Wednesday, 29 October 2014

A Curtain Raiser on Postal Savings Banks Forum

The Minister for Communications & IT and Law and Justice World Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad will inaugurate the Postal Savings Banks Forum in New Delhi tomorrow.

This year’s forum is being organised by World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI) jointly with the National Savings Organisation (Ministry of Finance) and the Department of Posts. 

The theme of this year’s Postal Savings Banks Forum will be "The rising force of postal banking in the retail banking market".

The role of postal operators in the world of retail banking is often overlooked. Post Offices worldwide hold 1.6 billion savings and deposit accounts. This is second only to commercial banks, which hold about 2.5 billion accounts. Thus, post offices are critical to the pursuit of financial inclusion, which is recognised today as a vital pre-requisite to socio-economic development.

The Universal Postal Union estimates that several hundred million people, often without an account, use the Post to make and receive basic payment transactions such as domestic and international transfers, government payments and utility payments. Postal operators, in all their activities, have always relied on a business model based on large volumes and low costs. Combined with the universal service obligation through which the State gives the mandate to the Post to serve the entire population, these specific features make the Post a worthwhile ally in the fight against financial exclusion.
 

Financial inclusion brought about through the postal network is called postal financial inclusion. India has about 1.55 lakh post offices, which is more than the combined branch strength of commercial banks (about 1 lakh). The number of savings accounts held in post offices in India is about 31 crore, which is more than that of any commercial bank in the country. The postal network possesses excellent cash management abilities and is trusted for its governance practices. Thus India seems to have the right mix of ingredients to deliver concrete results in postal financial inclusion. Hence the WSBI Postal Savings Bank Forum is of considerable interest to the Banking Sector in India.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

The extract of Rule 152 of Postal Manual Volume V - Production of postal Records for investigation purpose

This is a vital information to our postal comrades to keep their attention in certain cases :

Tuesday, 28 October 2014

HOLDING OF NATIONAL CONVENTION OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL (JCM) (STAFF SIDE).

Observance of Vigilance Awareness Week from October 27 to November 01, 2014

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

27-October-2014 


Observance of Vigilance Awareness Week from October 27 to November 01, 2014

This year’s theme is Combating Corruption – Technology as an enabler
The Vigilance Awareness Week is being observed this year from October 27, 2014 to November 01, 2014 and this year’s theme is “Combating Corruption – Technology as an enabler”. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) as the apex integrity institution of the country has been thriving to promote transparency, probity and integrity in public life. One of the outreach measures to promote these values in various Central Government offices and public sector undertakings is the observance of Vigilance Awareness Week every year wherein all the stakeholders are encouraged to fight corruption. The CVC believes that efficiency and objectivity in governance hold the key to eradication of corruption from public life and for this purpose it has to be ensured that transparent and fool proof systems and procedures are put in place which provide for appropriate accountability at every level of hierarchy in public administration.
Leveraging of technology in functioning of the Government and its organisations can address the challenges of corruption to a large extent. The adoption of technology initiatives can mitigate various factors which lead to corruption like lack of transparency, cumbersome procedures and delays in decision making. By re-engineering government processes, limiting discretion and enhancing accountability, departments / organisations can effectively bring about transparency and efficiency in the service delivery system which effects ordinary citizen the most. By using information technology, the process can become faster and to that extent, the scope of corruption can be reduced. The Commission has therefore, been advocating leveraging of technology by organisations to combat corruption.
On the occasion of Vigilance Awareness Week the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee in his message observed - “Corruption is a complex problem that needs multi-faceted action. One of them is the use of technology that can help promote, openness and transparency. Use of modern technologies can play an important role in eliminating human interface in service delivery systems. It is the collective responsibility of citizens as well as government departments to adopt technology initiatives in combating corruption to maximize benefits”.
The Vice-President of India, Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari in his message noted “Eradication of corruption from our society is not only a legal obligation but also a moral duty of every Indian. Towards attainment of this goal, observance of Vigilance Awareness Week plays an important role in promoting integrity through greater efficiency, transparency and accountability in government”.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi in his message on the occasion conveyed “It is needless to point out that integrity of public servants and transparency in public offices is utmost necessary in making transparent and efficient administration free of corruption. I appreciate the CVC’s outreach initiatives and endeavours to combat corruption with optimum use of technology. I call all government employees for making Vigilance Awareness Week a success and congratulate CVC on this occasion”.

Vigilance Awareness Week commenced in the CVC and all Ministries / Departments of the Central Govt., public sector undertakings, public sector banks, insurance companies, autonomous bodies and local authorities across the country today with a pledge by officers and employees at 1100 hrs. All officers and employees of the Government affirmed that they shall continuously strive to bring about integrity and transparency in all spheres of activities, work unstintingly for eradication of corruption, remain vigilant and work towards the growth and reputation of the organisation, and do their duty conscientiously and act without fear or favour.

Ministries / Departments / PSUs / Banks / and other Organisations would be conducting various outreach activities involving all stake holders during the week through seminars, workshops and lectures by prominent persons. In the schools and colleges across the country, debates, lectures, quiz competitions and such other activities for creation of awareness on corruption as well as anti-corruption measures to fight corruption are being organised during the week.

PRESS NEWS: Government employee can't seek promotion after refusing it: Supreme Court

The Economic Times-       26.10.2014


NEW DELHI: A government employee, whose promotion is canceled owing to his refusal to accept it, cannot ask for it at a later stage, the Supreme Court has said.

The apex court set aside the order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court which had directed the state government to restore the promotion of one of its employees whose promotion was cancelled after he turned down the offer as he did not want to get transfered to some other place.

"As we find that it is the respondent himself who is responsible for cancellation of the promotion order as he did not join the promoted post, the impugned order of the high court is clearly erroneous and against the law," a bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar said.

The court passed the order on an appeal filed by Madhya Pradesh government challenging the high court order.

The government had submitted that the high court failed to consider that Ramanand Pandey himself sent back the promotion order and continued on his post and approached the court after two years when it cancelled his promotion.

It said that at the time of promotion, Pandey was posted in Bhind district where he remained for almost 15 years and his intention was to stay at that place only.

The apex court, after hearing both sides, quashed the high court order.

"It is clear that he wanted to remain in Bhind district, where he had continued since 1990, as he was ready to go on leave instead of joining the place of transfer. Moreover, for more than two years from the date of cancellation of the order of promotion, the respondent kept totally mum and maintained stoic silence.

"There was not even a semblance of protest as to why his promotion order was cancelled or that he wanted to join the promotion post after the alleged inquiry into the so-called complaint was over. He filed the writ petition on October 24, 2008, i.e. almost two years after cancellation of his promotion order," it said.