Friday, September 28, 2012

  1. Memories of London 2012

 Royal Mail is issuing its final set of stamps marking the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games today. Entitled Memories of London 2012 the set is the first to feature the much-praised Games Makers – the army of volunteers who are credited with helping make London 2012 one of the most successful Games ever.
  More than 70,000 people volunteered to help the millions of visitors who flocked to London during the summer. Now the Games Makers are commemorated on a stamp featuring an image of a group of volunteers, in their distinctive purple and red uniforms, with the famous London 2012 Olympic stadium in the background.
 Other memories featured on the stamps include the spectacular fireworks display during the Paralympic Opening Ceremony and a First Class stamp shows the ParalympicsGB team entering the stadium to conclude the procession of the participating athletes.
 The final stamp shows a scene from the Olympic Closing Ceremony, in which athletes and officials of all the countries formed a human version of the Union Flag in the Olympic Stadium.
 The stamps are printed within a miniature sheet, the border of which features a quote from Lord Coe, reflecting on the success of both Games.
Two First Day of Issue handstamps are available to accompany this issue.
 For more information on the Memories of London 2012 stamp issue visit www.royalmail.com/memories.
Courtesy : http://postalheritage.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/memories-of-london/ 
Posted by: AIPEU GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle.                                                                          

Thursday, September 27, 2012

25th Universal Postal Congress officially opens



24.09.2012 - The 25th Universal Postal Congress officially opened in Doha, Qatar, today, marking the beginning of the three-week meeting, which gathers postal leaders and stakeholders from the UPU’s 192 member countries to decide on the global postal sector’s future every four years.
 (Congress is expected to adopt the Doha Postal Strategy, the UPU's future roadmap)
A number of crises have characterized the last four years, bringing new, unprecedented challenges for the postal sector and the UPU, said Edouard Dayan, director general of the Universal Postal Union, during the opening plenary session. “These new realities have known no borders and have extended to all postal operators worldwide, regardless of their level of development. The Congress that opens today must champion the values of our organization: universality, solidarity and communication among peoples,” Dayan said. “This Congress embraces the values of the postal community, but also heralds the future, that of a modernized, efficient and solid organization, and of global postal services at the heart of the economy, trade and the information society,” he added.
Held under the theme “New world, new strategy”, the 25th Universal Postal Congress hopes to adopt the Doha Postal Strategy, the UPU’s strategic document for the future. It underlines the postal network’s three dimensions – physical, electronic and financial – as well as interconnection, governance and development as key axes to strengthen postal services worldwide.
Over the next three weeks, more than 2,200 registered delegates will examine many proposals to modify the rules and regulations governing the exchange of international mail as well as major documents recommending the way forward in areas such as postal financial services, quality of service, postal security, e-commerce and trade facilitation.
During the opening plenary, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recognized the role of the global postal network in social and economic development in a message to Congress. “Postal services are universal. They connect people throughout the world,” he said. The UPU is a specialized agency of the United Nations for postal services.
Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Aqaily, chairman of the General Postal Corporation of Qatar, was also officially designated as Congress chairman during the opening plenary.
Opening ceremony
Earlier in the day, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Heir Apparent, attended the morning’s opening ceremony organized by the State of Qatar, alongside Qatar’s minister of culture, arts and heritage, Dr Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Bin Ali Al Kuwari, the UPU’s Edouard Dayan, and Saudi Arabia’s minister of telecommunications and information technology, Mohammed Jamil Bin Ahmed Mulla, and other dignitaries.
As host of the Congress, Qatar will also automatically assume the chairmanship of the UPU’s Council of Administration for 2013-2016. Countries will be elected to the UPU’s official bodies, the Council of Administration and the Council of Postal Operations, on 10 October, following the election of a new director general and deputy director general for the UPU whose mandate will run for four years starting in January 2013.
Source : http://news.upu.int
Posted by: AIPEU GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle.                                                                                                                          

Monday, September 24, 2012

  1. Bank ATMs stop sucking in cash after RBI direction

Next time you go to an ATM to withdraw cash, don't worry about the banknotes getting sucked back by the machine if not collected immediately, as RBI has asked all banks to immobilise the 'cash retraction facility'.

At the same time, customers will have to be extra careful in collecting the cash dispensed by the ATM, as they cannot later claim the money from the bank, which was the case when this 'cash retraction facility' was in place at the ATMs.

