Postal Department Has Overtaken SBI on Digital Connectivity: Ravi Shankar Prasad

MUMBAI: The postal department has surpassed the country's largest lender, SBI, in terms of digital connectivity even before its payments bank launch, Union IT and Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said.

"The core banking solution (CBS) or digital connectivity of the postal department has surpassed the State Bank of India's digital connectivity," Prasad said at a special session on the third day of the ongoing Make in India week here.

There are over 1.50 lakh post offices across the country, of which 1.25 lakh are in rural areas, and the department had embarked on CBS connectivity a few years ago.

The department is all set to launch a payments bank by March 2017.

SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya had in the past expressed reservations about the entry of payments banks.

The postal department has got in-principle nod to start a payments bank, along with 10 other players, including corporate houses like the Mahindras, the Birlas, Reliance Industries and telecom firms with a deeper distribution network such as Bharti Airtel.

The successful applicants have been given 18 months to start operations. They are required to present a final plan of operation to the Reserve Bank of India before final nod.

Speaking at the special session on IT and electronics, Prasad appealed all to invest more in the country, saying India will be a USD 1 trillion opportunity for digital companies in five years.

He elaborated that electronics will be a USD 350 billion industry while IT, IT-enabled services and e-commerce would bring in USD 350 billion and USD 250 billion for the communication sector.

The minister said electronics and IT manufacturing are also crucial for the success of flagship programmes such as Start-up India and Digital India.

He listed consumer, defence, automobile and medical electronics as the sub-sectors full with opportunities. 

Prasad sees the target of having 500 million Internet users advancing by one year to 2016-end instead of 2017.

In the same vein, the minister said he is sensitive to the demand on the skilling front and added that over 1,200 doctoral candidates in 80 select universities will be benefiting under a special scheme.

Fixation of TRCA of GDS - Clarification

Finance Ministry invites NJCA to discuss over 7th Pay commission recommendations on 19.2.2016

The Official Sources Close to the Finance Ministry told that a Meeting with National Joint Council of Action to be held on 19th February 2016 on the issues of 7th Pay Commission and Charter of Demands of NJCA.

It is informed that Convener, 7th Pay Commission Implementation Cell has fixed Meeting with NJCA on 19th February 2016 at North Block to discuss about the matters pertaining to 7th CPC recommendations and Charter of Demands of NJCA. The timing of the meeting scheduled itself has reveals its importance.

It is expected that, since the Meeting is scheduled before the Budget Session, some news about implementation of 7th pay commission may be announced in Budget or at least we are able to know the latest development about 

7th cpc implementation after the Meeting.

An internal meeting of NJCA will also be held on 18.2.2015 before they attend the meeting with Finance Ministry.

Strike Ballot Result:

More Than 95% Railwaymen Cast Their Votes In Favour Of Strike From 11.04.2015
Opposing the “retrograde” recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission, railway unions will go on an indefinite strike from April 11.
The decision was taken after a strike ballot was held on February 11 and 12 in which “more than 95 per cent of railwaymen cast their votes in favour of strike,” said the All India Railwaymen’s Federation (IRF), the largest trade union in the Indian Railways, in a statement here.

The Indian Railways is the second highest employer in the country, after the Army, with 13.1 lakh members.
“There is serious resentment among the Central government employees in general and the railwaymen in particular against the retrograde recommendations of the VII CPC and non-settlement of their long-pending genuine demands,” said AIRF general secretary Shiva Gopal Mishra.

