ORDERS ON STRIKE CHARTER

ORGANIZING FREQUENT MEETINGS/MELAS ON HOLIDAYS AND SUNDAYS – DENIAL OF LEGITIMATE RIGHTS TO THE EMPLOYEES TO AVAIL SUNDAYS ETC.

Government of India

Department of Posts

SR Section

No. 16/56/2011-SR July 8, 2011

To

All Heads of Circles

Subject: - Organizing frequent meetings/melas on holidays and Sundays – denial of legitimate rights to the employees to avail Sundays etc.

Sir/Madam,

            I am directed to state that the issue of organizing frequent meetings/melas on holidays and Sundays, thus depriving the employees of their legitimate right to avail the break was considered in a meeting taken by Secretary to discuss charter of Demands served with the notice of indefinite strike w.e.f. 05.07.2011 by Postal Joint Council of Action.

2.         While in certain circumstances it may be unavoidable strategically beneficial for the Department to hold meetings/melas etc on holidays and Sundays, it may not be done so in a routine manner. Needless to say, the weekly break and holidays etc. have their own significance and it may be kept in view while calling the officials for duty during the break.

3. This may be brought to the notice of all concerned.

Yours faithfully

                                              Sd/-

(Subhash Chander)

Director (SR & Legal)

Telefax: 23096021

INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CHANCES TO APPEAR IN THE LIMITED DEPARTMENTAL COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION (LGO EXAMINATION) TO FILL UP THE POSTS OF POSTAL ASSISTANT/SORTING ASSISTANT.

No. 60-10/2011-SPB-I

Government of India

Ministry of Communications & IT

Department of Posts

Dak Bhavan, New Delhi – 110116

Date the 26^th July, 2011

To

 All Chief Postmaster General

 All Postmaster General

Director, Postal Staff College, Ghaziabad, U.P

Chief General Manager, Postal Life Insurance Directorate,

            Chankyapuri, New Delhi

Director, Postal Life Insurance, Kolkata

 All Directors, Postal Training Centres

Subject: Increase in the number of chances to appear in the Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LGO Examination) to fill up the posts of Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistant.

Sir/Madam,

            I am directed to refer to the Directorates letter No. 37-63/98-SPB-I (Pt) dated 20/26.8.1999 regarding increasing the number of chances to appear in the Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LGO Examination) to fill up the posts of Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistant from 5 to 6. The matter has since been reviewed and it has been decided by the competent authority to increase the number of chances for OC candidates to appear in the Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LGO Examination) to fill up the posts of Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistant from 6to 8. It has also been decided to increase the chances for SC/ST candidates to appear in the said examination to 10 provided there are vacancies reserved for candidates belonging to SC/ST and in case any SC/ST candidate is appointed on the basis of his/her 9^th or 10^th chance he/she shall be appointed against the vacancy reserved for SC/ST, as the case may be, irrespective of his/her merit in the examination.

2. It is requested that these instructions may be given wide publicity immediately.

                                    Yours faithfully,

                                    Sd/-

                                    (B. P. Sridevi)

                                    Director (Staff)

News at Head Quarters-  DELHI -

The Latest developments on some strike charters are finished hereunder for the consumption of our members.

v Orders on officiating pay in higher posts – ordered are placed for signing will be released within two days.

Orders to recommend grant and relief up to 3 days EL to Head Postmasters – will be released tomorrow or day after tomorrow.

Order to bring staff on Sundays & holidays – orders issued last week itself. Copy could not be obtained today. Will be exhibited after its receipt.

Revision of Recruitment Rules to Group D – Draft has been approved and will be notified by amendments to recruitment rules.

Two more chances to appear LGO exam for those exhausted six chances – instead of two more chances, the file has been placed for enhancement of six chances to eight chances. Since the explained the urgency for its implementation in the notified LGO exam, it is assured to released the orders before the end of this month.

It is informed that the revision of postman recruitment Rules for Postmen will be finalized by considering the number of candidates passed in the proposed postmen examination.

