Saturday, January 31, 2015

Special postal cover on Eknath Ranade


  Anjali Devasher (second from left), Chairperson, Investment Board and Postal Service Board, releasing a special postal cover on Eknath Ranade to mark his centenary celebrations at a function in Vivekananda Kendra in Kanyakumari on Friday.
Anjali Devasher (second from left), Chairperson, Investment Board and Postal Service Board, releasing a special postal cover on Eknath Ranade to mark his centenary celebrations at a function in Vivekananda Kendra in Kanyakumari on Friday.

A special postal cover brought out by the Department of Posts to mark the centenary celebrations of Ekanath Ranade, founder of Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Vivekananda Kendra, was released here on Friday.
 
Anjali Devasher, Chairperson, Investment Board and Postal Service Board, released the special cover at a function held in Vivekananda Kendra Auditorium.
 
Ms. Anjali Devasher said that the special postal cover on Eknath Ranade was released to honour a great leader by the Department of Posts.
 
My Stamp was released by T. Murthy, Chief Postmaster General, Tamil Nadu Circle.
 
D. Bhanudas, general secretary, Vivekananda Kendra, received the special postal cover and My Stamp. A. Balakrishnan, vice-president, Vivekananda Kendra, presided. J. Charukesi, Postmaster General, South Zone, and office-bearers of Vivekananda Kendra attended the function.
 
Prior to the release of special postal cover and stamp, a short film on Eknath Ranade was screened at the auditorium.
 
P. Krishnaswami, Administrative Officer, welcomed the gathering and M. Hanumantarao, treasurer, proposed a vote of thanks.

R.K. Laxman should be face of RTI stamps, say activists


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In view of a recent Central Government circular seeking people's views on inclusion of postal stamps for paying RTI fees, activists have demanded that such stamps should bear the face of legendary cartoonist R K Laxman who passed away this week.
 
"There should be separate RTI stamps issued by the postal department, to facilitate payment of RTI fees," Subhash Chandra Agarwal, noted RTI activist who first proposed the idea before the Chief Information Commission, told The Hindu.
 
"It is a lovely idea to have R K Laxman's face on those stamps. It will be a nation's homage to somebody who took the common man's issues to a new height. Mr. Laxman turned the common man into a hero," former Chief Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said.
 
Mr. Subhash Chandra said there were many parallels between the common man and the RTI Act. "The RTI Act is meant for the common man and R K Laxman's cartoons raised the voice of the common man," he said.
 
Separate RTI stamps
 
A few activists from western Maharashtra led by Vihar Durve recently wrote to the Department of Personnel and Training and the Prime Minister seeking issuance of separate RTI stamps in the name of Mr. Laxman who passed away this week.
 
At present, people filing RTI queries can make payment by four modes -- IPO, Demand Draft, Bankers Cheque and Cash against receipt. But the Central Information Commission, in its recent order passed last month, again recommended the use of ordinary postal stamps for paying RTI fees.
 
But the government apprehends that use of ordinary postal stamps may lead to many problems including accounting error for the postal department, misuse of ordinary stamps.
 
According to a circular issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on January 14, the government has formed a committee to look into these issues and to decide if postal stamps should be introduced as RTI fees. The circular seeks suggestions from the citizens.
 
The RTI activists have suggested that the government (postal department) issue separate RTI stamps for the purpose. "Firstly, it will be very easy for the citizens as these stamps will be freely available at all post offices," Mr Gandhi said.
 
"Also, these will be the most economical modes of paying RTI fees. If beautiful RTI stamps are issued, they will propagate the use of RTI. The people will be convenienced as many RTI petitioners face quite a few hurdles in paying fees," Mr Subhash Chandra said.
 
Difficulty
 

But Mr Gandhi pointed out a practical difficulty in implementing the measure. "At present, the revenue from the RTI fees goes to the States. But if postal stamps are introduced, the revenue will go to the Central government. Though Rs 10 crore annual revenue isn't much, the Centre will still have to convince all the States and get them on-board to implement this step," he said.

GPF & Pension Benefits to Casual Labour with temporary status regularised after 1.1.2004: DoPT seeks information

Government refused interim relief and merger of dearness allowance, assured for 7th CPC report on time

Friday, January 30, 2015

Model calendar for the Departmental Promotion Committees (Dpc|s)

Biometric Attendance : Mandatory for all employees


Department of Personnel & Training asked Secretaries of all departments to ensure that all employees to mark their attendance in biometric attendance system. It is observed that a large fraction of employees are not marking their attendance in the new format.It is once again reminded that all employees in all offices are required to mark their attendance in Aadhar Based Biometric Attendance System. 

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Set of three stamps on Swachh Bharat is released by Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon’ble MOC&IT on 30.1.2015



The Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu along with the Union Minister for Communications & Information Technology, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Chaudhary Birender Singh releasing the Postal Stamp on ‘Swachh Bharat’, in New Delhi on January 30, 2015.

Triple time increase in pay of Central government employees according to the estimated pay scales


Triple time increase in pay of Central government employees according to the estimated pay scales(click here)

The DA increase in January and July 2015 will play a vital role in the final numbers of the Pay Scale of 7th CPC. The estimated Pay Scales for Central Government Employees that the Seventh Pay commission can recommend for Employees working in Central Government establishments…

The Seventh Pay Commission report is expected to be released by the end of this year, and it seems that there will be no delay for the government to implement the report.

The Modi Government, being a believer in business will never want make arrear payments to the central government employees in the future and impose additional financial burden to the government.

If this is true, the seventh pay commission report will be implemented on 01/01/2016 and this news will be like a sweet melody in the ears of the central government employees.

Central government employees are also expecting the DA to be merged with their Pay. In such, along with the Implementation of the report, there will be growth in House Rent Allowance (HRA) and Educational allowance.

As on today’s date, the DA is at 107% and there are three more DA instalments remaining before the announcement of the Seventh Pay commission. One instalment in January 2015 and the second in July 2015 and final third one Jan 2016 will be implemented.

The DA calculation will be based on the All India Consumer Price Index. Based on the data available on today’s date, the DA is expected to rise by 6% which increases the DA to 113% in this instalment. If the same trend continues, the DA is expected to have another 6% hike this July and also in Jan 2016.

Hence the pay commission will consider 124% DA before preparing the final report; this will prove to be an important number in the final calculation. If by 01.01.2016 the DA reaches 124%, then just considering the DA alone, the pay of the central government employees will be doubled.

But the pay commission considers various other factors to finalise the Pay scales. While adding those numbers, it is certain that the Pay of the central government employees may have a triple time hike. This is good news for the Central Government employees.

Now we have to see how candid does the government stay on the expectations of the central government employees. Nearly 50 lakh central government employees and Pensioners are eagerly waiting for the implementation of the Seventy Pay commission.

Our numbers state that a triple time rise in pay is sure, now it is to see how much more will the government add to these numbers.

Source : CGEN.in