Thursday, December 28, 2017

Government cuts interest rate on small savings plans.

The government on Wednesday trimmed interest rates on small savings schemes such as National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Public Provident Fund (PPF) by 20 basis points but spared senior citizens. One hundred basis points equals one percentage point.

At the same time, investments in the five-year Senior Citizens Savings Scheme has been retained at 8.3 per cent. The interest rate on the senior citizens’ scheme is paid quarterly.
The government had kept rates unchanged in the October-December quarter. The finance ministry also retained the savings deposit rate at 4%.
A finance ministry notification said rates have been reduced across the board for schemes such as National Savings Certificate (NSC), Sukanya Samriddhi Account, Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and Public Provident Fund (PPF). However, interest on savings deposits has been retained at 4 per cent annually.
Since April last year, interest rates on all small savings schemes have been recalibrated on a quarterly basis.
As per the notification, PPF and NSC will fetch a lower annual rate of 7.6 per cent while KVP will yield 7.3 per cent and mature in 11 months.
Term deposits of 1-5 years will fetch a lower interest rate of 6.6-7.4 per cent, to be paid quarterly, while the five-year recurring deposit is pegged at 6.9 per cent.
The lowering of rates on small savings comes against the backdrop of lower fixed deposit rates by banks. The interest rate on the Employees Provident (EPF) is 8.65%.
Source: ET

 

7th Pay Commission Bunching increment – Loss to Senior Employees fixed pay in the first stage of Pay matrix

7th pay Commission Bunching increment – In order to neutralize the pay fixation loss incurred by the employees in case of two or more pre-revised pay stages are fixed in the same pay in the new Pay Matrix, 7th Pay Commission recommended Bunching increments.

The method of fixing pay after providing Bunching as recommended by the Commission is as follows.
“5.1.36 Although the rationalization has been done with utmost care to ensure minimum bunching at most levels, however, if situation does arise whenever more than two stages are bunched together, one additional increment equal to 3 percent may be given for every two stages bunched, and pay fixed in the subsequent cell in the pay matrix.
5.1.37 For instance, if two persons drawing pay of ₹53,000 and ₹54,590 in the GP 10000 are to be fitted in the new pay matrix, the person drawing pay of ₹53,000 on multiplication by a factor of 2.57 will expect a pay corresponding to ₹1,36,210 and the person drawing pay of ₹54,590 on multiplication by a factor of 2.57 will expect a pay corresponding to ₹1,40,296. Revised pay of both should ideally be fixed in the first cell of level 15 in the pay of ₹1,44,200 but to avoid bunching the person drawing pay of ₹54,590 will get fixed in the second cell of level 15 in the pay of ₹1,48,500.”
On implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations, Finance Ministry issued Office Memorandum No.1-6/2016-IC dated 07.09.2017.  The recommendation on bunching increment was accepted by Govt as such.  The relevant portion of this OM reads as follows.
“It has been decided that in cases where in revision of pay, the pay of Government servants drawing pay at two or more stages in pre-revised Pay Band and Grade Pay or scale, as the case may be, get fixed at same Cell in the applicable Level in the new Pay Matrix, one additional increment shall be given for every two stages bunched and the pay of Government servant drawing higher pay in pre-revised structure shall be fixed at the next vertical Cell in the applicable Level.
  1. For this purpose, pay drawn by two Government servants in a given Pay Band and Grade pay or scale where the higher pay is at least 3% more than the lower pay shall constitute two stages. Officers drawing pay where the difference is less than 3% shall not be entitled for this benefit.”
It could be seen that there was no condition in the said OM dated 07..09.2017 to deny the bunching increment in the case of Employees whose pre-revised pay was lesser than the pre-revised entry pay mentioned against  each level of the 7th Pay Commission new Pay Matrix.
However, after withholding all the 7th Pay Commission Pay fixation orders along with bunching increment vide Office Memorandum No.1-6/2016-lC(Pt.) dated 13.06.2017,
Finance Ministry subsequently issued office Memorandum No.1-6/2016-IC dated 03.08.2017 by inserting a new condition which was not recommended by 7th Pay Commission.
New Condition put forth by the Government in the case of Bunching increment is that since all pay stages below the Entry Pay in any Level converge to first pay stage that level. on account of a conscious decision of the 7th CPC bunching increment cannot be extended to pay stages lower than the Entry Pay indicated by the 7th CPC in the Pay Matrix.
But it ultimately denies bunching increment to many of Senior Employees who were promoted recently to next post after a long wait due to stagnation and fixed with pay at the first pay stage of new post in 7th Pay Commission pay matrix along with Junior Employees.  It is felt that Govt could have found out a via-media in such cases for granting bunching benefit instead of denying it straightaway.

