Tuesday 4 March 2014

Gazette Notification of resolution containing constitution and terms of reference of 7th Central Pay Commission.

India Post opens 2 ATMs in Delhi, 2800 more pan-India by March 2015

NEW DELHI - March 1 : Postal bank savings account holders in Delhi can now avail of ATM services as India Post today launched automated teller machines at two locations here.


The department will open 2,800 more such ATMs by March 2015 which is part of its core banking system (CBS) project.

The initiative is part of modernisation project under which around 1.6 lakh post offices will be equipped with core banking system by 2015, Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal said while launching ATM at ITO post office. The other ATM has been opened at Kashmere Gate PO.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram inaugurated the first ATM of India Post network in Chennai on Thursday.

"Its not a short journey. It will take time but we have started this journey. There will be about 2,800 ATMs installed by March 2015," Sibal said.

"Some people only talk about common man but we are among those who work for common man without making noise. This ATM is for 'Aam Aadmi' at a common man's post officer. This is a gift for Aam Aadmi and I congratulate Aam Aadmi," he said.

The department is issuing ATM cards to postal savings bank account holders through which they can withdraw money.

"The ATM will serve only Post Office customers for first 6-8 months. After that we will link it with ATMs of other banks. Thereafter customers of any bank will be able to withdraw money and our customer will be able to use other ATM," Delhi Circle Chief Post Master General Vasumitra said.

Delhi will get 86 more ATMs by the end of this month and around 600 by 2015.

India Post has connected about 64 lakh savings accounts across seven states - Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam and Andhra Pradesh -- in select branches with CBS.

The department has also applied for banking licence. "I am trying that Post Office should get a banking licence to serve common man in rural area. I will keep by struggle on for banking licence," Sibal said.

India Posts also announced linking of Postal Life Insurance service which has corpus of close to Rs 40,000 crore with CBS that will enable people to pay premium online, check status of their policy.

India Posts has plan to roll out core insurance solution like CBS at pan-India level under which it will integrate 810 insurance processing centres for faster claim settlement and after sales service.

Under the insurance project, 11,000 post offices will be migrated to new technology by September 2014 and about 14,000 post offices by March 2015.

The government has earmarked about Rs 5,000 crore for modernisation of post offices which also includes equipping all branches with real time banking facility using service of private companies.

Source : http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-03-01/news/47799480_1_india-post-banking-licence-core-banking-system

7th Central Pay Commission - Gazette Notification of Resolution containing constitution and terms of reference

Finance Ministry issued Gazette Notification of Resolution containing constitution and terms of reference of 7th CentralPay Commission 

Ministry Of Finance
(Department of Expenditure)
RESOLUTION
New Delhi, the 28th February,2014

No.1/1/2013-E.III(A)— The Government of India have decided to appoint the Seventh Central Pay Commission comprising the following :-


1. Chairman
Justice Shri Ashok kumar Mathur
2. Member
Shri Vivek Rae
3. Member
Dr. Rathin Roy
4. Secretary
Smt. Meena Agarwal

2. The terms of reference of the commission will be as follows :-

a) To examine, review, evolve and recommend changes that are desirable and feasible regarding the principles that should govern the emoluments structure including pay, allowances and other facilities/benefits, in cash or kind, having regard to rationalization and simplification therein as well as the specialized needs of various Departments, agencies and services, in respect of the following categories of employees:-

i. Central Government employees-industrial and non-industrial;
ii. Personnel belonging to the All India Services;
iii. Personnel of the Union Territories;
iv. Officers and employees of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department;
v. Members of regulatory bodies (excluding the Reserve Bank of India) set up under Acts of Parliament; and
vi. Officers and employees of the Supreme Court.

b) To examine, review, evolve and recommend changes that are desirable and feasible regarding principles that should govern the emoluments structure, concessions and facilities/benefits, in cash or kind, as well as retirement benefits of personnel belonging to the Defence Forces, having regard to historical and traditional parities, with due emphasis on aspects unique to these personnel.

c) To work out the framework for an emoluments structure linked with the need to attract the most suitable talent to Government service, promote efficiency, accountability and responsibility in the work culture, and foster excellence in the public governance system to respond to complex challenges of modern administration and rapid political, social, economic and technological changes, with due regard to expectations of stakeholders, and to recommend appropriate training and capacity building through a competency based framework.

d) To examine the existing schemes of payment of bonus, keeping in view, among other things, its bearing upon performance and productivity and make recommendations on the general principles, financial parameters and conditions for an appropriate incentive scheme to reward excellence in productivity, performance and integrity.

e) To review the variety of existing allowances presently available to employees in addition to pay and suggest their rationalization and simplification, with a view to ensuring that the pay structure is so designed as to take these into account.

f) To examine the principles which should govern the structure of pension and other retirement benefits, including revision of pension in the case of employees who have retired prior to the date of effect of these recommendations, keeping in view that retirement benefits of all Central Government employees appointed on and after 01.01.2004 are covered by the New Pension Scheme (NPS).

g) To make recommendations on the above, keeping in view:
i. the economic conditions in the country and need for fiscal prudence;
ii. the need to ensure that adequate resources are available for developmental expenditures and welfare measures;
iii. the likely impact of the recommendations on the finances of the State Governments, which usually adopt the recommendations with some modifications;
iv. the prevailing emolument structure and retirement benefits available to employees of Central Public Sector Undertakings; and
v. the best global practices and their adaptability and relevance in Indian conditions.
h) To recommend the date of effect of its recommendations on all the above.

3. The Commission will devise its own procedure and may appoint such advisors, Institutional Consultants and Experts, as it necessary for any particular purpose. It may call for such information and take such evidence, as it may consider necessary. Ministries and Departments of Government of India shall furnish such information and documents and other assistance as may be required by the commission. The government of India trusts the State Governments, Service Associations and other concerned will extend to the Commission their fullest cooperation and assistance

4. The Commission will have Headquarters in Delhi

5. The Commission will make its recommendations within 18 months of the date of its constitution. It may consider, if necessary, sending interim reports on any of the matters as and when the recommendations are finalised.