ORGANISATION WITH FIRST RECOGNISED UNION STATUS FIGHTING FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF RMS & MMS EMPLOYEES

HAPPY NEW YEAR-2024





HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024 TO ALL MEMBERS,Viewers & Readers








Friday, March 31, 2017

F.No. 141-141/2013-SPB-II
Government of India
Ministry of Communications
Department of Posts
Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg,
New Delhi-110001.
Dated:- 28th March, 2017
To
All Chief Postmasters General,
All Staff Associations.

Sub:- Review of ‘Transfer Policy’ circulated by Directorate vide letter No. 141-141/2013- SPB-II dated 31.01.2014 — invitation of suggestion/comments.

Sir/Madam,

I am directed to refer to the Directorate letter cited above and to convey that keeping in view a large number of requests being received for inter circle transfer, the Directorate is considering review of various provision in the existing ‘Transfer Policy’ to make it more employee friendly without compromising on organization functioning and objectives.

1.     Following are some of the provisions, which the Directorate is proposing to review/amend/delete:

(a)    Only such of officials who have put in minimum service of five years in the case of DR and 3 years in the case of surplus qualified officials, whichever applicable would be eligible for transfer under rule 38. Any relaxation in this regard should he matter of rarest exception. Transfer of officials who have not yet cleared the probation period should be permitted in deserving cases only. (Para 2(]) (vii) of the instructions)

The Directorate is considering removal of this prevision so that any official who is seeking transfer under rule 38 can straightaway apply for the same without needing to either complete any specified period of service or even probation period

(b)    under Rule 38. an official will be allowed to seek transfer only twice during his
entire service. ( Pan 2(l) (x) of the instructions)

The Directorate is considering deletion of this provision so that there is no limit to the number of times an official can-seek transfer during his entire service.


(c)    With respect to the provisions for inter circle  transfer  in para 3 of the instructions. Directorate is considering amending the provision so that  such inter –circle transfer can be decided by the concerned CPMG  without seeking approval of directorate.

 3. Therefore, all CPMGs and other stakeholders are requested to provide their suggestions with justifications not only on the charges proposed in para 2 above but also on any other existing provisions of the Policy which need to be amended / deleted.
4. Suggestions/Comments may be provided to the Directorate within seven days of hosting of this letter on the DOP website.
Yours faithfully,
(G.Rajeev)

Director(SPN)

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Grant of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees - Revised Rates effective from 01.01.2017(36 KB)PDF File Opens in a new window[Grant of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees - Revised Rates effective from 01.01.2017Hindi (32 KB) PDF File Opens in a new window](Dated 30th March, 2017)(Click the links  to view)





AGE RELAXATION IN JOB

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
29-March-2017 14:23 IST

Age Relaxation in Job

            Relaxation of age up to 35 years (up to 40 years for members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) for the widows, divorced women and women judicially separated (JSW) from their husbands who are not re-married, for employment to Group ‘C’ and erstwhile Group ‘D’ post already exists in Department of Personnel & Training’s (DoP&T) Office Memorandum (OM) No. 15012/13/79-Estt (D) dated 19.01.1980. Similar relaxation also exists for Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ posts except where recruitment is made through open competitive Examination in DoP&T OM No. 15012/1/87-Estt.(D) dated 05.10.1990. All the above mentioned instructions have been reiterated vide DoP&T OM No. 41034/1/2014-Estt.(D) dated 30.01.2014.

            It is incumbent upon all the Ministries/Departments of Government of India to follow the above mentioned instructions.
            This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question by Shri B. Sriramulu in the Lok Sabha today.
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 Web-based Pensioners Portal , a Mission Mode Project Under the National e- Governance Plan (NeGP)- Release of Grant-in Aid to 4 newly identified Pensioners Associations for implementation of the objectives of the Portal.(Click the link below to view) http://document.ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D3/D03ppw/NEGP1.pdf


Directorate Letter No. 20-45/2016-SPB-II dated 18th Feb 2017 regarding clarification on Benchmark for Promotion.




LDCE FOR LGOs -- DEPUTATION TO APS FROM POSTMAN/MAILGUARD/MTS TO PA/SA CADRE

P-III CHQ WRITES TO SECRETARY, DOP ON PAYMENT OF SALARY TO THE EMPLOYEES & PAYMENT OF PENSION ON 01.04.2017

Monday, March 27, 2017

          PHOTOS OF 27th CIRCLE CONFERENCE OF P-4 UNION
UP CIRCLE HELD AT AGRA ON 25th & 26th MARCH-2017






SAD NEWS

Com. Bhagwan Dass  ex GS R IV NFPE  is   NO More

Comrade Bhagwan Dass was the first worker General Secretary of R4 NFPE union. Moreover he rose from the ranks of a casual labour. He always concentrated on cadre issues and even in Federal Executives always presented his cadre issuesCom. Bhagwan Dass  ex GS R IV NFPE aged 56 years, lost his breath due to Heart attack on 26-03-2017. Morning, this is an irreparable loss to our union & his family.