Interest rates from 1/1/2018 to 31/4/2018




Govt says No Proposal to Revise Income Tax Rates this year

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF FINANCE

DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1355
TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 22ND DECEMBER, 2017
01, PAUSHA, 1939 (SAKA)

AMEND INCOME TAX RATES

1355. SHRI DEVENDRA SINGH BHOLE:
Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government proposes to amend the present rates of income tax so that
more people may pay income tax;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the benefits likely to accrue to common man and the
Government by this step; and
(c) if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE
(SHRI SHIV PRATAP SHUKLA)
(a) to (b) No Madam. Currently, there is no such proposal under consideration.
(c) The rates of income tax are prescribed through the Finance Act every year

VRS Scheme for Bank Employees after merger of SBI

                                                            GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
RAJYA SABHA
QUESTION NO 36
ANSWERED ON 19.12.2017

RS due to merger of SBI and its associate banks

36 Shri Surendra Singh Nagar
Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state :-
(a) whether it is a fact that State Bank of India and its other associate banks are offering voluntary retirement scheme due to merger of five associate banks with State Bank of India;
(b) if so, the number of employees being removed from their jobs because of the merger, grade-wise and post-wise details thereof;
(c) the number of applications submitted by the employee unions or employees against likely retrenchment and merger, bank-wise; and
(d) whether Government has prepared any plan for re-employment of State Bank of India employees in other Government organisations in the same rank and to reskill them?

ANSWER
The Finance Minister
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 36 FOR ANSWER ON THE 19TH DECEMBER, 2017 REGARDING ‘VRS DUE TO MERGER OF SBI AND ITS ASSOCIATE BANKS’ ‘TABLED BY SHRI SURENDRA SINGH NAGAR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.
(a) to (d): State Bank of India (SBI) has informed that, at present, there is no plan to launch VRS in their bank. However, VRS was offered to employees and officers of five erstwhile associate banks of SBI before merger.
SBI has informed that no employee has been removed after merger and no application was submitted by the employee unions or employees against retrenchment and merger.
At present, no re-employment proposal is under consideration of the Government.

Aadhaar data leak – loksabha Q & A

         GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-89
ANSWERED ON-15.12.2017
Aadhaar data leak
89 . Shri Vivek Gupta
Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:
(a) the details of number of Aadhaar Personal information leaks from the CIDR since 2014;
(b) whether Government is planning to set up a nodal agency to compensate victims of Aadhaar data leaks or theft or misuse of data, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(c) whether it is a fact that 210 websites of Central Government and State Government Departments were displaying the list of beneficiaries along with their personal information to the public, if so, the reasons therefor; and
(d) the number of Government schemes where Aadhaar is mandatory for availing them?
ANSWER
(a): There has been no leakage of Aadhaar data from the Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
(b): Does not arise.(c): Yes, Sir. It was found that approximately 210 websites of Central Government & State Government departments including educational institutes, were displaying the list of beneficiaries along with their name, address, other details and Aadhaar numbers for information of general public. The concerned departments were instructed to remove the Aadhaar and other personal data from the said websites.
In addition, the Central and State Governments have been advised to sensitize all Ministries/ Departments to take all precautions while publishing or sharing data on their websites and ensure compliance of Aadhaar Act, 2016 and Information Technology Act, 2000.
(d): Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 enables use of Aadhaar as condition precedent for services and benefits flowing from Consolidated Fund of India, provided no service/ benefit is denied for want of Aadhaar. 395 schemes from 56 Ministries/ Departments have been on-boarded on Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) platform. Of these schemes, Aadhaar notifications under Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act have been issued in respect of 227 schemes till date. These notifications also provide mechanism to handle such cases where Aadhaar number is not assigned to an individual and instruct implementing agencies to deliver benefits on the basis of alternate identity documents.
*******

Losing your card, finding that someone has accessed your bank account. how to get money refunded

identity theft and scams: how to get your money back

Losing your card, finding that someone has accessed your bank account or losing money through a scam can be distressing. But if you are a victim of identity theft or a scam there are some safeguards to help you get back the money you have lost. Find out what you might be liable for and how to get money refunded.

