Delhi Government notifies implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations

New Delhi: The Delhi government has notified implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, which provides 2.5 times hike in basic salaries and pensions of its employees and pensioners with effect from January 1.

Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung gave his approval for implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations for Delhi's government employees.

The over one lakh employees of the city administration, will get the increased salaries from next month. The arrears will also be paid in one go next month, a Delhi government official said.

The hike in pensions and salaries will cost the exchequer around Rs 2,000 crore annually. The notification was issued after Lt Governor Najeeb Jung gave his approval for the same, the official said.

The move comes nearly one-and-a-half months after the Centre approved the recommendations of the pay panel.

"Arrears as accruing on account of revised pay consequent upon fixation of pay under CCS (RP) Rules with effect from January 1, 2016 shall be paid in cash in one installment along with the payment of salary for the month of August, 2016, after making necessary adjustment on account of GPF and NPS, as applicable, in view of the revised pay," Deputy Secretary Manoj Kumar said in a written communication to head of all departments.

As per the the new scales of pay, the basic salary at entry-level is going up from Rs 7,000 per month to Rs 18,000, while at the highest level i.e. secretary, it would go up from Rs 90,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh. For class one officers,the starting salary will be Rs 56,100.

PTI

Central Government employees unions ‘defer’ indefinite strike on 7th pay commission

New Delhi: Central government employees' unions today deferred by four months their proposed indefinite strike from July 11 against 7th pay panel's recommendations after government agreed to set up a high-level committee to look into their grievances.

"We have decided to defer our indefinite strike by four months against pay commission's recommendations as government today assured us it would resolve the issues raised by us and refer them to a high-level committee," the convenor NJCA Shiv Gopal Mishra told PTI.

"We have decided to defer our indefinite strike by four months against pay commission's recommendations as government today assured us it would resolve the issues raised by us and refer them to a high-level committee," the convenor of National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) of central government employees' unions Shiv Gopal Mishra told PTI.

The government decided to set up a high-level committee after the representatives of the unions met Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day.

The committee will look into issues raised by various unions of central government employees involving pay scales and other recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

The NJCA is an umbrella organisation of various Central Government employees' unions, including Railways, post and telegraph and defence.

Mishra said, "We have been assured by the government that it will resolve the issues shortly. In view of the assurance, we have decided to defer the strike for four months."

"A new high-level committee will soon be set up to look into the grievances raised by the employee unions," a top government official told PTI.

Expressing dissatisfaction over various recommendations of the Pay Commission, various central government employees' unions had threatened to go on an indeifinite strike from July 11.

PTI

Unions leaders meet HM, Government to set up high-level committee to look into demands on 7th Pay Commission

New Delhi: A high-level committee will soon be set up to look into issues raised by various unions of central government employees on pay scales and other recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

Representatives of various unions met Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day for deliberations over their concerns after which the government termed the talks as "positive".

"A new high-level committee will soon be set up to look into the grievances raised by the employee unions," a top government official told PTI.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the recommendations of the Pay Commission, various central government employees' unions have threatened to go on an indeifinite strike from July 11.

Earlier in the day, representatives of various unions met Home Minister Rajnath Singh for deliberations over their concerns after which the government termed the talks as "positive".

Today's was the second meeting the employees' unions had with the government on the issue. Earlier, they had met the Group of Ministers chaired by Singh on June 30. The GoM includes Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.

The Unions had asked the government to set up a committee to look into issues raised by them in relation to the pay scales and other recommendations of the Pay Commission.

"The Ministers assured the Union leaders that the issues raised by them would be considered by a High Level Committee," the Finance ministry said in a statement late in the evening.

The National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) of central government employees' unions including Railways, Post and Telegraph and Defence have announced an indefinite strike from July 11 against the "unilateral" announcement of the Central government on implementation of 7th Pay Commission's awards.

A number of employees' unions have extended support to the proposed strike call by NJCA.

The unions have said the recommended pay hike was the lowest in the last 70 years. They have also accused the government of announcing the awards "unilaterally" without any consultation with them.