Orders for dropping the confirmation examination –The draft on orders has been placed for approval.

Revised Recruitment Rules for Postal Assistants – As per the RR 2002, there are 49 Categories eligible to appear the exam and most of the categories are not in existence. Now the existence of the category is being processed and the recruitment rules will be finalized.

All the outsider candidates secured 60% marks will be allowed to appear the PA recruitment examination.

Unfilled LGO vacancies will be thrown open to GDS without any mark condition.

Revised Recruitment Rules for HSG I – The Staff Selection Commission have raised some queries which have been replied. It is expected that the HSG I Recruitment Rules will be returned from SSC within a week or fortnight, 100% HSG I posts for general line has been already incorporated in the revised recruitment rules.

Postmaster’s cadre Grade III will be filled up regularly only after the approval of HSG-I Recruitment Rules since the seniority to the existing HSG-I Officials on adhoc basis shall be given seniority in the newly formed cadre.

Appearing PH candidates for IPO exam – now the department has approved for allotment of vacancies for PH candidates in IPO exam and the file will be sent to social welfare Department for information and formal approval.

MACP fixation on acquiring TBOP/BCR – orders have been issued.

Cadre Restructuring Committee – we could not meet the concerned Director (SR) informed that it will be convened shortly.

Separate cadre for PO & RMS Accountants, will be sorted out in the committee.

We requested to expedite the release of tenure posting conditions imposed on the single handed SPMs.

Cash handling point to GDS – Proposal for formation of a committee has been initiated to review and implement the decision.

Protection of TRCA – File has been submitted to Finance (IFW)

Grant of Special Allowance to all irrespective of MACP I, II, or III – the IFW sought linking of old files and files have been submitted for approval.

Treasury Allowance – File has been submitted to IFW.

Director (SR) told that he is processing the case of allotment of staff quarter with reference to old orders related to post attached quarters and will finalise the shortly.

In respect of other issues, we could not take follow up action today and will process further after returning from Lucknow Federal Executive (i.e.) on 28.07.2011

HOLDING OF INSPECTOR OF POSTS EXAMINATION 2011 HOLDING OF INSPECTOR OF POSTS EXAMINATION 2011 FOR PROMOTION CADRE OF INSPECTOR OF POSTS TO BE HELD ON 3RD & 4TH SEPTEMBER, 2011. D.G. POSTS NO. A-34012/40/2011-DE DATED 14.07.2011.IN ITS 1ST PARA LAST LINE WRITTEN AS  " IT HAS NOT BEEN DECIDED TO CONDUCT THIS EXAMINATION ON 3RD & 4TH SEPTEMBER,2011, THIS MAY BE READ AS " IT HAS NOW BEEN DECIDED TO CONDUCT THIS EXAMINATION ON 3RD & 4TH SEPTEMBER, 2011." DIRECTORATE HAS ISSUED CORRIGENDUM IN THIS REGARD

COMMITTEE ON MAIL NETWORK OPTIMIZATION

Subject: - Secretary (P) s meeting with Postal Joint Council of Action on 27.06.11, 29.06.11, 30.06.11 and 01.07.2011. Item No. 1-dealing with Mail Network optimization Project- Constitution of a Committee.

D.,G.Posts No. 08/-9/2011-SR Dated 12/07/ 2011

            Item No. 1 of the Charter of Demands served by Joint Council of Action alongwith the notice of threatened strike w.e.f. 05.07.2011, dealing with Mail Network Optimisation Project, was discussed at length in various meetings taken by Secretary (Posts)/Member (Operation). In the wake of the above discussions, the competent authority has decided to constitute a Committee with the following composition

Official Side	Staff Side
Member (Operation)- Chairman	Secretary General NFPE -Member
CPMG Rajasthan Circle-Member	Secretary General FNPO- Member

2. The Committee will review the mail arrangement made as sequel to creation of Speed Post Hubs which, as represented by Staff Side are causing delay as compared to the position prevailing earlier. The Committee will also review the formation of L-I & L-II in regards to 1^st Class mails.