Most of the banks, including HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Canara Bank, have already removed the cash retraction facility from all their ATMs, while the withdrawal process for this facility is underway for few remaining ATMs.

As per RBI directions, the banks are communicating to their customers about the withdrawal of this facility, under which the cash goes back into the ATM machine if not collected within a stipulated time, which is generally 10-15 seconds, but varies from bank to bank.

The facility was initially implemented to avoid the cases of someone else getting the money, if the actual cardholder forgets to collect the withdrawn cash before leaving the ATM.

However, RBI in the past one year has come across banks reporting several instances of frauds pertaining to mis-use of cash retraction facility at the ATMs.

The typical modus operandi has been to hold on to a few pieces of notes in ATM machines that have cash retraction system, while allowing one or two pieces of notes to be retracted and then claiming non-receipt of cash.

Since retracted transactions are credited back to the customer's account, the balance in the fraudster's account remains unaffected even after collecting bulk of the delivered cash.

The ATMs do not have the capability to count the pieces of retracted notes, thus leaving a loophole for committing such frauds.
Source:-The Times of India
Posted by: AIPEU _ GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle.

Friday, September 21, 2012

    1. TYPES OF ALLOWANCES ALLOWED TO GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS

VARIOUS TYPES OF ALLOWANCES – ALLOWED TO GDS
1)      Dearness Allowance (DA) :
The rate of  Dearness Allowance is granted at par with Central Govt. employees twice in a year.
2)      Office Maintenance Allowance (OMA):
The Office Maintenance Allowance is granted to the BPMs @ Rs.100 per month
3)      Cycle Maintenance Allowance (CMA) :
The Cycle Maintenance Allowance is granted to GDS MD / GDSMC (irrespective of distance traversed) who performs the duty on bicycle @ Rs.60 per month (now it is enhanced @Rs.75/-  after all other allowances of regular employees  raised to 25% when DA crossed 50%.)
4)      Cash Conveyance Allowance (CCA) :
The Cash Conveyance Allowance is granted to BPMs @ Rs.50 per month (for cash conveyance to SO to BO vice versa)
5)      Combined Duty Allowance (CDA) :
Where the BPM is entrusted with the duty / duties of GDSMD and / or GDSMC the CDA is granted as :
      (a) BPM entrusted with the duty of Delivery :
               (i)  delivery only in cusba village @ Rs.250/- per month
               (ii) having delivery in the BO jurisdiction i.e., other than cusba @ Rs.500/-
      (b) BPM entrusted with the duty of bag conveyance :
               (i) from SO / AO to BO @ Rs.500/- per month
               (ii)from Road point / MMS @Rs.250/- per month
           If both the duties viz., Delivery & Bag Conveyance are entrusted to BPM, he is  eligible for both allowances as reckoned by the duty entrusted..
In case of GDSMD / GDSMC attached with the duties of BPM, @ Rs.25 per day subject to the maximum of Rs.625 per month would be paid (temporary office arrangement for shorter periods)
     
6)      Boat Allowance :
Actual charges paid to the Boatman subject to a maximum of Rs.50 per month for conveyance of mail.
7)      Compensation to Mail Carriers :
If the GDSMC detained beyond office hours for mail conveyance are allowed to grant Rs.6/- per hour per day subject to the maximum of Rs.12/-
8)      Fixed Stationery charges  (FSC) :
(i)                  In case of BPMs FSC is allowed @ Rs.50/- per month
(ii)                In case of GDSMD, GDSMC/MD. GDSSV @ Rs.10/- per month.
      9) Training Allowance
While imparted training to GDS BPMs and other GDSs some allowance is sanctioned according to the TA/DA rules.
(Author's opinion)
10) TIME RELATED CONTINUITY ALLOWANCE (TRCA)
The basic pay itself for the GDS  is also called as an allowance. 
Is there any provision in our Constitution or CCA Rules or State Laws or  any pay rules that the basic allowance of an employee (?) in a Central Govt. department is allowed with many other allowances besides for calculation of retirement benefits ( eg: ex gratia gratuity) and ex gratia bonus with ceiling. 
An employee (?) in this country drawing some amount for his service to the management as is viz., pay, wage, salary, remuneration, allowance, perks etc., perhaps this type of (pay) structure is exceptional to Gramin Dak Sevaks.
After a keen constitutional and judicial observation on the attitude of the Department , Justice Chandrajit sing Talwar(1996) has rightly pointed out that the department is still under ambiguity and confusion to decide the status of the EDAs (now called GDS) and except to accept that EDAs (GDS) are holders of civil post by extending all benefits to them.