A notice for going on indefinite strike from 6 a.m. on April 11 will be served to all general managers of the Indian Railways on March 11 “in case the government does not resolve the genuine demands of the employees.”
The unions feel that recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission will reduce the “take home” salary of 90 per cent of the railway workers.
Among their other demands are: addressing the 11-point charter of demands of the Central government employees, settling issues it objected to in the Seventh Pay Commission report, scrapping the Bibek Debroy report on restructuring and the National Pension Scheme and filling up all vacant posts in railways, among others

1]Interest Rates of Small Saving Schemes to be recalibrated w.e.f. 1.4.2016

2)Postal services to Nepal resumeClickhere toVIEW in detail

PJCA CIRCULAR

POSTAL JOINT COUNCIL OF ACTION
FEDERATION OF NATIONAL POSTAL ORGANISATIONS[FNPO]

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF POSTAL EMPLOYEES[NFPE]

No.PF-PJCA/2016                                                                     Dated: 10^th February, 2016

CIRCULAR

To

            All General secretaries/CHQ Office Bearers

            All Circle/Divisional and Branch secretaries of all NFPE/FNPO unions.

Dear Members,

            An emergent   meeting of PJCA with available General Secretaries of both Federations (NFPE& FNPO) was held at NFPE office 1^st Floor North Avenue Post Office Building, New Delhi.

            After detailed discussion it was decided that along with NJCA programme , the following programme will be  organized on Postal   Charter of demands as mentioned below :

CHARTER OF DEMANDS

1.         Settle all 7^th CPC related demands submitted by NJCA.

2.         Grant of Civil Servant status and all benefits of Departmental employees on pro-rata basis to Gramin Dak Sewaks.

3.         Upgradation of Pay Scales of various cadres of Postal department by modifying the retrograde recommendations of the 7^th CPC.

4.         Implement Cadre restructuring agreements already signed before implementation of 7^th CPC report.

5.         Filling up of all vacant posts by conducting special recruitment in all Cadres of Department of Posts.

6.         Settlement of problems arisen due to roll out of CBS and CIS.

7.         Regularization of service and payment of revised wages of Casual labourers w.e.f. 01.01.2006.

PROGRAMME

            The following programme of action was chalked out:

(i)         Submission of memorandum by organizing lunch hour demonstration in front of  all Divisional offices and submission of memorandum to Secretary  Posts on 11.03.2016.

(ii)        Dharna in front of all Divisional offices on 18.03.2016.

(iii)       Dharna in front of all CPMG offices on 06.04.2016.

(iv)       Indefinite Strike along with NJCA on 11.04.2016.

            A joint letter by both Federations will be submitted to Secretary Department of Post on Pay commission  related issues and Cadre restructuring , 7 Point Charter of demands and Memorandum will be submitted  on 11^thMarch 2016.

           

            To mobilize and make the demands popular among the members, the following campaign programme will be launched by NJCA leaders in the following state capitals as mentioned below:

S.L. No.	Place	Date	Leaders
			NFPE	FNPO
1.	Bangalore (Karnataka)	15.03.16	Com.R. Seethalakshmi Dy.S/G NFPE & G/.S P-4	Sh. D. Theagarajan S/G FNPO
2.	Hyderabad (AP)	16.03.16	Com. Giriraj Sing President  NFPE & G/S R-III	Sh. D. Theagarajan S/G FNPO
3.	Mumbai (Mah.)	17.03.16	Com. R.N. Parashar S/G NFPE & G/S P-3	Sh. T.N. Rahate G/S P-4 & President FNPO
4.	Ahmedabad (Guj)	18.03.16	Com. R.N. Parashar S/G NFPE & G/S P-3	Sh. T.N. Rahate  President FNPO& G/S P-4
5.	Bhopal (M.P.)	21.03.16	Com. Giriraj Singh President  NFPE & G/S R-III	Sh. T.N. Rahate  President FNPO& G/S P-4
6.	Raipur (36 Garh)	22.03.16	Com. Giriraj Singh President  NFPE & G/S R-III	Sh. T.N. Rahate  President FNPO& G/S P-4
7.	Jaipur(Raj)	23.03.16	Com.R. Seethalakshmi Dy.S/G NFPE & G/.S P-4	Sh. T.N. Rahate  President FNPO& G/S P-4
8.	Patna(Bihar)	28.03.16	Com. R.N. Parashar S/G NFPE & G/S P-3	Sh. D. Theagarajan S/G FNPO
9.	Lucknow (UP)	29.03.16	Com. R.N. Parashar S/G NFPE & G/S P-3	Sh. D. Theagarajan S/G FNPO
10.	Ambala(Haryana)	28.03.16	Com.R. Seethalakshmi Dy.S/G NFPE & G/.S P-4	Com. Jaipal Singh
11.	Chandigarh (Punjab)	29.03.16	Com.R. Seethalakshmi Dy.S/G NFPE & G/.S P-4	Com. Jaipal Singh & Com. Jagdish
12.	Shimla (HP)	30.03.16	Com.R. Seethalakshmi Dy.S/G NFPE & G/.S P-4	Com. Jaipal Singh & Com. Jagdish
13.	Deharadun(Uttarakhand)	28.03.16	Com. Giriraj Singh President  NFPE & G/S R-III	Com. Jaipal Singh & Com. R.N. Yadav.

