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.

Revision of Honorarium for Invegilation, Setting of Question Papers,Valuation etc for Limited Departmental Competitive Exams

Postal Directorate has revised the rates of Honorarium in connection with conducting of Limited Departmental Competitive Examinations Vide letter no A.34020/17/2008-DE dated 26.04.2012. The revised rates will apply to all Limited Departmental Competitive Examinations to be held on or after 26.04.2012.

The revised rates for various activities are as follows.

Sl no	Activity	Present Rate	Revised Rate
1	Setting of Question Paper	Rs 280-00 Rs 210-00	Rs 1000 per paper
2	Preparation of Key	25% of the rate of Setting	25% of Rs 1000
3	Evaluation of Answer Scripts	Rs 7 / 5.60 / 4.20	Rs 25 per Answer Script
4	Supervision for conducting LDCE	Rs 30 per session Rs 50 per Day	Rs 400 per session Rs 600 per Day
5	Invigilators appointed for conducting LDCE	Rs 20 per session Rs 30 per Day	Rs 250 per session Rs 350 per Day
6	Clerical Staff brought on Duty	Rs 25 per Day	Rs 150 per session Rs 250 per Day
7	Gr D (MTS) assistance	Rs 15 per Day	Rs 150 per session Rs 200 per Day

Click here to view the Directorate order in original.

Agent Commission on Savings Schemes

The payment of commission to agents of Public Provident Fund (PPF) Scheme and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme has been discontinued, with effect from 1st December, 2011. Commission under all other schemes (except MPKBY Agents) has been reduced from 1% to 0.5%. However, commission to Mahila Pradhan Kshetriya Bachat Yojana (MPKBY) agents will continue at the existing rate of 4%.

The Committee set up by the Government for comprehensive review of National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) had, inter-alia, recommended rationalization of commission rate structure. Based on the recommendations, the Government has decided to reduce/ abolish the agency commission, the main, intention for which is to make these schemes more investor centric than agent centric. Market linked rates to investors, market linked interest rates on loans to States and Centre and viability of NSSF can only be ensured if the administrative cost of NSSF, of which this commission is a part, is brought down and the benefit of market alignment of rates is passed on to the investor rather than burdening the structure with higher administrative costs. To this effect, the decision of Government is pro investor and also keeps in mind the interest of agents where required.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Finance, Shri Namo Narain Meena in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today. 

Source : PIB

Mini-ATMs in Villages

A Task Force headed by Shri Nandan Nilekani in its report on Aadhaar Enabled Unified Payment Infrastructure has envisioned an interoperable network of 10 lakh Business Correspondent Agents utilizing Micro-ATMs to cover the entire country for Financial Inclusion and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT).

The report has inter-alia recommended transfer of payments from Government and Government institutions to Aadhaar enabled accounts of beneficiaries at banks and post office. Every Government department or institution that sends EBT and Direct Transfer of Subsidy (DTS) payment to individuals would need to submit details of Aadhaar Number and amount to their accredited bank, which would credit the amount into the account of the beneficiary.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Finance, Shri Namo Narain Meena in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today. 

Source : PIB

Filling up of the Posts of AD(Training) at PTC Mysore - Calling of volunteers

Applications from the willing Group B  officers have been called for from all Circles to fill up the Posts of Assistant Director(Training) at PTC Mysore vide Director PTC Mysore letter no STA/2-26/2 III dated 23.04.2011 addressed Heads of Circles. The Posts of Assistant Director(Training) will carry 15% of Basic pay as Training Allowance. The last date for receipt applications along with copies of APARs for 5 years from Circles at PTC Mysore is 15.05.2012.

Click here to view the said PTC Mysore letter in original.