source:GDS REFRESHER & CRUSADER TO GDS compiled by Com.K.V.SRIDHARAN, General Secretary, AIPEU Gr.C (CHQ)
Posted by:AIPEU GDS (NFPE)Odisha Circle.
IT IS NOT TOO FAR TO GET RECOGNITION FOR 
AIPEU-GDS (NFPE) 
IF REVERIFICATION IS ORDERED 
BY THE DEPARTMENT.

IT CLEARLY stipulated UNDER   CLAUSE (2) OF RULE-6 IN EDA (RA) RULES-1995 VIDE No.13/2/94-SR DATED 27-04-1995, THAT –

The Government may, at any time, order a special verification of membership if it is of the opinion, after an enquiry, that the EXISTING RECOGNIZED Association does not have the membership required under sub-clause (i) of caluse (d) of Rule-4.
(i) The Association represents minimum 35 per cent of total number of Extra Departmental Agents provided that where there is only one Association which commands more than 35 per cent membership, another Association with second highest membership although less than 35 percent may be recognized if it commands at least 15 per cent membership.
UNDOUBTEDLY WE HAVE REACHED THE PERCENTAGE OF MORE THAN 50% ACCRUED FROM 9 (NINE)  MAJOR CIRCLES  ITSELF OUT OF TOTAL ELIGIBLE MEMBERSHIP. IN THE REMAINING CIRCLES ALSO CIRCLE UNIONS WILL BE FORMED BY THE END OF OCT’2012. 
EFFORTS ARE UNDER WAY TO FULFIL THE CONDITIONS FOR REVERIFICATION. 
IF VERIFIVATION IS CONDUCTED BY THE DEPT NOW, THE AIPEU-GDS NFPE, NO DOUBT, WILL BECOME THE No.1 RECOGNIZED UNION.
THAT IS WHY THE CHQ IS REQUESTING ALL GDS COMRADES IN ALL THE CIRCLES TO MARCH FORWARD UNDER THE BANNER OF  AIPEU-GDS (NFPE) IN ALL THE DIVISIONS / BRANCHES TO ENSURE MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION IN THE ENSUING ALL INDIA CONFERENCE.
REGARDING STOPPAGE OF SUBSCRIPTION RECOVERY AFTER WITHDRAWAL OF MEMBERSHIP,  SOME DOUBTS HAVE BEEN RAISED AT SOME PLACES, WHICH IS CLARIFIED IN  THE EDA(RA) RULES – 1995 WITH REFERENCE TO PARA 4 OF THE SAID RULES.
the copy of eda (RA) RULES, 1995 IS HERE WITH PUBLISHED FOR YOUR READY REFERENCE:
No.13/2/94-SR
Government of India
Ministry of Communications
Department of Post
Dak Bhawan, Parliament Street
New Delhi – 110 001
Dated : 27-04-1995
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
           Subject:- Extra Departmental Agents – (Recognition of Associations)  Rules, 1995.
            The under signed is directed to say that consequent on framing of fresh rules for Recognition of Service Associations of Central Government Employees vide Department of Personnel & Trg. Notification No.2/10/80-JCA (Vol.IV) dated 05-11-1993, the proposal for framing similar rules for the Extra Departmental Gents in the department has also been considered. Accordingly, the Government have framed the Extra Departmental Agents – (Recognition of Associations) Rules, 1995. The Rules will take effect from 1st May, 1995. A copy of Rules is enclosed.
2.        These Rules shall apply to all Associations of Extra Departmental Agents in the Department of Post.
3.        Recognition will be accorded by the Department of Post to an Association on fulfilling the conditions prescribed in Rule-4(d) (i) of the Rules in respect of the entire Department. The Association so recognized at the Central level may have branches in the lower formations.
4.        Detailed procedure regarding recovery of subscription for the Associations from the pay rolls prescribed for the regular Postal employees as per instructions issued vide Department of Post letter No.13-1/93-SR dated 10-08-1994 as modified from time to time will be applicable to Extra Departmental Agents also.
5.        Relaxation of any of the provisions of the EDA (RSA) Rules, 1995 under Rule – 8  of the said Rules should be done only with the prior approval of the Department of Post.
6.        Doubts regarding the interpretation of EDAs (RSA) Rules, 1995 should be referred to the S.R Section of the Department of Post.
7.        Receipt of this O.M may kindly be acknowledged.
8.        Hindi version will follow.
Sd.x.x.x.x
(B.P.SHARMA)
DIRECTOR (SR)
1.All Heads of Postal Circles.
2.Secretary General, NFPE/FNPO/BPEF.
3.All concerned Unions viz., (P-III, P-IV, R-III, R-IV of NFPE, NUDEU(FNPO), BEDEU (BPEF)
4.All members of Departmental Committees of ED Agents.
5.Hindi section for necessary action with the request that cut stencil or Hindi version may please be given immediately.
//copy//
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 Government of India
Ministry of Communications
Department of Post
Dak Bhawan, Parliament Street
New Delhi – 110 001
No.13/2/94-SR                                                                              Dated: 27 April ‘ 95
 ORDER
            The following Rues are issued under the authority of the Government of India:-
1. Short Title and Commencement :
(1)   The Rules may be called the Extra Departmental Agents (Recognition of Association Rules, 1995.
(2)   They shall come in to force with effect from 01-05-1995.
2.Definition :
In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires :
a)”Government” means the Central Government.
b)”Extra Departmental Agent” means any person to whom P&T EDA Conduct and Service Rules, 1964, apply.
3.Application:
These Rules shall apply to Associations of ED Agents in the Department of Post.
4.  Conditions for Recognition of Associations:
An Association which fulfils the following conditions may be recognized by the Government namely:-
(a)  An application for recognition of Association has been made to the Government containing Memorandum of Association, Constitution, Bye-laws of the Association, Names of Office bearers, total membership and ay other information as may be required by the Government;
(b) The Service Association has been formed primarily with the object of promoting the common service interest of its members;
(c)  Membership of the Service Association has been restricted to Extra Departmental Agents;
(d) (i) The Association represents minimum 35 per cent of total number of Extra Departmental Agents provided that where there is only one Association which commands more than 35 per cent membership, another Association with second highest membership although less than 35 percent may be recognized if it commands at least 15 per cent membership.

