24th Circle Conference held at Thunchan Parambu,TIRUR from May 6th to 8th 2012

24 th State Conference of Kerala Circle was held in Thunchan Parambu, Tirur from 6the May to 8th May 2012.

Shri Ramesh Chennithala Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President inaugurated the conference on 6.5.2012,followed by a mass procession in the evening.

Honourable Minister P.K.Jayalekshmi also addressed the conference on   7.5.2012.

Shri Chandrasekaran-INTUC President(Chairman-FNPO Kerala), Shri.D.Theagarajan,SG FNPO, Shri.T.N.Rahate,Shri. P.U.Muraleedharan,Shri.Bhagwan Das(Finance Secretary) and FNPO affiliated Circle Secretaries addressed the conference. 

       The conference was a grand success.

The following members were elected as the circle office bearers of NAPE-Group-C for the next 2 years.

President

Sri. K M Antony, SPM, Kurisummoodu, Changanassery Dn (Mob: +919447026359)

Vice President

(a) Smt. K J Dolima, Accountant,APM A/Cs,Thaliparamba HO, Kannur Dn (Mob: +919496356011)

(b) Sri. K Remeshan, PRI (P), Irinjalakkuda HO (Mob: +919496289805)

(C)  Sri. Raju Thomas,BE,Pathanamthitta HO(Mob:- +919447207114)

Secretary

Sri. Johnson D Avokkaran, OA, PSD, Thrissur (Mob: +919446031945)

Asst Secretaries

(a) Sri. V T Uthup, SPM, Kaduthuruthy, Kottayam Dn (Mob: +919447660944)

(b) Sri. Hyderali, ME, Calicut HO

(c) Sri. V.N.L.Shenoy, OA, RO,KOCHI

(d) Sri. S.Kamaraj, PA, Tiruvalla HO (Mob: +919447377947)

(e) Sri. M.S.Chandrababu,PA, Attingal HO (Mob: +919447697246)

Treasurer

Sri. K Mohanan, SPM, Talassery Bazar PO, Thalassery Dn

Asst Treasurer

Sri. Prem.G.Prakash,SA,Kottarakkara HO, Kollam Dn (Mob: +919447046288)

Org. Secretaries

(a) Sri. T.V.Devadas, PA, Tirur HO (Mob: +919349281292)

(b) Sri. K V Sudheer Kumar, PA, Kannur HO (Mob: +919496355878)

(c) Sri. Subin Valsan,PA,Vadakara HO

MONTHLY SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF DEPARTMENT OF POSTS FOR MARCH, 2012

Postal Network to be leveraged to Financially Include BPL Households 
Given below is a brief summary of significant events pertaining to Dept of Posts for the month March ,2012. 




Department of Posts have disbursed wages amounting to Rs. 540 crores to 5.45 crores MGNREGS account holders across the country (except in Bihar Circle) during February this year. 
An MoU was signed with UIDAI for enrolment and dispatch/ delivery of Aadhaar letters. As per the UIDAI portal, 53.31 lakhs enrolments have been done till 26.03.2012 at post offices. And approx. 9.01 crore Aadhaar letters have been booked till 03.04.2012. 
Under the IT modernization project of the Department approved by the CCEA, 8 RFPs have been issued for selection of vendors. 5 LOI (Letter of Intent) have been issued and in 2 RFPs the financial evaluation is in progress. 
MoU signed between Kerala water Authority and Kerala Postal Circle for acceptance of water charges through Post Offices. 
Preliminary discussions were held with Idea Cellular Pvt. Ltd. for accepting payment for recharge of pre and post paid connections through e-payment. 
Training for Savottam Certification of officials of five selected Head Post Offices was arranged by PTC Vadodara . 
Project Arrow initiated to improve the “core activities” of the Department and “Look and Feel” aspect of post offices has been implemented in 15597 post offices and 1759 post offices, respectively. 
The Department of Posts ( DoP) has decided to leverage its extensive network in rural as well as in urban areas to financially include BPL households by opening their savings accounts at their nearest Post Offices. These accounts will not only serve the purpose of financial inclusion but also constitute critical infrastructural support to transfer cash benefits to the BPL households. This will go a long way in reducing their poverty and furthering the mandate of Government of India and the State Governments. More than 1.2 crore such accounts have already been opened so far across the country. Various Ministries and Departments of Government of India have been addressed to consider delivering cash components of their social security and welfare schemes targeting the BPL households through these accounts. 
Stamps were issued on Vasant Dada Patil ( 1st March), Shyama Charan Shukla (9th March) and 100 years of Civil Aviation (14th March). 

CLARIFICATION IN FILLING UP OF HSG-I AND POSTMASTER GRADE-III POST

TWO DAY CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF POSTAL CIRCLES BEGINS

Shri Kapil Sibal ,Union Minister for Communications and InformationTechnology(C&IT) has said that India Post is in an enviable positiondue to its reach and has the potential to transform rural economy and life. Shri Sibal said this while inaugurating the two day annual conference of Heads of Circle of the Department of Posts. 