All India RMS & MMS Employees Union Group `C` CHQ  convey its heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family members & friends

Thursday, March 23, 2017



Circulation of Internship Guidelines of Department of Posts(Click the link below to view)

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Facilities available for Officers and Officials who are on deputation to APS (Click the link below to view)


PHOTOS OF C W C OF POSTAL ACCOUNTS
HELD AT NAGPUR ON 22/23 MARCH-2017







Central Civil Services (Leave) Amendment Rules, 2017.

THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY
[PART II—SEC. 3(i)]
MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
(Department of Personnel and Training) 
 
NOTIFICATION  
New Delhi, the 15th March, 2017  
G.S.R. 251(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to article 309 read with clause(5) of article 148 of the Constitution and after consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in relation to the persons serving in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, the President hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972, namely:- 
 
    1.    (1) These rules may be called the Central Civil Services (Leave) Amendment        Rules, 2017.
         (2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. 
 
   2.     In the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972, for rule 48, the following rule   shall be substituted, namely:- 
 
"48, Special Leave connected to inquiry of sexual harassment -Leave upto a period of 90 days may begranted to an aggrieved female Government Servant on the recommendation of the Internal Committee or theLocal Committee, as the case may be, during the pendency of inquiry under the Sexual Harassment ofWomen at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and the leave granted to theaggrieved female Government Servant under this rule shall not be debited against the leave account".
[F. No. 13026/2/2016-Estt. (L)]
GYANENDRA DEV TRIPATHI, Jt. Secy. 

Note on the proceedings of the meetings, the NPS Committee had with the Staff Side, JCM.

Note on the  proceedings of  the meetings, the NPS Committee had with the Staff Side, JCM. 

National Council on 20th January, and 17th March, 2017.  

As you are aware,  the Govt. had set up a committee as per recommendations of the 7th CPC to streamline  the procedure and functioning of the NPS. The Staff Side of NC JCM was asked to present their views in the matter. The meeting was on 20th January, 2017. The Staff side made a written presentation to  the committee on the subject. (The note was placed on the website). However, it also took the stand that the consultation with staff side could not be held in the manner of a Raj durbar as quite a number of Associations especially representing the organised Group A services and the All India Service officers were also invited to the said meeting.  The staff side was assured of an independent hearing.  Subsequently the sub-committee III (The Pension Committee had set up three sub committees to interact with various stake holders on different subjects)  under the Chairmanship of Ms. Vandana Sharma, Addl. Secretary of the Department of  Pension and Pensioners Welfare convened  a meeting on 10th February, 2017. The Sub- Committee was more concerned about the applicability of various provisions of the present rules to the NPS subscribers especially those which are punitive in character.  In the event of a Government servant being found guilty under the CCS (CCA) Rules, the Government is empowered to restrict, reduce or reject the Pension and other retirement benefits. Prior to the meeting, the sub Committee had asked for views on various issues to be discussed at the meeting. The official Side wanted similar rules in the case of NPS subscribers. The Staff Side had submitted a written Note in this regard.  The said Note has also been placed on the website.  In the meeting, the Staff Side had made it categorically clear that no such rules could be imposed on the NPS subscriber as the annuity which he purchases on the basis of the contribution made at the end of his service is the product of a financial transaction and cannot be unilaterally altered at the whims of the employer.   Once the contributions of  the employee and the employer is remitted to the investing agency, the employer ceases to be a stake holder any more in the scheme.  
The third meeting was held on 17th March, 2017.  The meeting was chaired by the Secretary Pension.  The said meeting was to specifically interact with the members of the Staff Side.  On behalf of the Staff side, the following comrades took part in the meeting. 

1.     Com. M.Raghavaiah (Leader, Staff Side)
2.     Com. Sivgopal Misra(Secretary Staff Side)
3.     Com. KKN.Kutty(Confederation)
4.     Com. C. Sreekumar(AIDEF)
5.     Com. Guman Singh and (NFIR)
6.     Com. Sreenivasan (INDWF)

 As indicated earlier, several Associations of Group A Officers had made their presentations. Some of the important points mentioned by them during the discussions were:

1)     Discrimination between pre and post 2004 officials-

2)   While Govt. determines the quantum of pension subscription   and makes it mandatory it refuses to guarantee a minimum return.

3)     Atal Pension Yojana offers better and guaranteed benefit to the Subscribers.

4)    The Government’s assurance that the employees under NPS will get annuity not less than the minimum pension under the defined benefit scheme and might even be more was  made on wrong assumption in as much as -

a)  100% of the corpus was taken for  computation of annuity  whereas as per the  scheme only  40%  of the pension wealth alone would b e available. 

b)  Fund expenses are exorbitantly under- valued.

c)  No benefit for the family the case of a Pensioner, who dies at an early age under NPS.

d)  Annuity is not cost-indexed.

5)  Two officers at the level of the Secretary to GOI retiring on the same day  in 2037( former recruited in 2003 and latter in 2004 )will have a huge differential in pension. The  2003 recruitee will have pension 3.25 times  of the annuity of the 2004 recruitee. Over a period of next 10 years i.e in 2047,(due to cost indexation) the 2003 recruitee will have pension 7.4 times of what  the 2004 NPS official receives as annuity.

6)  In most of the countries where contributory pension scheme is in vogue, the Govt’s (employer) contribution is 25% of the salary while that of the employee is 10%

7)  The NPS Contribution do not enjoy the Tax benefits like PPF, EPF, GPF etc.

The Secretary Pension informed the members that the Committee’s mandate is only to make suggestions to streamline the NPS procedures and make the rules simple and transparent. The basic features will not therefore undergo any change. He concluded that neither the scheme would be  replaced or discarded, nor any guaranteed minimum pension  would be offered. as in both cases Govt. will have to  undertake financial obligations.  He clarified that the Sub Committees have been set up to expedite the work.

The staff Side in their presentation made out inter alia the following points:

a)   The number of employees covered under NPS in increasing day by day and in a decade’s time, they might become significant segment of the Government personnel.

b)   All those who are covered by the scheme are extremely critical and resent that their savings are channelled into private hands to help the corporate bodies to make enormous profits.

c)   There is no likelihood either now or in any time in future that NPS subscribers will be able to   purchase an annuity equivalent to what the pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme is entitled. The Government must honour its commitment made to this effect to the staff side in the National Council, when the NPS was introduced.

d)   The Committee in its report must at least   bring it to the notice of Government that the Staff Side of the JCM is of the firm view that the cosmetic changes in the scheme will not bring about any tangible benefit to the subscribers and the Government must as an interim measure guarantee the pension to NPS subscribers equivalent to what is provided for the personnel covered under the defined benefit scheme.

e)    The  Staff Side opined that the committee  will be well  within its term of reference to suggest.

(i)       Cost-indexation of annuity as  the Contribution made by the subscribers and the Government as employer  is 10% of the salary-salary for this purpose being Basic Pay and Dearness allowance. In other words, in every six months contribution increases and therefore it is logical that the annuity is also raised every six months to keep  pace   with the rate of inflation. 

(ii)   Minimum guarantee is assured by many countries even under the contributory system of pension and the provision to the contrary in the PFRDA Act must be recommended to be removed. 

(iii)     It is a welcome step that the Govt. has now decided to extend the benefit of family pension in the case of all NPS subscribers who die in harness. The family pension can therefore be assured at the prevailing rate  for all NPS subscribers, if necessary by appropriating a one-time  deduction from their pension wealth,  at their option, at the time of retirement. 

(iv)      To introduce the GPF again as a voluntary option. 

(v)     All NPS subscribers must be provided with a payment slip by the heads of offices  indicating the amount deducted, the amount contributed by the Govt. and the date on which the     sum has been made over the to the fund managers, irrespective of the communication the subscriber is entitled to get from the   PFRDA registry. 

(vi)  No rules to be framed to link the pension benefit with disciplinary proceedings.

(vii)  The present investment pattern prescribed must be reviewed for its viability periodically.

(viii)   The Sub Committee which goes into the issue concerning framing rules may be asked to interact with the Staff Side once the draft rules are ready.

(ix)     In so far as customer friendly procedures are concerned, the committee may look at the best international practices with a view to adopt and incorporate them.

It could be seen from the deliberations in the committee that nothing short of replacing NPS with Statutory   defined     Benefit Pension Scheme will bring about anything good for new recruitees. Our endeavour must be in that direction whereby sanctions are generated and compulsions  are felt by the Govt as early as possible.
   
K.K.N. Kutty
Member, Standing Committee
National  Council, JCM &