      (ii) The membership of an E.D Agents shall be automatically    discontinued on his  ceasing to belong to such category;
(e) Extra Departmental Agents who working as ED Agents shall be members or office bearers of the Service Association;
(f)   The Association shall not be formed to represent the interest or on the basis, of any caste, tribe or religious denomination or of any group within denomination;
(g)  The Executive of the Association has been appointed from amongst the members only; and
(h) The funds of the Association consist exclusively of subscriptions from members and grants, if any, made by the Government and are applied only for the furtherance of the objects of the Association.

5.Conditions subject to which recognitions is continued.
            Every Association recognized under these Rules comply with the following conditions, namely:-
(a)  the Association shall not send any representation or deputation except in connection with a matter which is for common interest to members;
(b) the Association shall not espouse or support the cause of individual Extra Departmental Agents relating to service matters;
(c)  the Association shall not maintain any political fund or lend itself to the propagation of the view of any political party or a member of such party;
(d) All representations by the Association shall be submitted through proper channel and shall be addressed to the Secretary to the Government/Head of the Oganization or Head of the Department or Office;
(e) A list of members and office bearers, and up-to-date copy of the rules and an audited statement of accounts of the Service Association shall be furnished to the Government annually through proper channel after the annual General meeting so as to reach the Government before the 1st day July each year;
(f)   The Association shall abide by and comply with all the provisions of its constitution / bye-law;
(g)  Any amendment in the constitution / bye-laws of the Association after its recognition under these Rules, shall be made only with the prior approval of the Government;
(h) The Association shall not start or publish any periodical, magazine or bulletin without the previous approval of the Government;
(i)    The Association shall cease to publish any periodical magazine or bulletin, if directed by the Government to do so on the ground that the publication thereof is prejudicial to the interest of the Central Government, the Government of any State or Government authority or to good relations be Extra Departmental Agents and the Government or any Government authority or to good relations between the Government of India and the Government of Foreign State;
(j)    The Association shall not address any communication to or enter into correspondence with a foreign authority except through the Government which shall have the right to withhold it;
(k)  The Association shall not do any act or assist in the doing of any act which, if done by ED Agents, would contravene any of the provisions the P&T Extra Departmental Agents (Conduct & Service) Rules, 1964 and ;
(l)    Communications addressed by the Association by any office bearer on its behalf to the Government or a Government authority shall not contain any disrespectful or improper language.
6.Verification of membership:
(1) The Verification of membership for the purpose of recognition of an Association shall be done by the Check-off system in pay-rolls at such intervals and in such manner as the Government may by order prescribe.
(2) The Government may, at any time, order a special verification of membership if it is of the opinion, after an enquiry, that the Association does not have the membership required under sub-clause (i) of caluse (d) of Rule-4.
7.Withdrawal of Recognition:
            If, in the opinion of the Government, an Association recognized under these Rules has failed to comply with any of the conditions set our in Rule-4 or Rule-5 or Rule-6 the Government may after giving an opportunity to the Association to present its case, withdraw the recognition accorded to such Association. On grant of recognition to Association(s) in terms of Rule-4 above all other Associations etc., hitherto recognized for representing EDAs shall cease to be recognized.
8 Relaxation:
The Government may dispense with or relax the requirements of any of these Rules to such extent and subject to such conditions as it may deem fit in regard to any Association.
9. Interpretation:
If ay question arises as to the interpretation of any of the provisions of these Rules or if there is any dispute relating to fulfillment of conditions for recognition it shall be referred to the Government, whose decision thereon shall be final.
Sd.x.x.x.x
(B.P.SHARMA)
Director (SR)
 //Copy//

Thursday, September 20, 2012

  1. Central government employees, pensioners set to get 7% DA hike

NEW DELHI: Reeling under the impact of diesel price hike and high inflation, the 80 lakh central government employees and pensioners are likely to soon get seven per cent increase in Dearness Allowance.

The proposal to increase the DA from 65 per cent to 72 per cent is likely to be taken up by the Union Cabinet tomorrow, sources said.

The decision, which would benefit about 50 lakh of employees and 30 lakh pensioners of the central government, comes in the backdrop of government increasing the diesel price by Rs 5 per litre and retail inflation crossing the double digit mark.

The hike, once approved, will be effective from July 1, 2012, and the employees would be entitled for arrears from this date.

The government had increased DA last in March this year from 58 per cent to 65 per cent, which was effective from January 1, 2012.

The government periodically hikes the DA, which is linked to consumer price index for industrial workers. The consumer price index(CPI) based on movement in retail prices, soared to 10.03 per cent in August, from 9.86 per cent in July.

In order to protest against the hike in diesel prices, coupled with the decision to operationalise the FDI in multi-brand retail, the opposition parties have called for a nation-wide strike today. 
Source : The Economic Times, Sept 20, 2012 
Posted By  AIPEU _ GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle                                                                                  

Tuesday, September 18, 2012


  1. Project Arrow


Project Arrow is an initiative to transform India Post into a vibrant and responsive organization and to make a visible and positive difference in postal operations to benefit the customers.  It has been launched with objective of modernizing the post and makes visible, tangible and noteworthy differences in the post office operations that matter to “Aam Aadmi”.
In specific terms, Project Arrow entails comprehensive improvement of the core operations of the Post Offices as well as the ambience in which postal transactions are undertaken.  Enhancing the quality of services in ‘core areas’ envisages focus on Mail Delivery, Remittances, Savings Bank and Office service Levels.  This is helping the Department of Posts to emerge as a one-stop shop for retail products and offer a single window facility for banking, money remittances and other financial products and services including social and civic initiatives.  At present Monitoring of performance ‘Core Operations’ is done in 15,584 Post Offices and ‘Look & Feel’ has been improved in 1,843 Post offices.
Project Arrow will benefits Customers through - Direct communication with the outside world and development benefits in rural areas; Simpler and faster Money transactions through instant money order; ‘Local Citizens’ Forums’ formed who decide the performance norms for the respective post offices; Online public grievance handling and Monitoring through Video Conferences ensured sustainability and higher performance.
The Project Arrow experience is a working model for ushering in an integrated and lasting improvement in the postal system and awarded with “Prime ministers’ award for Excellence in Public Administration for 2008-2009” in 2010.
In the future it is proposed to include 3,000 more computerized post offices for monitoring of ‘Core Operations’ under Project Arrow Phase-VI during 2012-13 and later complete all 24,000 computerized Post offices during 12th Plan.
‘Look & Feel’ activity is proposed to be undertaken in 400 more Post offices during the financial year 2012-13 and expand in 2,500 post offices during 12th Plan in addition to existing 1843 post offices.
(PIB Features.)
Posted by: AIPEUGDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle.