The Central Trade Unions will be meeting tomorrow to chalk out an action plan and express their solidarity with the government employees.

RSS affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and other trade unions have rejected the recommendations, contending that it would increase disparity between the minimum and maximum pay.

Maintaining that the government has "disappointed" the employees, BMS has announced country-wide protests on July 8 against the decision and warned implementation of the 7th pay commission's recommendations may lead to industrial unrest.

PTI

Government faces 7th Pay Commission’s pay gap problem by Ila Choudhary

New Delhi: The Modi government’s decision to accord the 7th Pay Commission recommendation to hike salaries and allowances for central government employees has met with strong resistance from central government employees' trade unions, including the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS).

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday met with representatives of central government employees unions at Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s house.

The Union Cabinet approved the recommendations made by the 7th pay commission on June 29, which is likely to see a higher increase in the basic pay by average 14.29 percent, which is the lowest in 70 years.

The minimum monthly pay has been increased from Rs 7000 to Rs 18,000.

The central government employees Unions leaders on the same day said the approved hike was lowest in many decades and were not in sync with inflation. They also said it is “totally disappointing and beats logic”.

Accordingly, they rejected the 7th Pay Commission approved by the government and threatened to go on indefinite strike from 6 am, 11 July.

The central government employees unions have been demanding Rs 26,000 as minimum pay instead of Rs 18,000 approved by the government based on the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations.

“Now, Basic pay Rs 7,000 plus dearness allowance (DA) Rs 8,750 makes the minimum wage Rs.15,750. They have increased it to Rs.18,000,” a central government employees' union leader said.

“When you are doing away with DA in the new system, the hike may be just Rs.2,250,” another union leader said.

Under pressure from the unions, the government has indicated that it may increase the minimum pay of central government employees beyond the Rs.18,000 suggested by the 7th Pay Commission, seeking to defuse a strike threat.

Acoordingly, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley met with representatives of central government employees unions at Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s house for two hours till 11pm, a day after the cabinet cleared 7th Pay Commission award for its employees.

Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu and Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha attended the meeting and assured unions leaders of central government employees that their demand would be looked into.

“The ministers called us and we have been assured that the minimum pay issue is going to be referred to one of two committees that the government is setting up to rectify any anomalies in the pay commission recommendation implementation,” Shiv Gopal Mishra, General Secretary of the National Joint Council Action (NJCA), a confederation of 3.3 million government employees, told reporters after the meeting.

The increasing the minimum pay will change the salary fitment factor. If the minimum pay is hiked from Rs.18,000 to even Rs.25,000, the fitment factor will be higher than the 2.57 times approved by the government based on the pay commission recommendations.

If the 2.57 fitment formula is tinkered with, then salary and pension in general for all central government employees will go up.

The Cabinet ditto with the 7h Pay Commission recommendations, the commission recommended for raising minimum pay to Rs 18,000 per month from current Rs 7,000 while the maximum pay, drawn by the Cabinet Secretary, was recommended Rs 2.5 lakh per month from current Rs 90,000. For the Secretaries it was recommended at Rs 2.25 lakh as against Rs 80,000 currently.

All pay commissions made up pay gap between lower paid employees and top officers from second Pay Commission 1:41 ratio to Sixth pay commission 1:12.

The first pay commission was recommended pay of the top bureaucrats 41 times higher than the government employees at the bottom. The top bureaucrats were given salary Rs 2,263 while the lowest earning employees got Rs 55.

Subsequent pay commissions reduced the ratio of pay between lowest earning employees and top bureaucrats from 1:41 in 1947 to about 1:12 in 2006.

The 7h Pay Commission increased the pay gap between the minimum and maximum from existing 1:12 to 1:13.8

The pay gap increases employee’s turnover and work-related illness, with all the associated economic consequences.

The bureaucrats with high pay are generally happier, healthier and a better place to live for almost everyone in them compare to the lower earning employees.

A pay gap is calculated as the ratio of the pay of the highest paid employee of an organisation to the pay of the average or lowest paid employee in that organisation.

