Wednesday 26 September 2012

CABINET APPROVES 7% HIKE IN DEARNESS ALLOWANCE FOR CENTRAL GOVT. STAFF.

UNION CABINET MET TODAY EVENING HAS APPROVED A PROPOSAL TO HIKE ADDITIONAL DEARNESS ALLOWANCE BY 7% FOR CENTRAL STAFF AND CENTRAL PENSIONERS.

THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TODAY APPROVED A SEVEN PER CENT HIKE IN DEARNESS ALLOWANCE TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND PENSIONERS, THIS HIKE IS TO BE EFFECTIVE RETROSPECTIVELY FROM JULY 2012.


THE DEARNESS ALLOWANCE AND DEARNESS RELIEF FOR CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SERVING EMPLOYEES AND PENSIONERS WILL INCREASE FROM 65% PER CENT OF BASIC EMOLUMENTS TO 72% PER CENT WITH EFFECT FROM 1.7.2012.
Scams, Scandals …... & Postal

This is an era of scams and scandals. Hidden skeletons are now rolling down from the cupboard now and then and the UPA II is now shunned with shame for the rampant corruptions like 2G, Coalgate, sports etc. Because of allowing FDI, disinvestment, Entertaining Public Private Partnership, Privatization Policies adopted in the Government Sectors, the preference and favoritism followed by kick packs are now coming out in new dimensions.

In spite of shiftingfrom the globalization policies by many western countries and attempting to -revert back to state oriented services in the recent days;the Government is advancing with the outdated policies without minding the opposition and lost its foresight.

In Postal, Hon’ble Minister has announced the New Postal Policy 2012 intending to unbundle the present rights of the Postaland end the monopoly. The tender Notification Placed on Indiapost Website for inviting Expression of Interest from experienced and reputed consultancy firms for providing comprehensive consultancy on Detailed Model Concession Agreement for Commercial Development and Management of Vacant Postal Lands under PPP mode Project exhibits the mood to lease out the postal land and other activities leading to disinvestment and privatization. It cannot be ruled out of one more scam in Postal in the future.

We cannot forget the centralized supply of computers and Generators to post offices without any invoice or brought into stock during the 1990s which was not unearthed properly at that time.The information’s we collected under the RTI showsthat how the pumpkin was hidden in the food served. Similarly, there were many types of lootsand booty’s while carrying out the works under the Project Arrow. The information we collected under RTI exhibits that the same buildings were identified under all the three schemes and no major repairs and replacements except changing tiles and carrying out the colour wash.

Postal Accounts, even though it was declared under the organized accounts cadre under CAG,the entire administrative powers like Director of Postal Accounts etc are in the hands of senior administrative officers resulting the postal accounts is now confined its work related to only accounts and not the auditing work.Nowadays, the postal accounts are also raising objections only on flimsy items against staff on their pay fixation, drawal of bills etc. and not objecting the serious financial irregularities purported by the officers.

Is there any check being carried out in the business products? By whom? Whether all the business activities and the expenditure made for them are properly audited. For Videshi Mo, the software was purchased in some crore. The revenue earned so far is lesser than Rs, 20000. The air freighter engaged for carrying mails resulted in heavy loss. The AMPC now installed in Kolkatta is capable of sorting only 28% of mails. The electricity charges paid last month has exceeded sixteen lakhs. The loss due to the non - realization of BNPL accounts has not been cared.

Earlier all staff cars were maintained by the MMS and the expenditure was very minimum. The officers started engaging rented car for the minimum rent of Rs.30000 per month and in many circles the number of cars engaged exceed four or five. The rent spent in two years may pave revenue to purchase the same cars. But it seems no objections by any DPA or Internal Finance.

The poor postmasters cannot purchase any urgent materials for more than Rs.25 which is not even sufficient to attend the faults in the socket pin orin computers and they have forced to depend upon for everything to the divisional superintendent. The demand to increase their financial powers is not considered. But the officer’s financial powers had been increased manifold. Beyond their powers there were many expenses. Whether the Postal Accounts is checking the NPC vouchers regularly seeing whether there is any wasteful expenditure or payment beyond the financial powers and raising objections?  

There are frequent melas or meets organised. Just to make a tour to all the Directors, there was a meet in Madurai and lakhs of rupees were spent. All were exceeding the financial powers. The bills were charged in different divisions on different accounts. When informations under RTI were sought, there is no correct information because of the split of expenditures in different divisions. Is it not the duty of the Accounts to detect and raise objections? Not possible. They are not having freedom; because they are working under the DPS.