Identity theft – What are you liable for?

Identity theft is when your personal details are stolen and identity fraud is when those details are used to commit fraud.
If money has been stolen from your bank account, or your debit or credit card has been used fraudulently, in most cases, you should be able to get that money back.
How quickly your bank has to refund the money might depend on whether:
  • The money stolen was your own money (so from your own bank account, for example)
  • Someone has fraudulently used a credit facility in your name (for example a credit card)

What happens if money was stolen from your debit card?

? Tell your bank or building society as soon as you think your bank card might have been stolen, or that someone got hold of your account’s security details.
If money is stolen from your debit card, then the relevant piece of legislation is the Payment Services Regulations.
It says you must be refunded immediately if you have had money taken from your account without your permission.
Remember that:
  • You’ll be liable for any unauthorised withdrawals made before you tell your bank or building society, up to a maximum of £50,.
  • If the bank has reasonable grounds to think you have been grossly negligent with the security of your account or tried to commit fraud , it can delay refunding while it investigates.
  • You can be liable for all the losses, but realistically this will only apply if the bank or building society can prove you were grossly negligent. This means more than ordinary carelessness, for example telling someone else the PIN for your bank card, or leaving it written where anyone can see it in your office or workplace.
  • Unless the bank can prove you’re liable it must refund the money and put your account back in the state it would have been if the money had not been taken. This means that any interest or charges you have paid because of the fraud must also be refunded.
You won’t be liable for any losses once you have reported that your card has been stolen, or if you report that someone else might have got hold of the security details of your account.

What happens if the money was stolen from your credit card?

If the money stolen is on credit, the Consumer Credit Act applies.
This legislation states that for any unauthorised transactions the cardholder might be held liable for the first £50 spent if a card is lost or stolen.
Again many banks and building societies will waive this.
  • Once the theft has been reported to the card provider, the cardholder is not liable for any further money spent.
  • In reality your bank or credit card provider might not charge you for any money spent by fraudsters, unless it can prove you have been negligent.
  • Report any lost or stolen cards or unauthorised transactions to your card provider as soon as you spot them.

If your bank rejects your claim of identity theft

Your bank might reject your claim for a refund if it believes it can prove that you have been grossly negligent or acted fraudulently.
This does not have to be the end of the matter though – you can complain to the bank.
If you’re not happy with the way your complaint has been dealt with, you can then take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Identity scams – What are you liable for?

Unfortunately, if you’re a victim of a scam you might not get your money back.
However, depending on how soon you realised you might have been the victim of a scam and the payment method used, it might be possible for your payment service provider to cancel or reverse the transaction.
The card examples relate to where you authorised a transaction.
If you didn’t authorise the transaction then your rights are the same as described earlier in this guide.

If you paid by credit card and became a victim of identity fraud

If you’ve spent over £100 and up to £30,000 on a credit card, the Consumer Credit Act means you should be able to claim that money back as your credit card issuer is jointly liable with whoever you’re paying if something goes wrong.
Contact your credit card provider as soon as you realise you’ve been scammed.
Some scammers are now taking advantage of this protection by setting up fake websites selling tickets to major sporting events or concerts.
Once they have your money, they will say there has been “a problem with a supplier” or similar and tell you to claim the money back from your credit card provider.

If you paid by debit card and became a victim of identity fraud

Some debit card providers offer a Chargeback scheme where they might be able to recover some or all of your money for you after looking into it.
Contact your card provider as soon as you realise you’ve been scammed.
If you are spending over £100 and you are not 100% sure about the purchase, use a credit card to e
nsure you are protected.

Did you find this guide helpful?