Monday, September 17, 2012

  1. Government plans fastest supercomputer by 2017

 (Telecom and IT Minister Kapil Sibal is understood to have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sharing the roadmap to develop "petaflop and exaflop range of supercomputers".)
NEW DELHI: The government has drawn a blueprint for developing the next generation of supercomputers that could be 61 times faster than existing machines.

Telecom and IT Minister Kapil Sibal is understood to have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sharing the roadmap to develop "petaflop and exaflop range of supercomputers" at an estimated cost of Rs 4,700 crore over 5 years.

"In his (Sibal) letter, he has said that C-DAC has developed a proposal with a roadmap to develop a petaflop and exaflop range of supercomputers in the country with an outlay of Rs 4,700 crore," a government official said.

A petaflop is a measure of a computer s processing speed and can be expressed as a thousand trillion floating point operations per second. Exaflop is one quintillion computer operations per second. Simply put, one exaflop is thousand times faster than one petaflop.

The fastest supercomputer in the world, Sequoia, has registered a top computing speed of 16.32 petaflops which is equivalent of computing of power from over 7.8 lakhs high-end laptops put together.

If the Indian government approves building exaflop supercomputers, these will be at least 61 times faster than Sequoia, officials said.

India's top supercomputer at present ranks 58th globally in terms of computing speed.

Sibal has cited the past record of Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) which was set up in 1987 by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi after technologically advanced nations denied supply of supercomputer to India in mid-1980s.

"The Minister has written that C-DAC developed first supercomputers in the country, the PARAM series. Presently Param Yuva with 54 teraflop computing power is serving many researchers through Garuda Computing Grid," the official said.

Sibal has proposed that Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY) should be given tasks to coordinate overall supercomputing activities in the country as it has been done in the past.

The proposal made in the letter says that DEITY should be given tasks to set up a National Apex Committee to oversee the implementation of the proposed Supercomputing Mission and C- DAC should establish peta and exascale supercomputing facilities and development activities. 
Source : The Economic Times, Sept 16, 2012
Posted by:AIPEU GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle.                                                                                    
     
 

Friday, September 7, 2012


Circle Level Sorting Competition of Orissa Circle for the year, 2012
The Circle Level Sorting Competition of Orissa Circle for the year, 2012 will be held on 25.09.2012 at 09.00 hours at PSD building Bhubaneswar .The Postmaster General, Sambalpur Region has been nominated by the Chief PMG, Orissa Circle Bhubaneswar to supervise the Circle Level Sorting Competition, 2012. Posted by:  AIPEU GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle.
GDS RULES SHOULD BE MADE STATUTORY ........


The GDS (Conduct & Employment) rules, 2001 are not statutory and were framed under the belief that the ED Agents are not civil servants within the purview of Article 309 of the Constitution of India.

It appears that till about the year 1935, there were no separate set of Rules to regulate the conduct and discipline of ED Agents. In that year the Director General, Post & Telegraphs department framed rules relating to appointments, penalties and appeals vide DG P&T Circular No.3 dated 16-04-1935.

In the year 1959, however, Extra Departmental Agents were declared as holders of Civil Posts within the purview of Article 309 of the Constitution. Accordingly, in exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to that Article, statutory rules regulating their appointment and conditions were framed and promulgated on 25-07-1959 vide GSR No.890.
The Department of Posts since 1960 continues to hold the view that the Extra Departmental Agents are not holders of Civil Post even after the land mark judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Gokulananda Das’s case decided on 22-04-1977 wherein, it has been categorically held that Extra Departmental Agents are holders of Civil Post.The Central Administrative Tribunal, Ernakulam Bench rejected the argument of the department put forth before them that the ED Agents have been declared as holders of Civil Post for the purpose of protections and safe guard in Article 311 (2) and observed that :-

