervisor should verify the accounts, as prescribed in the rule books.
(xiii) After verification, the operator calls Central Server and synchronizes (Sync) the data through epayment communication module. The daily reports (in duplicate) are generated for e Payment transactions for all biller(s) separately and consolidated list for the day.
(xiv) The Postmaster/Supervisor logs in to the e Payment website(https://services.cept.gov.in/epayment ) and verifies the statistics and amount to confirm that the statistics and amount in respect of his/her office on the Website tallies with the actual transactions done and accounted for in respect of each biller. One copy of each report, duly signed in token of having carried out the prescribed checks, should send to its attached HO duly entered on the back side of daily account. The user ID and password for checking e Payment transaction is :USER ID: dop, password : ePmt
4. Procedure at the Nodal Post Office:
(The name of the Nodal Post Offices for payment of cash to PHEO Odisha is attached in Annexure-A as per requirement of the biller and approval of the competent authority. )
The Sr.PM/PM of the Nodal Post Offices will deposit the cheque issued in favour of the Treasury officer of the District Treasury Office (As per Annexure-A) through a messenger on office arrangement during office hour of the post office daily.
(i) PA in the Nodal / Identified Post Office receives biller list from the attached Post Offices and prepares the consolidation at his office in a register.
(ii) The register will be maintained in the Nodal office in the following format, in respect of biller (H & UD Department) who has agreed to pay the commission/ service charges to be deducted from the amount collected. The entries in the register as per the format given below will be made by PA and duly checked by Supervisor/Postmaster with provision for signature of both of them:-
Date
|
Name of
ePayment office
|
Bills collected in cash
|
e Payment commission & service tax
|
Net amount to be paid after deducting commission & ST
|
Signature of the supervisor
| ||
Total No.
|
Total Amount
|
Total Commission in Rupees
|
Total Tax in Rupees
| ||||
(iii) Postmaster of the Nodal Post Office checks the list with reference to the transaction report (s) and prepares the consolidation and tally the accounts.
5. Accounting: Sub Office:
(i) The SO will collect water and sewerage charges directly from the customers.
6. Head Office :- Sub Accounts Branch:
(i) After epayment data received from sub offices through daily account, the sub account PA will feed the data in sub account module under the proper head i.e ePayments Receipts.
(ii) In accounts branch, there is provision in Accounts (PBS) module to prepare the schedule for epayment receipts/payments for submitting the schedule return to account office(DAP) and the PA will prepare the same and compare the schedule figure with subaccount figure for correctness.
7. Payment to the Biller (by Nodal Office):
(i) The identified divisions of PHEO Odisha shall deposit in advance every month against Proforma Invoice the amount equivalent to one month expenditure for delivery of water bill statements through (BMS) and service charge plus service tax for collection of water/sewerage charges as per Para-1.5 & 1.13 of MoU signed.
(ii) The Nodal Post Office will maintain two registers. One for Bill Mail Service articles tendered for delivery and another for collection of water/sewerage charges through e Payment.
(iii) The monthly expenditure for delivery of BMS articles will be deducted from the advance deposit made by respective PHEO Odisha and it will be strictly maintained in the register.
(iv) Similarly, for collection of water/sewerage charges the total amount so collected will be paid to the respective PHEO Odisha without deducting the service charge.
(v) The service charge due to be collected from the respective PHEO Odisha shall be deducted from the advance deposit made by respective PHEO Odisha.
(vi) At the time of making payment through Treasury module, system will automatically deduct the service charge and service tax as per the configuration done at the time of biller creation. The treasurer will make payment through cheque for the system generated net amount . Another cheque will be prepared by the treasure and paid to PHEO for the deducted amount (service charge+servicetax deducted at the time of making payment) from the corpus fund provided to DOP earlier by PHEO ,
(vii) The Nodal Office will ascertain the amount of payment to biller from the Treasury Mode.
(viii) The Nodal Post Office will (make payment) transfer to the biller the net amount arrived from the treasury mode which will automatically deduct the service charges and service tax, as applicable on the date/day as agreed to or as mentioned in the Agreement. This amount should also be tallied with Cash Account maintained at HO.
(ix) Payment will be made by Account payee cheque to the biller along with the details of total amount collected less service charges and service tax deducted and the net amount due to the biller. The frequency (daily) of payment will be as per the agreement entered into with that particular biller.
(x) The commission /service charges deducted by the Nodal office at the agreed rate will be accounted for under the head “Commission on Cuttack-WBC” and the Service Tax under head “Service Tax”.
8. At DAP Office:
i. The accounting procedure customized for e Payment for other billers may be followed
9. MIS
(i) MIS report in respect of each bill separately for Cash.
(ii) MIS for e Payment bill or fees acceptance offices contains details of bills accepted in that office (The details should tally with the details in the daily transaction report of that office).
(iii) MIS for the Nodal Post Office for the transactions of attached e Payment offices.
(iv) MIS for the Nodal paying office, Biller, Division, Region, Circle and Directorate.
All SSPOs/SPOs will go through the contents of MOU signed between the DOP and PHEO, Odisha for successful implementation of the project.
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