 Sd/-                                                                                                 Sd/-

(D. Theagarajan)                                                                                            (R.N. Parashar)

Secretary General[FNPO]                                                           Secretary General[NFPE]      

MEMORANDUM TO SECRETARY POSTS ON

7^th PAY COMMISSIONS RELATED ISSUES

POSTAL JOINT COUNCIL OF ACTION

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF POSTAL EMPLOYEES

FEDERATION OF NATIONAL POSTAL ORGANISATIONS

No.PF-PJCA/2016                                                                       Dated: 09^th February, 2016

To

            The Secretary,

            Department of Posts’

            Dak Bhawan, New Delhi-110 001

 Sub:  Settlement of Pay Commissions related issues: regarding

Madam,

1.         The Finance ministry has constituted an implementation cell which will function as the Sectt. of the empowered Committee headed by  Cabinet Secretary in which  Secretary , Department of Post is also a member.

2.         As per the minutes of implementation cell held on 2^nd February, Nodal Officers from our Department has not attended, it is reliably learnt.

3.         The implementation cell has fixed two weeks time for submission of any Departmental specific  Modification on 7^th CPC recommendations but it is  learnt  that Nodal Officer appointed  by the  Department is out of Delhi and will be returning after 12^th February , by that time, there will be  4 days time left  for cutoff date fixed by implementation cell..

4.         Further minutes says that any modification recommended by the Secretary Posts should be approved by the Minister (C) also before submission to implementation cell. We feel that if action is not taken on war footing it will be impossible for the Postal Department to submit modification proposal to the implementation cell after completing all the above formalities before the cutoff date

5.         Regarding  Cadre Restructuring  also if orders  are not issued before implementation of Pay Commissions report, there is every chance of returning the proposal by DOP&T  for  resubmission after signing fresh  agreement  taking in to consideration the 7^th CPC  orders issued  by the Government.

            In view of the above we request you to kindly act immediately to safe guard the interests of Postal Employees without giving room for any delay or omission or commission on the part of Postal Department.

            We have decided certain agitational programmes on which we will be giving a separate memorandum on 11th March 2016.

Yours faithfully

 Sd/_                                                                                               Sd/-

(D. Theagarajan)                                                                                            (R.N. Parashar)

Secretary General                                                                                     Secretary General

         FNPO                                                                                                         NFPE

INDEFINITE STRIKE FROM 11^th APRIL-2016

NJCA

National Joint Council of Action

4, State Entry Road, New Delhi – 110055

No.NJC/2015/7^th CPC                                                                              February 9, 2016

To

            All Constituents of NJCA

            Dear Comrade

            The NJCA met on 08.02.2016 as scheduled. The meeting after taking into account various factors decided that the proposed indefinite strike will commence from 11.04.2016 if no settlement is brought about on the charter of demands by that time. The meeting also took the following decisions.