3.         The Committee will submit its report within one month of its formation.

IMPLEMENTATION OF MODIFIED ASSURED CAREER PROGRESSION SCHEME (MACP) –CLARIFICATIONS ON CONSTITUTION OF DIVISIONAL SERUTINY COMMITTEE

                 D.G. Posts No. 4-7/(MACP) 2009-PC             Dated 30 June,2011

            This has the reference to the Directorate letter of even No. dated 01.09.2010 vide which constitution of the Scrutiny Committee was prescribed at Divisional levels for scrutinizing the confidential reports of Postmen, PA/SAs & other Group `C` staff for the proceeding 5 years and grade the ACRs on basis of entries made by the reporting officer in it. The Committee so constituted were required to complete the exercise of grading the performance of the officials within a period of one month from the date of issue of the said order. It was clearly provided that the findings of the Committee shall require acceptance of the DPS/Regional PMG concerned and that the exercise was a one time exercise only.

2.         Service Unions have represented to the Department that the Committee has not been met and contended that the officials are not benefitted at all by its constitution. In the light of the representation made by service unions, it has accordingly been decided to make the purpose of constitution of Scrutiny Committee clear to all concerned.

3.         Hence, it is clarified that the process of communication of APAR`s (earlier ACR's) for regular promotion is equally applicable for consideration of financial ugradation under MACPS. As per existing provisions, complete APAR is required to be communicated to the official concerned from reporting year 2008-09 onward. Where an employee is to be considered for promotion in a future DPC and his ACRs prior to the period 2008-09 reckonable for assessment of his fitness in such future DPC contain final grading which are below the benchmark for next promotion, the concerned employee is to be given an opportunity to represent within 15 days of its communication before such ACRs are placed before DPC. Keeping in view the practice of writing ACRs in the Department to constitute Scrutiny Committee to scrutinize the grading based on the entries in the ACRs where there was no adverse entry exclusively for the purpose of grant of financial upgradation under MACPS. In other cases, where there was an adverse entry in the ACRs prior to reporting year 2008-09, the process of communication of the same was to be applied & representation decided in accordance with the existing provisions.

4.         Some of the Circle have also sought certain clarifications over the issue and the same are clarified as under:-

Ser	Issue	Clarification
1.	Whether the Divisional Scrutiny Committee has to just arrive at the average grading based on the grading given during the last 5 years to ease the work of the Screening Committee so that the Screening Committee can easily decide the cases fit or unfit based on average grading or the Committee has to go through all the entries, reassess the performance and award fresh grading ignoring the earlier grading given by the reporting officer/reviewing officer if found necessary ?	Scrutiny Committee ordered to constitute was required to re-assess the grading of each year based ion all the entries made in the confidential reports of the preceeding 5 years prior to reporting period 2008-09 & grade the performance as `Average`, `Good`, `Very Good` etc. as a onetime exercise. Fitness for the purpose of conferment of financial upgradation under MACP based on reassessed grading of the Scrutiny Committee was to be adjudged by the Screening Committee only after acceptance of such finding by the authority mentioned in Para 7 of order dated 01-09.2010 on constitution of the Scrutiny Committee issued by this Directorate
2.	Whether the Divisional Scrutiny Committee can change the grading given by the reporting officer without receiving representation from the official/without disposal of representation /without intimating the initiated officer and whether such revision can be taken as authenticated for further reference. This office is of the view that the benchmark assigned by the reporting officer cannot be changed by the Committee	Grading given by the Scrutiny Committee after reassessing the ACR was required to be recorded separately without making a change in the grading given by the reporting officer/reviewing officer available on the original confidential reports. The finding of the Committee one being accepted by the authority in Para 7 was to be taken as authenticated for the only purpose of financial upgradation under MACPS
3.	Whether the Scrutiny Committee has to carry out the scrutiny/grading of all the officials or has to carry out the grading of only those officials who are due for MACP during the year?	Scrutiny Committee was required to reassess the entries of the preceeding 5 years ACRTs prior to the reporting period 2008-09 in respect of all the officials covered by the orders in the light of the new system of communicating the entries in the APAR effective from reporting period 2008-09 initiated after 01 Apr 2009.
4.	As the formation of the Scrutiny Committee is one time measure, whether Committee has to meet every year in the beginning and carry out the grading work in advance to facilitate the Scrutiny Committee to award financial upgradation under MACP	Since entries in APAR for reporting year 2008-09 onwards are prescribed to be communicated to the officials reported upon and representation made against the adverse entries/grading made, if any is to be decided by the competent authority & final grading is to be arrived at, no further scrutiny of the APAR would be involved. Hence the answer to this part is negative.