CLASSIFICATION ON FAMILY PENSION ADMISSIBLE TO NPS EMPLOYEES



Saturday, December 23, 2017

CGHS EMPANELLED HOSPITALS SHALL NOT REFUSE/ADMISSION TO ANY OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT BENEFICRARIES.




Friday, December 22, 2017

Video message of Secretary (Posts) and MD & CEO of IPPB on deputation from DoP to IPPB.

7th CPC revision of pay scales — Amendment or Service Rules/Recruitment Rules – DoPT Orders

DARPAN LAUNCHED FOR FINANCIAL INCLUSION OF RURAL POPULATION

Thursday, December 21, 2017

FNPO Delegation met Minister of Communications & Information &Technology.



On 21.12.2017 a delegation consisting Sri D.Kishanrao, General Secretary, NAPE Group-c, Sri B.Shivakumar, AGS, Sri Sivaji Vasireddy, AGS, Sri Ch.Lakshminarayana, President, All India NUGUS and Sri L.Krishna Prasad, RR, Visakhapatnam Region AP met Sri Manoj Sinha ji, Hon’ble Minister for Communications & Information Technology at his residence and submitted memorandum on the following issues.

Implementation of Kamalesh Chandra Committee report on GDS:The Hon’ble Minister assured to take up with the cabinet in next week. We can expect cabinet approval next week.

Permitting the GDS employees to work for more than 5 Hours.

Detailed memorandum on the GDS compassionate cases which were rejected before implementation of new scheme from 30.5.2017.

Revocation of DG orders dated 21.2.2012 allowing compassionate engagement of dependents discharged on Medical grounds a defined in section 47 of the Persons disabilities Act 1995. 








Wednesday, December 20, 2017

FNPO Delegation met Central Ministers for pursual of early implementation of GDS Pay Committee Report.



Sri.B.Shiva Kumar Asst.G/S , Sri.Sivaji Vasireddy Asst.G/S , Sri.CH.Laxmi Narayana President NUGDS , Sri.L.Krishna Prasad RR NAPE Gr-C AP Circle ,Sri.V.Manjappa D/S NAPE Gr-C Shimoga met Hon'ble Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Chemicals&Fertilisers Sri.Anantha Kumar and Hon'ble Minister of Road Transport & Highways Sri.Nitin Gadkari at their Parliament Offices and requested for early implementation of GDS Pay Committee Report.  
  

 
 

OPTION FOR SWITCH OVER TO THE NEXT INCREMENT IS REVISED PAY STRUCTURE


FINANCIAL RESOLUTION AND DEPOSIT INSURANCE BILL 2017

Allocation of Postal Circle as PA /SA on the basis of Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination, 2015 conducted by SSC

GDS COMMITTEE PAY SCALES AND ALLOWANCES CLEARED BY FINANCE MINISTRY.

GDS COMMITTEE PAY SCALES AND ALLOWANCES CLEARED BY FINANCE 

MINISTRY. NOW CABINET APPROVAL REQUIRED. DETAILS WILL FOLLOW:

General Secretary meeting with Secretary, Department of Posts & Chairman Postal Services Board

On 18-12-2017 the General Secretary NAPE Group-c along with GS, AIPEU, Group-c met Secretary, Department of Posts and continued for more than half hour and discussed the following.

1. Early implementation of GDS committee report : It is under active process and try to issue orders in January 2018 after approval from Central Cabinet.

2. IPPB: While thanking for issue of notification for deputation of officials including GDS, we requested more participation of GDS in the scheme.

3. CSI issues: We demanded supply of RICT devices to BO's and implementation of CSI afterwards providing hand to C class offices, password problem and abnormal workload for C class SPM's.

4. Immediate notification of Departmental Council - Separate meeting on IPPB.

5. Implementation of Appex court judgments on MACP issues.

6. Payment of dress allowance of Rs.10000/- instead Rs.5000/- to the staff who are eligible  as the order is ambiguity.
    The Secretary wanted some more time for stabilization of CSI roll out and requested for cooperation of Group-c. Roll out problems are vigorously perused with TCS. Aggregation of ports for better connectivity is under process for more connectivity.

With regards,

D.KISHAN RAO,
General Secretary,
NAPE Group-c