1.    Strike notice will be served by the NJCA and all its constituents on 11.03.2016 by holding massive demonstration.

2.    There will be a massive Rally on 11.03.2016 at Delhi and leaders of NJCA will make it possible to attend the said rally and the strike notice will be served on Cabinet Secretary, Government of India.

3.    All the National JCA leaders will attend Rally at the State Capitals/big industrial centres during the month March and April, 2016. Dates will be finalised in consultation with the concerned State JCA.

4.    To strengthen the campaign, the NJCA will place on the website a pamphlet explaining the demands.

5.    Posters will be centrally designed and kept in the website for State JCAs and constituents to adopt.

6.    All Constituents will undertake independent campaign programmes in the month of March 2016 to popularize the demands.

7.    29^th March will be observed as solidarity day throughout the country unitedly by all the Constituents of NJCA.

8.    The indefinite strike will commence at 6 am on 11.04.2016.

9.    The updated Charter of Demands on which the indefinite strike is to be organized is enclosed.

10. The Constituent organizations may add sectional demands as Part B of the Charter of Demands of the NJCA

            The National JCA appeals all constituents to make intensive campaigns to make the strike an unprecedented success.

With greetings,

Yours fraternally,

(Shiva Gopal Mishra)

Convener

Charter of Demands

1.    Settle the issues raised by the NJCA on the recommendations of the 7 CPC sent to Cabinet Secretary vide letter dated 10^th December 2015

2.    Remove the injustice done in the assignment of pay scales to technical/safety categories etc. in Railways& Defence, different categories in other Central Govt establishments by the 7 CPC

3.    Scrap the PFRDA Act and NPS and grant Pension/family Pension to all CG employees under CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 & Railways Pension Rules, 1993

4.    i) No privatization, /outsourcing/contractorisation of governmental functions

ii) Treat GDS as Civil Servants and extend proportional benefit on pension and allowances to the GDS

5.    No FDI in Railways & Defence; No corporatization of Defence Production Units and Postal Department.

6.    Fill up all vacant posts in the government departments, lift the ban on creation of posts; Regularise the casual/contract workers

7.    Remove ceiling on compassionate ground appointments

8.    Extend the benefit of Bonus Act,1965 amendment on enhancement of payment ceiling to the adhoc Bonus/PLB of Central Government employees with effect from the Financial year 2014-15

9.    Ensure Five promotions in the service career of an employee

10. Do not amend Labour Laws in the name of Labour Reforms which will take away the existing benefits to the workers

11. Revive JCM functioning at all levels

Refund HRA Deducted From Govt. Servant’s Salary: HC

The Madras High Court Bench here has directed the superiors of a government servant to refund House Rent Allowance (HRA) deducted from her salary even though she refused to occupy a dilapidated residential quarters allotted to her since it was in an uninhabitable condition.

A Division Bench of Justices V. Ramasubramanian and N. Kirubakaran passed the order while allowing a 2011 writ appeal filed by S. Radhamani Thangatchi, then serving as the manager of Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Pettai in Tirunelveli district since February 2, 2009.

A single judge of the High Court had on November 18, 2010 dismissed her writ petition, for refund of HRA, by citing a 1995 Supreme Court ruling that a government employee had to either accept the accommodation offered by the employer or forfeit the HRA if he/she preferred to live elsewhere.

However, not in agreement with the view taken by the single judge, the Division Bench said that a look at the photographs of the house allotted to the appellant as well as a report of a Public Works Department official would make it clear that the house was not in a good condition.

“It is very unfortunate that though the appellant requested the respondents not to allot the quarters, the second respondent (ITI Principal) erroneously allotted the quarters in favour of the appellant and deducted the amount towards rent from the salary of the appellant.

In eight weeks:
“The appellant cannot be made to pay rent for the quarters even though she had not occupied it. Therefore, the order of the principal as well as the order of the single judge are set aside and further direction is given to refund the amount within eight weeks,” the judges ordered.