We could point out many such financial irregularities and misuse of powers in many quarters. But what we expect that the Postal accounts and audits should function independently like CAG and point out the scams and irregularities taking place even on today in the department right from the divisions to Directorate to curb the corruptions and scams. Let us think deeply to demand such thing also by the trade unions.

STRIKE ! STRIKE! STRIKE ! 11.10.2012 ONE DAY STRIKE

அநீதி கண்டு வெகுண்டெழுந்து ஆர்ப்பரிக்கும் கூட்டமிது !
அநீதி களைய  ஒன்று சேர்ந்தால் வெற்றி நமதே  பொங்கி  எழு !

வேலை நிறுத்தம் வேலை நிறுத்தம்  !தமிழகமெங்கும் வேலை நிறுத்தம் !

ஒன்று பட்ட வேலை நிறுத்தம் !
அநீதிக் கெதிராய் வேலை நிறுத்தம் !

அடக்குமுறைக்கெதிராய்  வேலை நிறுத்தம்  !
PTC  இயக்குனரின்  படுகொலைச் செயலுக்கு  எதிராய்  வேலை நிறுத்தம் !

படுகொலைக்கு துணை நின்ற  மதுரை  மண்டல 
அதிகாரிக்கு எதிராய் வேலை நிறுத்தம்  !
அனைத்து ஊழியர் வேலை நிறுத்தம் !

விடமாட்டோம் ! விடமாட்டோம் !
நீதிக் கூண்டில் நிறுத்தாமல்  நாங்கள்  இனி 
விடமாட்டோம் !

தயாராகு  தோழனே ! அக்டோபர் திங்கள்  11 இல் 
தமிழகம் தழுவிய வேலை நிறுத்தத்திற்கு 
தயாராகு தோழனே !

வெற்றி நமதே ! பொங்கி ஏழு !
வீணர்களை  விரட்டி அடி !

FOR YOUR VIEW - PRIOR COMPLAINT BY CIRCLE UNION AND REPLY FROM CPMG, TN

No.P3/-2/MA                                                                  Dt. 20.06.2012 
 
 
Smt.Shanthi Nair, IPS,
Chief Postmaster General,
Tamilnadu Circle,
Chennai 600 002
 
Respected Madam,

Sub: Harassment of  induction trainees and detention of more than 60 trainees beyond session  by the  Director ,PTC, Madurai – Reg.
Ref:  RJCM  meeting  discussions  dt. 24.08.2011 and  the recorded  minutes thereupon.
                                                             …..

It is very well discussed  in the RJCM meeting  mentioned above , about the  high handed activities of the Director , PTC, Madurai  and about  the   slavery treatment made by her against the trainees  in the  Central Govt. department, which is supposed to be  a model employer. 

 And it is replied  in the meeting  that  suitable  action is being taken .  Even we have raised about the   question paper model  practiced in the PTC, Madurai , against the  set right norms in the  Department for various  promotional examinations  as MCQ.  Even this was not corrected till time at  PTC, Madurai.

This matter was already reported to your kind notice , by our  All India Union  and by various sister unions  on several occasions either In writing  or in person and even in  periodical meetings,  about  the  variant activities  of the  Director, PTC, Madurai against the  trainees , and  even against the  Postmaster grade trainees.

Such type of humiliations and harassments are  still continuing  , even  increasing  day-by-day. The trainees  cannot  go on leave even  for any death / marriages of  their closest relatives  or  even  go out for  taking  any  emergent medical treatment, for the  simple reason that they have been   agreed for  employment in the  glorious  Central Govt. Department. They are  treated as slaves and ordered for impositions  hundreds of times,   the century old system which was practiced , and now  scrapped  even  at LKG level ,  treating as a mockery of educational system,  and  utter human rights violation.

Now to the  added row,  about 60 LGO induction trainees are detained ,  beyond session,  for the reason that they have secured marks in the  final  test as below 60%.  Even for   any UPSC/Staff Selection Commission  or even  at entry level or  promotional examination  the minimum required   marks for having a pass is only 40% -45% and they are recruited  as  P.A. only on this way.   The Department has scrapped even  the confirmation examination now.

Adding salt to the injury,   the Director , PTC  asked all the   detained trainees   to vacate the  Hostel and  ordered to attend as a day scholar and to have even the food  outside the premises.  We do not know whether such things will happen even in Uganda. Also we do not know, whether this Department is a model employer or a multi national company.

We ,  on behalf of all the working staff, bring  these matters  to your kind  personal notice again ,  with the hope  that , being  the head of the Circle , you would  definitely intervene  and  set right  things  at the immediate  and to save the  trainees  from the  hands of the  PTC administrator.