Speculations were rife that the central government employees unions may defer the July 11 indefinite strike after government heeded to their demand of increasing minimum pay to over Rs 25,000 from Rs 18,000 fixed after considering the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

Under the fitment formula, the government multiplied the minimum wage of Rs 7,000 fixed in the last pay commission with 2.57 and arrived at a minimum pay of Rs 18,000 per month.

The employees are demanding for the fitment formula of 3.68, which will result in minimum monthly pay of Rs 25,760.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has already promised to consider to hike the minimum pay of central government employees beyond Rs 18,000.

TST

Government slashes prices of 42 medicines, including those for TB, cancer, heart disease by 15%

New Delhi: The government on Monday capped the prices of 42 essential medicines used in treatment of various ailments including tuberculosis, cancer and cardiac diseases, thereby, reducing their cost by up to 15 percent.

Doctor discusses about heart disease medicines with patient.

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), drug price regulator, in a notification on its website said it has fixed or revised ceiling prices of 45 scheduled formulations of Schedule-I under Drugs (Price Control) Amendment Order, 2016.

NPPA said manufacturers not complying with the ceiling price would be liable to deposit the overcharged amount along with interest.

The government fixes the prices of essential drugs based on the simple average of all medicines in a particular therapeutic segment, having sales of more than one percent.

ANI

PM Modi lauds retired Government employee for donating one-third pension to Swachh Bharat Kosh

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded retired government employee Chandrakant Kulkarni for donating one-third of his pension to the Swachh Bharat Kosh.

"Retired government employee Chandrakant Kulkarni is giving almost a third of his pension for Swachh Bharat,” PM Modi said in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme.

"A retired government employee giving almost a third of his pension for a Swachh Bharat. What can be a greater inspiration?" he said while addressing the nation in the 21st edition of his 'Mann Ki Baat' programme.

Kulkarni yesterday presented 52 post-dated cheques, worth Rs. 2,60,000 towards the Swachh Bharat Kosh to Prime Minister Modi during the latter's visit to Pune.

Kulkarni donated almost a third of his pension from June 2015 to Sept 2019 to the Swachh Bharat Kosh.

The Swachh Bharat Kosh has been set up by the government to facilitate channelization of philanthropic contributions and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds towards the Clean India Campaign as individuals and philanthropists expressed interest in contributing to efforts to achieve the objective of ' Swachh Bharat' by the year 2019.

ANI

Government to keep 7th Pay Commission award in ‘abeyance’ due to Brexit

New Delhi: The government is likely to keep 7th Pay Commission award in "abeyance" on account of following increased volatility in the markets as a result of Brexit.

Brexit could impact on 7th Pay Commission award for 4.8 million central government employees and 5.2 million pensioners.

"The process of 7th Pay Commission award, which is likely to be implemented within two months, which will be kept in abeyance on account of following increased volatility in the markets as a result of Brexit," A Finance Ministry top official told The Sen Times on Friday on condition of anonymity.

He further said "the issue of increased volatility in the markets as a result of Britain’s exit from the European Union may compel the government to keep in abeyance the 7th Pay Commission award as the market would take 4-5 months to get stabilized. However the government wants to implement the 7th Pay Commission award speedily...in a time bound manner."

Fearing a steep jump in inflation, Finance Ministry is likely to scale down the the proposal of the Empowered Committee of Secretaries headed by cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, who is proceeding the 7th Pay Commission report, he added.

The Empowered Committee of Secretaries recommended a 30 per cent increase in the central government employees’ basic pay and minimum basic pay to Rs 24,000 per month and the maximum basic pay Rs 2,70,000.

They also recommended for doubling of existing rates of allowances and advances, which had been recommended for abolition by 7th Pay Commission like risk allowance, small family allowance, festival advance, motor cycle advance.

The 7th Pay Commission headed by Justice A K Mathur had suggested a maximum basic pay of Rs 2,50,000 and a minimum of Rs 18,000.

The basic pay and pension for 4.8 million central government employees and 5.2 million central pensioners will have retroactive effect from January 1, 2016, but the allowances would be paid from the implemented date of 7th Pay Commission.