WE FIND NO WARRANT FOR READING THE RESTRICTION IN TO THE DECLARATION OF LAW IN RAJAMMA’S CASE AND LIMITING IT TO ARTICLE – 311, THE DECLARATION IS THAT EXTRA DEPARTMENTAL AGENTS ARE HOLDERS OF CIVIL POST” – (O.A. No.584/95 decided on 23-01-1996)
The position has been further crystallized by the Supreme Court while holding that Extra Departmental Agents are not workmen attracting the provisions of the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947, it has been reiterated that ED Agents are Civil Servants regulated by these Conduct Rules” – (Civil Appeal No.3385-86 of 1966 decided on 02-02-1996)
The repeated attempt to read Article 311(2) in isolation is entirely misconceived and untenable.
========================================================================
ED SYSTEM - VIOLATIVE OF ARTICLES 14 & 16 OF CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
Articles 14 & 16 strike at arbitrariness in State action and ensure fairness and quality of treatment.
Apparently, ED Agents, who get fixed wages without increments, no leave, no pensionary benefits or social security are being discriminated.

As a result of the above discussion, the Extra Departmental Agents have to be included within the overall class of Civil Servants, being holders of Civil Posts.

They can be grouped as "additional" to the departmental employees but they can not be classified as class apart from the Civil Servants.

At any rate they can not be classified with the sole object of not granting them benefit which accrue to a departmental employee.

The plea taken by the Department before the Second and the Third Pay Commissions and also before the various learned Tribunals that ED Agents are a class apart is entirely misconceived.

It is violative of Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution .

-----Justice Talwar





SAVING SCHEME IN POST OFFICES


The Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology Sh Sachin Pilot informed the Lok Sabhayesterday that the gross deposit of Small Savings Scheme in Post Offices declined in the financial year 2011-12 as compared to the year 2010-11.

The decline of gross deposit in small savings schemes is, among other things, due to investor’s choice of alternative instruments for effecting savings. The Government has taken following measures to make the small saving schemes more attractive:-

1. The rate of interest on Post Office Savings Account (POSA) has been increased from 3.5% to 4%. The ceiling of maximum balance in POSA 1 lakh in single account and 2 lakh in joint account) has been removed.

2. The maturity period for Monthly Income Scheme (MIS) and National Savings Certificate (NSC) has been reduced from 6 years to 5 years.

3. A new NSC instrument, with maturity period of 10 years, has been introduced.

4. The annual ceiling on investment under Public Provident Fund (PPF) Scheme has been increased from ` 70,000 to ` 1lakh.

5. Liquidity of Post Office Time Deposit (POTD) – 1, 2, 3 & 5 years – has been improved by allowing pre-mature withdrawal at a rate of interest 1% less than the time deposits of comparable maturity. For pre-mature withdrawals between 6-12 months of investment, Post Office Savings Account (POSA) rate of interest has been allowed.

6. Central and State Governments take various measures from time to time to promote and popularise small saving scheme through print and electronic media as well as by holding seminars, meetings and providing training to the various agencies involved in mobilising deposits under various small savings schemes. The rate of interest on Small Savings Schemes has been aligned with Government-Security rates of similar maturity with a spread of 25 basis points (bps) in all schemes except 10 Years National Savings Certificates (IX-Issue) and Sr. Citizens Savings Scheme where the spread of 50 bps and 100 bps has been given respectively (100 bps are equal to 1%). Interest rate for every financial year will now be notified before 1st April of that year.

There were 26,01,69,920 number of operational small savings accounts in the Post Offices as on 31.03.2012 and the amount deposited therein upto the end of March 2012 was Rs. 190732.73 crore . 2,84,10,593 accounts were closed by customers during financial year 2011-12. *

BK/AT

(Release ID :87518)(PIB)









DOP SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH SOUTH AFRICA POST F0R EMS SERVICE SERVICE AVAILABLE AT MAJOR POST OFFICES FROM SEPTEMBER 2012

The Department of Posts (DoP) has signed an Agreement with South Africa Post for starting international EMS (Speed Post) service with that country. This agreement signed recently is expected to augment people-to-people contact between the two countries, and foster trade, as EMS is a popular export channel for small and medium enterprises. The EMS service to South Africa will be available at the major post offices from September 2012 onwards.



EMS or Express Mail Service is a premium service that enables its users to send letters, documents and parcels faster with the added facility of being able to track the movement of the item on the internet.
Posted by: AIPEU GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle.