UPU News:-Postal sector strong in face of change
The postal sector plays a decisive role in providing social and economic cohesion, confirmed ministers and other dignitaries at the UPU’s ministerial conference.
Sachin Pilot, Indian minister for communications and information technology
A government can use the postal network to deliver services that a decade ago may have been impossible, said Sachin Pilot, the Indian minister for communications and information technology, at the UPU’s ministerial conference, held yesterday.
India has the world’s largest postal network with 155,000 post offices across the country, 95 per cent of which are in rural areas. More than 25 million Indians also live outside the country, sending back remittances that amounted to 64 billion USD last year, said Pilot. The Post plays a pivotal role in helping people transfer money from abroad to India. Technology is helping this become seamless, transparent and secure, he added.
While the challenges facing the developing world differ from those of industrialized nations, all countries are vulnerable to economic and technological changes.
“Conditions and capacities are not the same everywhere,” Harsha Singh, deputy director general of the World Trade Organization said. It can be difficult to implement the most appropriate policies but building cooperative and interactive frameworks should be a key concept of postal services, he advised.
As for the sector’s sustainable growth, this required sustainable infrastructure. “The postal business matters,” said Philip Jennings, UNI Global’s general secretary, representing almost five million postal workers.The infrastructure should connect all citizens, all consumers, all businesses, Jennings added.
In the United States, the continuing shift of communication to the internet has had a serious impact on the finances of the postal industry, said Patrick Donahoe, the US Postal Service’s postmaster general. In the last 10 years, first class mail decreased by half - from 50 billion units to 25 billion – resulting in a loss of 11 billion USD. As mail volume falls, fewer postal employees and facilities are needed, “but the sole purposes of the postal service is to meet the needs of the customers” - an objective that has not changed, Donahoe said.
Rural Development through Post Offices
Post Offices in India constitute the largest network in the country offering financial, communication and other retail services. Rural Development supported by reach and infrastructure of Postal Network can write golden chapters of human endeavour and social development. Rural development refers to the process of improving the quality of life and economic welbeing of people living in relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas. It aims at finding the ways to improve the lives of the people by increasing the level of participation of people living in isolated areas so as to meet their required needs. However Development of rural areas, like any other development activity, can only take place when there is an adequate support of appropriate infrastructure.
Department of Posts has been involved in rural development for the last 150 years. With its more than 139,000 Post Offices in rural areas, it provides support in various critical functions through communication, financial services, life insurance products and other retail services. Till March 2011, 4271 Panchayat Sanchar SevaKendras have been functioning in the country. Panchayat Sanchar Seva Kendras are opened at Gram Panchayat Headquarters where Post Offices do not exist. This scheme is implemented by Gram Panchayats through an agent appointed by them.
Rural Information Communication & Technology (RICT)
Electronically empowered Post Offices can mitigate complaints of discrimination and negligence that rural India always feels. In order to further widen and deepen an already unmatched reach of this network, particularly in rural areas, India Post has embarked upon an ambitious programme of ICT induction in all its post offices. The programme involves computerizing and digitally connecting all the post offices including those in rural areas. Rural ICT segment of this programme will bring in efficiency in the way business is transacted. Under RICT Programme, all rural Post Offices will be provided Main Computing Devices which may be either handheld or computer net books. Majority of devices will be handheld ones which are compact, rugged and are slightly bigger than ordinary remote control devices for televisions, Printers, Digital camera, Fingerprint scanner, Bar Code scanners, Smart card reader and writers, Magnetic card reader, GPS and Solar Panels.
By connecting Branch Post Offices to a central server customers in rural areas can transfer money instantly, can operate their accounts, both deposit as well as loan accounts, from their village or in case of migrant labourers from their village as well as from their places of work. Rural ICT program will improve the quality of services and will facilitate faster payments and faster integration of information. As Post Office is geared to serve the ‘Aam Aadmi’, the benefit of quality service will pass on to the target group. Digitally networked rural post offices may also become an important medium of dissemination of information. In addition to improving efficiency of mail, financial and retail services, the computerization of rural post offices will enable India Post to deliver much-needed social security schemes even more efficiently. It will also allow the Department to engage in delivery of many more social security schemes.
Financial Services
It is widely acknowledged fact that improving the access to financial services is a very effective strategy for development of rural areas. Financial inclusion of the excluded households of rural areas is being accorded high priority by the government. Among all the organizations in the country which deliver financial services, the Department of Posts has the largest outreach in rural India, and more so, in backward and remote areas. Moreover, the Personnel who run the rural Post Office mostly belong to the local communities, and are thus trusted by their clientele enhancing acceptability of financial services by local people.
Examination for Postmen/Mail guard and MTS
Examination for postmen/mail guard and Multi Tasking Staff (MTS) as per the following schedule.
Order :- DG(POSTS) No.A-34012/01/2012 - DE dated 08.10.2012.
Postmen:-
Date of issue of notification - 15.10.2012.
Last date of Receipt of application - 02.11.2012.
Issue of Admit cards - 05.01.2013.
Date of Exam - 20.01.2013 - timings 10 AM - 11:30 AM.
Date of declaration of result - 31.01.2013.