Expecting  kind  response and  a line in reply.

Thanking you Madam,

With regards,
 Sd/-
(J.RAMAMURTHY)
CIRCLE SECRETARY.

REPLY RECEIVED FROM THE CHIEF PMG, TAMILNADU.

அன்றே முறையான விசாரணை நடந்திருந்தால் இன்று இந்த உயிர்ப்பலி நடந்திருக்குமா ?
 இன்றாவது கண் திறக்கும்  என்று எண்ணுகிறோம்

Monday 17 September 2012

REIMBURSE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES FOR PRIVATE TREATMENT

A central government servant is entitled for reimbursement even if he takes treatment in a private hospital under emergent situation, the TN Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal has held.

M Mohamed Salia, Deputy Chief Engineer, Southern Railway, while returning home, suffered a heart attack on November 20, 2008. Due to the urgency of the matter, his wife admitted him in the nearest private hospital Frontier Lifeline, as the Railway Hospital was 10 km away from her residence. After a by-pass surgery and necessary treatment, he was discharged on December 12, 2008. He paid Rs.3.10 lakh towards hospital bills.

When he applied for reimbursement of Rs.2 lakh to which he was entitled, the railway authorities rejected his claim on the ground that treatment in a non-recognised private hospital without referral by the railway authorised medical officer was not admissible. Hence, the present application.

Rejecting the contentions, CAT judicial member G Santhappa said that in this case, the applicant had produced the emergency certificate and that had not been considered by the railways. The Personnel Branches Circular (PBC) dated May 4, 1994 listed under what circumstances reimbursement of medical expenses could be made. It included that if a patient falls ill at a place where there was no government or railway hospital and that if transporting the patient to the nearest government hospital would result in loss of life, the servant could be admitted in a private hospital. The rejection was against the law laid down by the SC, the tribunal said, set aside the order and directed the railways to sanction the amount in a month.


Thanks
NFPE GPO

Thursday 13 September 2012

India Post to Provide Postmen with Tablets

The Department of Post in India is in talks to obtain hardware and software to provide postmen in India with tablets for carrying out their daily duties.
The project will involve sourcing for low-cost tablets and development of apps. Postmen can use these tablets to enter data such as digital signatures and delivery reports, and the department can use this data and special apps to update its databases in real time, cutting down errors and increasing efficiency.

This initiative is the next phase of ‘India Post 2012’, an INR 1877.2 crore (US$340 million) postal modernisation programme launched in 2010 that aims at “transforming the Department of Post into a technology-enabled, self-reliant market leader”.
India Post 2012 has two main focus areas: enterprise-wide IT induction, which includes development of rural ICT solutions and integration of IT services into Postal Banking and Postal Life Insurance, and modernisation of mail processing, which includes automation of mail sorting and mail network optimisation.
The department has already launched initiatives in these areas. In August 2012, the department granted a INR 700 crore (USD$126.8 million) contract to IT firm Infosys to enhance and modernise India Post financial services across 150,000 post offices in the country. The project will help the department transform its banking and insurance operations, which are currently used by 200 million customers, especially in rural areas.

The department will be provided with 1000 ATMs across the country to facilitate banking, and an electronic Content Management System to manage the massive number of documents generated everyday. 35,000 India Post employees will be trained to use the new solutions and platforms effectively. The project also includes the setting up of alternative service delivery channels such as internet and mobile banking.
“This transformational programme is expected to enhance our offerings and bring us on par with the best banking companies, and will help us expand our reach and the effectiveness of our services,” said A. S. Prasad, Deputy Director-General of Financial Services, India Post.
India Post has partnered with state-run telecom company BSNL to provide money remittance services using mobile phones. Under this scheme, when a person sends money through a post office, the receiver and the destination post office will both receive text messages with details about the transaction. The recipient can get cash from the authorised post office by showing the text message.

The postal department has also made headway in its second focus area of mail processing modernisation. The department enhanced its Automated Mail Processing Centre (AMPC) in New Delhi with a computerised sorting system that has the capacity to sort up to 55,000 items per hour. This system reads bar code or manually-written addresses on letters line-by-line using an integrated reading and video coding machine (IVR), and sorts mail accordingly. This technology is expected to significantly enhance efficiency and productivity by reducing processing time and errors. In the initial phase of this project, a massive data collection exercise was conducted that integrated more than 65,000 addressees of cities, towns and villages into a mail processing unit at the AMPC

Thanks
NFPE GPO