During the 2-day event, discussions will focus around the challenges being faced by India Post in the 21sth Century. India Post is faced with the twin challenges of induction of various modes of technology in communication and also the proliferation of couriers on the other.

The organization has geared itself to assimilate technology in its operations in a big way. It has also embarked upon the path of providing quality postal services to its customers. The Speed Post is already a brand to reckon with. Other initiatives like introduction of Core Banking Solutions in the Post Office Savings Bank, expansion of Postal Life Insurance and streamlining of the parcel service area alsoon the anvil. Apart from this, India Post is preparing itself to have a vast technological network to connect all the rural Post Offices. The organization hopes to be a reliable partner for various Government Departments for delivery of their services in the villages where no other network has the kind of reach which India Post has got.

Training of the Postal Staff to adapt itself to the use of technology in a big way is also a major challenge. Plans are being worked out by India Post to provide adequate training to all its personnel in use of technology. This is going to be the thrust area in the next couple of years.

India Post has a vast network of 1,54,866 post offices in the country. It handles over six billion articles of mail every year with the help of nearly half a million employees. India Post also runs Post Offices Savings Bank (POSB). Apart from offering various saving scheme, to the common man, POSB also disburses Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme( MGNREGS) wages. It has 5.4 crore accounts which disbursed Rs. 7430 crore as MGNREGS wages during 2011-12. 

DEPARTMENT CALLED EOI TO CREATE POST BANK OF INDIA

Postal department invited Expression of Interest from the Bidders to submit detailed Project report to Create Post Bank Of India. The last date for submitting the applications are 24/05/2012 and the bids will be opened on 25/05/2012. In the tender document it is clearly mentioned the objectives for setting up the Post Bank Of India are as follows:

(i) Provide banking which means the accepting, for  the purpose of lending or investment, of deposit of money from the public, repayable on demand or otherwise, and withdrawal by Cheque, draft, order or otherwise. PBI will be engaged in various types of banking as mentioned in Section 6 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

(ii)  Provide banking services with special focus on  rural areas.

(iii) Provide means of additional revenue generation for the DoP .

(iv) Ride on the Core Banking Solution which is proposed to be provided in all the post offices.

(v)  Provide a platform for financial inclusion.

(vi) Provide higher order value added services to over 250 Million existing Post Office Savings Bank account holders.

Banks and Post Offices that handle MGNREGA accounts to record the Aadhar numbers of beneficiaries

Online cards issued under the government's flagship rural jobs scheme will now include the beneficiary's 12-digit 'Aadhar' number issued under the Centre's multi-crore unique ID project that has drawn more brickbats than bouquets.

Over the next three months, state governments will update the registration data, including Aadhar numbers, of beneficiaries under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in an exercise to weed out ghost cards.

"This will help us assess the coverage of the Aadhar scheme and help us link MGNREGA with the number," a rural development officer told ET.

The data updation will be part of the rural development ministry's "upgradation and cleaning" of job cards issued under MGNREGS, the government's largest social sector scheme that guarantees a minimum of 100 a day for 100 days of work. The scheme covers more than 12 crore Indians in rural areas.

The Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI), led by former Infosys chief Nandan Nilekani, has the government's mandate to collect data and issue 'Aadhaar' numbers, which can help people open bank accounts, buy cell phones and access welfare programmes.

"The exercise is not to make the UID number a mandatory clause for demanding job under the scheme," the official said, adding that the UID numbers will be registered along with other details in the job cards.

The move, which will test the spread of UIDAI among beneficiaries of MGNREGS, will also help create a database for convergence with insurance schemes such as the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and Aam Admi Bima Yojana.

New Financial Adviser to India Post

Ms Saroj Punhani, IA&AS(1984) has assumed charge of the post of Joint Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Department of Posts in the pay scale of PB-3 Rs 37400 - 67000/- plus Grade pay of Rs 10000/- with effect from 16-04-2012 F/N.(Dept of Posts notification no 1-57/2005-SPG dated 26.04.2012)

CCS (LTC) Rules, 1988 — Relaxation for travel by air to visit NER

F.No. 31011/4/2007-Estt.(A)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

New Delhi, dated 30th April, 2012

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject- CCS (LTC) Rules, 1988 - Relaxation for travel by air to visit NER.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Department O.Ms of even No. dated  02.05.2008 and 20.4.2010 on the subject mentioned above and to say that the relaxation for LTC travel to visit North Eastern Region under CCS (LTC) Rules, 1988 contained in the O.M. dated 02.5.2008 is extended further for two more years beyond 1st May, 2012.

Source : persmin

View Original Order

Govt. gives nod to project merging Aadhar, PAN Databases

In order to weed out the problem of fake PAN cards and to ensure an accurate biometric data, the government has initiated a mammoth project to bring together both the Aadhar and the PAN databases.

The Nandan Nilekani-led Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) issues the Aadhar number which is now being synchronised with the Permanent Account Number database maintained by the I-T Department.

The Finance Ministry, which had first mooted the proposal of generating and issuing biometric PAN in 2006, had kept the decision pending for sometime as it was felt that both the agencies (UIDAI and I-T) would be “duplicating the effort” to reach a common goal — biometrics-based identity.

“It has been decided to integrate both the Aadhar and the PAN database which will help the agencies to maintain a correct database for ensuring two things.

While the Aadhar will ensure effective disbursal of government schemes to citizens, the biometric PAN card database will help stop the forgery of PAN cards which begets economic crimes,” a senior Finance Ministry official said.

The Finance Ministry, under the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in 2006, had proposed that the biometric PAN cards would have the I-T assesses’ fingerprints (two from each hand) and the face.

This will now be achieved by collating the Aadhar database with that of the PAN.

COMPASSIONATE APPOINTMENT – CLARIFICATION REGARDING REGULATION OF CONDITIONS AND ADMISSIBILITY OF VARIOUS ALLOWANCES AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OF SIXTH CPC RECOMMENDATION – REGARDING

F.No.14014/2/2009-Estt.(D)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
(Department of Personnel & Training)

North block, 

New Delhi,

Dated the 3rd April, 2012

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject : Compassionate appointment – Clarification regarding regulation of conditions and admissibility of various allowances after implementation of Sixth CPC recommendation – regarding.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Department’s O.M. of even number dated 11.12.2009 on the subject mentioned above and to state that large number of references have been received from various Ministries/Departments regarding regulation of various conditions on compassionate appointment and admissibility of different allowances allowed to person appointed on compassionate grounds. Doubts raised by various authorities have been processed in consultation with Department of Expenditure (I.D. No. 22/02/2009-IC-II dated 27th February, 2012) and are clarified as under :-

S. No.	Point of Reference/Doubt	Clarification
1.	What will be Status of Trainee?	A person appointed as ‘Trainee’ enjoys the status of a Government servant from initial day and will be allowed all the allowances and benefits allowed to a government servant.
2.	What will be the maximum time period allowed for a person appointed as ‘Trainee’ to acquire minimum education qualification?	A person appointed as a ‘Trainee’ on compassionate grounds has to acquire minimum educational qualifications in 5 years.
3.	Whether belated case of compassionate appointments against the erstwhile Group ‘D’ posts can be considered now after regularization of all Group ‘D’ employees as group ‘C’ employees.?	The belated case of compassionate appointment are be considered as per the revised recruitment rules for the MTS posts.
4	Whether a person appointed on compassionate grounds as ‘Trainee’ will have probation period.?	The probation period of a person appointed as ‘Trainee’ on compassionate ground will begin only from the date he/she acquires minimum educational qualification and such person will be on probation for a period specified in the Recruitment Rules of the post/grade against which he/she is being appointed.
5	Whether Earned Leave, Half pay leave and other types of leave as applicable to regular Government employees would be allowed to a person appointed as ‘Trainee’ on compassionate ground?	A ‘Trainee’ appointed on compassionate ground is entitled to all kinds of leave applicable to a regular government servant.
6	Whether Medical facilities/ Benefit of CGEGIS/VGHS on deduction of subscription for these schemes. Patient care allowance is allowed to a person appointed as ‘Trainee’ on compassionate ground?	A person appointed as ‘Trainee’ on compassionate grounds is eligible to avail Medical facilities/Benefit of CGEGIS/CGHS available to holder of post in the pre-revised pay scale of Rs.4440-7440/- without any grade pay.
7	Status of payment of abort/long term advances as applicable to regular government servants to a person appointed as ‘trainee’ on compassionate ground?	A ‘Trainee’ appointed on compassionate ground may be granted, by the competent authority, shorty term advances, with advances of pay recoverable in not more than 3 installments and advance of traveling allowances, festival advances, advances of in lieu of leave salary and advances of purchase of bicycles, warm clothing and table fans without production of surety, provided that such authority is satisfied that the same could be fully recovered or adjusted during the period of temporary employment of the said government servant concerned. In case of all other advances, a ‘Trainee’ would be required to procedure surety from a permanent central government servant, the surety bond being cancelled in the event of their confirmation in the permanent post.
8	Applicability of Leave Travel Concession to a person appointed as Trainee’ on compassionate ground.	A Trainee’ appointed on compassionate ground is to be allowed LTC concession only on completion of one year service.
9	What is the entitlement of annual increment to a person appointed as Trainee’ on compassionate ground.	A Trainee’ appointed on compassionate ground, till he/she acquires minimum educational qualification, is allowed increment at normal rates in the pay scale of – 1s.
10	What is the position with reference to reimbursement of Children Education Allowance (CEA) to a person appointed as Trainee’ on compassionate ground.	A person appointed as Trainee’ is allowed Children Education Allowance as per the admissible rates.
11	What is the position with respect to payment of Overtime Allowance (OTA) to a person appointed as Trainee’ on compassionate ground.	A person appointed as Trainee’ on compassionate ground is not entitled for OTA during the period he/she continue as Trainee’.
12	Whether the dependent of compassionate appointee would be eligible for employment on compassionate grounds since their service in -1S pay band will not be counted as regular service.	A Trainee’ has the status of Government Servant from initial day, as such, dependent of a person appointed on compassionate ground as Trainee’ would be eligible for compassionate appointment in the event of his/her death in harness.