MTS:-
Date of issue of notification - 15.10.2012.
Last date of Receipt of application - 16.11.2012.
Order :- DG(POSTS) No.A-34012/01/2012 - DE dated 08.10.2012.
Postmen:-
Date of issue of notification - 15.10.2012.
Last date of Receipt of application - 02.11.2012.
Issue of Admit cards - 05.01.2013.
Date of Exam - 20.01.2013 - timings 10 AM - 11:30 AM.
Date of declaration of result - 31.01.2013.
MTS:-
Date of issue of notification - 15.10.2012.
Last date of Receipt of application - 16.11.2012.
October 9- UNIVERSAL POSTAL DAY WISHES
World Post Day is celebrated each
year on 9 October, the anniversary of
the establishment of the Universal
Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in the
Swiss capital, Bern. It was declared
World Post Day by the UPU Congress
held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1969.
Awareness
The purpose of World Post Day is to create awareness of the role of the postal sector in people’s and businesses’ everyday lives and its contribution to the social and economic development of countries. The celebration encourages member countries to undertake programme activities aimed at generating a broader awareness of their Post’s role and activities among the public and media on a national scale.
New products and services
Every year, more than 150 countries celebrate World Post Day in a variety of ways. In certain countries, World Post Day is observed as a working holiday. Many Posts use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services. Some Posts also use World Post Day to reward their employees for good service.
Grant of Non-Productivity Linked Bonus (ad-hoc bonus) to Central Government Employees for the year 2011-12
No 7/24/2007/E III (A)
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure
E III (A) Branch
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure
E III (A) Branch
New Delhi, the 5th October, 2012
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject: - Grant of Non-Productivity Linked Bonus (ad-hoc bonus) to Central Government Employees for the year 2011-12.
The undersigned is directed to convey the sanction of the President to the grant of Non-Productivity Linked Bonus (Ad-hoc Bonus) equivalent to 30 days emoluments for the accounting year 2011-12 to the Central Government employees in Groups 'C' and ‘D’ and all non-gazetted employees in Group ‘B’, who are not covered by any Productivity Linked Bonus Scheme. The calculation ceiling for payment of ad-hoc Bonus under these orders shall continue to be monthly emoluments of Rs 3500/-, as hitherto. The payment of ad-hoc Bonus under these orders will also be admissible to the eligible employees of Central Para Military Forces and Armed Forces. The orders will be deemed to be extended to the employees of Union Territory Administration which follow the Central Government pattern of emoluments and are not covered by any other bonus or ex-gratia scheme.
2. The benefit will be admissible subject to the following terms and conditions:
(i) Only those employees who were in service as on 31.3.2012 and have rendered at least six months of continuous service during the year 2011-12 will be eligible for payment under these orders. Pro-rata payment will be admissible to the eligible employees for period of continuous service during the year from six months to a full year, the eligibility period being taken in terms of number of months of service (rounded off to the nearest number of months).
(ii) The quantum of Non-PLB (ad-hoc bonus) will be worked out on the basis of average emoluments / calculation ceiling whichever is lower. To calculate Non-PLB (Ad-hoc bonus) for one day, the average emoluments in a year will be divided by 30.4 (average number of days in a month). This will thereafter be multiplied by the number of days of bonus granted. To illustrate, taking the calculation ceiling of monthly emoluments of Rs.3500 (where actual average emoluments exceed Rs.3500), Non-PLB (Ad-hoc Bonus) for thirty days would work out to Rs. 3500x30/30.4=Rs.3453.95 (rounded off to Rs 3454/-).
(iii) The casual labour who have worked in offices following a 6 days week for at least 240 days for each year for 3 years or more (206 days in each year for 3 years or more in the case of offices observing 5 days week), will be eligible for this Non-PLB (Ad-hoc Bonus) Payment. The amount of Non-PLB (ad-hoc bonus) payable will be (Rs.1200x30/30.4 i.e.Rs.1184.21 (rounded off to Rs.1184/-). In cases where the actual emoluments fall below Rs.1200/- p.m., the amount will be calculated on actual monthly emoluments.
(iv) All payments under these orders will be rounded off to the nearest rupee
(v) The clarificatory orders issued vide this Ministry’s OM No.F.14 (10)—E.Coord/88 dated 4.10.1988, as amended from time to time, would hold good.
3. The expenditure on this account will be debitable to the respective Heads to which the pay and allowances of these employees are debited.
4. The expenditure incurred on account of Non-PLB (Ad-hoc Bonus) is to be met from within the sanctioned budget provision of concerned Ministries/Departments for the current year.
5. In so far as the persons serving in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department are concerned, these orders are issued in consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
Admit Card for the IPO Examination 2012 scheduled to be held on 13th & 14th October, 2012
Click here to download Admit Card for the Inspector Posts Examination 2012 scheduled to be held on 13th and 14th October, 2012.
Extension of facility of withdrawal of quarterly interest of SCSS accounts through Money to MIS accounts
To view SB Order No.13/2012 please Click here.
Revision in Interest Rates of Small Savings Schemes w.e.f 1st April 2012-Interest Tables of TD Accounts opened on or after 1-4-2012
To view SB Order No.12/2012 please Click here.
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