5.         In the light of the foregoing , it may please be ensured that where Screening Committee`s have not already met and completed the exercise the same may be got completed within one month and a division wise compliance on the completion of this exercise be sent to this office by 31<sup>st</sup> Jul 2011. In cases where the exercise has completed and the officials have not been benefitted by the above despite the fact that there was no adverse entry in the ACRs scrutinized, the process of communication ACR`s may at once be initiated and representations called for within 15 days of such communication and such representations be decided by the officer superior to the reporting officer/reviewing officer. Thereafter, Screening Committee may be constituted for consideration of grant of financial upgradation under MACPS, wherever justified and status thereof may also be reflected separately for each Division in the report to be submitted by 31.07.2011.

6.         This issues with the approval of competent authority

Acceptance of original document as a poof of death in case of settlement of deceased claim case as per new procedure

Acceptance of original document as a poof of death in case of settlement of deceased claim case as per new procedure

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NPS in a mess as governments fail to ensure employee participation

NPS in a mess as governments fail to ensure employee participation

NPS in a mess as governments fail to ensure employee participation

Dhirendra Kumar, CEO, Value Research

The New Pension Scheme (NPS), which should have become an important part of the country's savings landscape, is dead, at least for the time being. This, more or less, is what a government committee set up to examine the NPS is saying.

The recommendations of the 'Committee to Review Implementation of Informal Sector Pension', (the Bajpai committee on NPS reforms) have been put up on the website of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA ), inviting comments.

The part of the report that has attracted the most attention is the recommendation that a 0.5% commission should be paid for selling NPS. While this itself is a huge departure from the original structure, it is actually not the most important part of what has been said.

In a cogent and lucidly-written report, the committee has said that practically everything about the current design of the NPS is flawed. No one is willing to buy it and no one is trying to sell it. Almost all the money that has flown into the NPS comes from government employees who are part of it. We've been hearing recently that only about Rs 100 crore has come into the NPS by choice.

However, the report reveals that even this sum is almost entirely due to two corporates shifting their pension system to the NPS. Direct participation by end-users is close to zero. In other words, the NPS has been a complete failure.

There's one aspect that hasn't attracted any comment, and that is the failure of the governments - both state and central - to properly implement the government employees part of the NPS. The way it was supposed to work was that government employees under the NPS were to have an account which they would be able to monitor and watch grow.

Starting 2004, these investments - with their equity allocations - would have given superb returns that would have been far superior to the plain fixed-income ones. What's more important, we would have had about 12 lakh (the report's number) government employees who would have had the personal experience of growing their future wealth through the NPS.

This never happened and the implementation of the NPS is in complete mess. The money wasn't invested for years after 2004. Government employees don't have personal accounts with the NPS's CRA (central record-keeping agency). They don't have any first-hand information of how the investments done in their name is being managed. They don't know what is being earned, they don't know which fund manager is doing well and whose performance is poor.

The extent of the mess is borne out by the fact that this committee was unable to discover how many employees are covered by the NPS and whether all those who have joined government jobs since 2004 are indeed part of the NPS or if their pension deductions are in some limbo somewhere.

Here's a statement from the report that should shock you: "...it is not yet clear (on the basis of PRANs registered) whether all the central government employees who have joined service after January 1, 2004, have become NPS members. There is no concrete evidence or any authorized government document to back this up, but going purely by the number of investors and the headcount of new appointments, there seems to be a gap. These people could have been the satisfied seed population around whom the NPS could have grown. Sure, there are a lot of genuine issues with the NPS's current structure and the committee's recommendations cover them extensively.

It's refreshing to read a clear recognition of the fact that financial products have to be sold actively and that the banks are going to sell what makes them money and not what is in the best interests of their customers. At the end of the day, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that whether as a pension mechanism or as a discretionary savings vehicle, the NPS's launch-to-mess trajectory has been short and rapid."

Source : Economic Times 12.7.2011

SENIORITY OF DIRECT RECRUITS AND PROMOTEES

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India Post to lose its monopoly; govt. forces courier cos to charge double rates

India Post to lose its monopoly; govt. forces courier cos to charge double rates

India Post to lose its monopoly; govt. forces courier cos to charge double rates

NEW DELHI: A planned overhaul of a 113-year-old postal law proposes to end government monopoly completely in the next decade and a half, but, ironically, sets the clock back for courier companies, which are governed by a different policy at present. The draft Post Office Bill 2011 aims to open the letter mail segment to the private sector in 15 years by withdrawing all exclusive rights to India Post and removing all pricing curbs on private courier companies. The Department of Posts has sent the draft bill for cabinet approval to replace the archaic Indian Post Office Act 1898. The amendment will also provide greater legitimacy to the courier industry.

"Considering the role of couriers in the present economy, opening up the letter mail sector to them will not only accord legitimacy to the private operators but also would be recognition of market reality ," said an official in the department privy to the cabinet note. Courier companies are not celebrating , though. They say the transition regime proposed is too harsh and could end up killing the over Rs 7,000-crore domestic industry that engages nearly one million workers and pays Rs 1,200 crore in service tax.

In the run-up to the complete deregulation , the draft bill has proposed to open the express mail segment (EMS) with a "reserve area" of 50 gm for all articles at a price multiple of twice the government EMS rate. That is, a courier firm will have to charge at least Rs 50 for a package weighing up to 50 g, which is twice the Rs 25 charged by India Post for its Speed Post service for a similar package. At present, couriers are allowed in the EMS segment without any restriction or price, making the market fiercely competitive. The reserve area regulation will give India Post time to prepare for a more competitive regime.

"The proposal to have a reserve area for EMS is unfair and will lead to anti-competitive behavior by the postal department," said Vijay Kumar, chief operating officer, Express Industry Council of India . It could lead to the extinction of the courier industry, he said. Introduced in 1986, Speed Post is the only EMS service provided by India Post. The department has strongly defended the proposal to impose a reserve area by citing international examples. Globally, postal deregulation has been in phases and exclusive rights for state-run postal business still exist in many countries. In India, the courier industry has run ahead of the postal laws because it was allowed under the foreign direct investment regime, which allows 100% overseas investment in the business. International courier companies, such as DHL , TNT, FedEx and UPS , secured FIPB approval under the 100% FDI route.

The bill will now recognize them under the postal law, but the proposed transition turns the clock back somewhat by imposing restrictions that did not exist earlier. "Over 60% of the business for small- and medium-sized courier business in India is dependent on document delivery, which is typically within the 50 gm weight segment ," said RK Saboo, deputy managing director, First Fight Couriers. The proposal was retrogade and would force small courier firms to close down, he said.

The private industry is also not enthused by the entry in the normal mail business, or letter mail segment , where the draft bill has fixed a reserve area of Rs 150 gm for all registered couriers at a price multiple of Rs 2 times the postage of letter mail. The industry says India Post service is highly subsidized , which industry says will make it difficult for it to compete. The bill, which is likely to be introduced in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament, has also proposed to simplify registration and licensing of couriers without charging any fees. Most large domestic courier companies in the country like DTDC, First Flight and Skypak are all registered with the Registrar of Companies

Source: The Economic Times. July 9, 2011

Introduction of Core Banking & Wiping out of minus balances

Introduction of Core Banking & Wiping out of minus balances

The CHQ has presented a detailed note to Secretary on this issue today vide letter No. P/4-5/Core Banking Dt. – 07.07.2011 about the cause, effect, reality and solution on this serious problem.

Let us be optimistic & have belief that Department will look in to it. please go through the content of the suggestions made by the union and comment.

CHQ letter No. P/4-5/Core Banking Dt. – 07.07.2011

MINUTES ON STRIKE CHARTERS

Wednesday 6 July 2011

MINUTES ON STRIKE CHARTERS

The minutes of the meetings on strike charter of demands held on 27.06.2011, 29.06.2011, 30.06.2011 and 01.07.2011 is furnished in the following link.

Please download and communicate to all members.

Ø Minutes of the Meeting

GDS NOW ELIGIBLE FOR GRATUITY ACT

No. PF-49 (f) / 72   Dated: 27^th December 2007

 

To

Shri. Manmohan Singh,

Honourable Prime Minister,

Government of India

New Delhi – 110001

Respected Sir,

Sub: Request for extension of the benefit of the Supreme Court Judgment on Gratuity to three lakhs of Gramin Dak Sevaks in the Department of Posts – reg.

 

Ref: Supreme Court Judgment on SLP [Civil] No.21309/2006 upholding the Judgment of High Court of Punjab and Haryana CWP No.7576/2006.

This Federation hastens to submit to your very kind consideration the recent landmark judgment of Honourable High Court of Punjab and Haryana which stands upheld by the Honourable Supreme Court of India admitting payment of Gratuity under the Gratuity Act, 1972 to the widow of a deceased Gramin Dak Sevak under the Department of Posts, for causing kind orders by the Government of India extending the above benefit to the entirety of the Gramin Dak Sevaks in the Postal Department.

You may be aware Sir, that the Gramin Dak Sevaks are all along being discriminated on many matters including the payment of gratuity. Even a favourable recommendation by the Justice Talwar Committee constituted by the Government of India was not implemented on this issue. These workers are being paid only a consolidated sum of Rs.18,000/- despite serving under the Department of Posts for more than 30 to 45 years as the backbone of the rural postal services.

  The recent Judgment of the above Honourable Courts dismissing the appeal and special leave petition of the Department of Posts have upheld the orders of the Controlling and Appellate Authorities of Gratuity Act, 1972 who p laced reliance on Section 14 of the Act and held that payment of gratuity to any person cannot be denied on the ground of any other provision in any other Act/ Statute or Rules. Therefore, the plea of the Department of Posts that only under the EDA Rules the gratuity is payable and that would take the case of the Gramin Dak Sevaks out of the purview of the Gratuity Act has been summarily rejected .

The Honourable Courts have clearly upheld the orders of the Authorities of Gratuity Act that though the service condition of the workman was governed under provisions of Post and Telegraph Extra Departmental Agent (Conduct) Service Rules, 1964 now known as Gramin Dak Sewak (Conduct and Employment) Rules, 2001, since the provisions of the above act are less favourable than the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, the respondent / employee is an employee within the purview of Section 2(e) of the Payment of Gratuity Act,1972" and thus ordered payment of gratuity under the Gratuity Act, 1972.

This Federation places the fact for your kind consideration that every day a number of such Gramin Dak Sevaks are retiring from service without receiving the eligible gratuity and requests your very kind intervention to order necessary amendment to the Gramin Dak Sewak (Conduct and Employment) Rules, 2001 that regulates payment of gratuity to these workmen as per the Gratuity Act, 1972 to ensure payment of gratuity @ 15 days wages per year of service as per the provisions of the Gratuity Act, 1972 and end the age-old discrimination being perpetrated to these rural postal employees.

Thanking you Sir,

Yours Faithfully,

Sd/-

[K.Ragavendran ]

Secretary General

Copy submitted to:

The Secretary,

Department of Posts,

Dak Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001: for kind information and necessary action.