Implementation of 7th Pay Commission award is estimated to put an additional burden of Rs 1.02 lakh crore, or 0.7 per cent of GDP, on the exchequer in 2016-17.

TST

7th Pay Commission review panel findings not binding on Government , says Finance Ministry

New Delhi: The Finance Ministry is to make clear that government is not bound by the findings of the Empowered Committee of Secretaries on 7th Pay Commission's recommendations.

Arun Jatley, Union Finance Minister, will give the government’s formal response to the Empowered Committee of Secretaries.

The Government will not necessarily be bound by the findings of the Empowered Committee of Secretaries on 7th Pay Commission for central government employees, the Finance Ministry official involved with the process of pay hike told The Sen Times on condition of anonymity.

Amid a growing expectation that the Empowered Committee of Secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha will recommend 30 per cent hike in salaries of central government employees, that would take the minimum basic monthly pay to Rs 23,500 and the maximum to Rs 3,25,000, while government is set to cut the salary for the higher rungs and increase that for the lower grades to add a populist hue, accordingly source stressed that government would make its own decision.

“The Empowered Committee will make its proposal,” source said. “government will make the decision.”

He said it is vital for government to increase the pay of lower grade employees to enjoy growing popularity in central government employees.

Arun Jatley, Union Finance Minister, will give the government’s formal response to the Empowered Committee of Secretaries, which is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, after receiving its findings from their another two meetings.

The government may welcome the Empowered Committee report but the cabinet will take its own decision, the source said.

The Prime Minister's office (PMO) told the Empowered Committee that the salaries of employees in the lower rungs should rise by he highest percentage.

The government decided to give highest percentage salary rise to bottom grades employees and pay parity ratio of mid-level tier officers will be maintained with the bottom grade, source added.

Earlier, all pay commissions had not only recommended for good salary to top central government officials but also considered the disparity ratio between its highest and lowest paid employees.

For instance, in 1948, the salary of the highest paid government official was Rs 2,263 which was 41 times higher than the Rs 55 paid to the lowest earning employee. With subsequent pay commissions the ratio was reduced to about 1:12 in 2006.

The 7th Pay Commission headed by Justice A K Mathur recommended the highest basic salary at Rs 250,000 and the lowest at Rs 18,000 and its increased the pay ratio between the minimum and maximum from existing 1:12 to 1:13.

TST

Government doctors meet FM for resolving pay anomalies of 7th Pay Commission report

New Delhi: Government doctors have met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and urged to him to resolve their pay anomalies before implementing the 7th Pay Commission report.

Government doctors met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday for removal of pay anomalies of the 7th Pay Commission report.

Representatives of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) and JACSDO (Joint Action Council of Service Doctor Organisation) met Jaitley on Monday and put forward their demands saying, the report is "discriminating to doctors".

"The Minister listened to our issues patiently and attentively. He was appraised especially for NPA issue. He showed his concern about our salary being relatively reduced by 7th CPC.

"He assured us that our representation is being directed to Secretary Expenditure for re-evaluation. He also assured, if any concern still remains pending in the matter of NPA (and other issues), it shall be scrutinised and considered by forthcoming 'Anomalies Committee' which shall be appointed hereafter," said FORDA in a statement issued on Tuesday.

FORDA and JACSDO have strongly been opposing the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission and have written to the Prime Minister and Health Minister.

"When the 7th CPC was constituted we doctors were very hopeful that our demands will be looked after, which is increasing Non-Practising Allowance (NPA) to 40 per cent from existent 25 per cent, instead it has been reduced to 20 per cent.

"The basic pay and NPA were merged together while calculating House Rental Allowance (HRA) earlier, but this has now been omitted and HRA will be calculated only with basic pay resulting in less than the desired salary," said FORDA President Dr Pankaj Solanki.

The doctor's body also demanded uniform pay scales, night shift allowances which currently exists for nursing staff in government hospitals and the formulation of a uniform central residency scheme for the resident doctors of India.

FORDA is an umbrella organisation of 15,000 resident doctors across 41 government hospitals in the capital.

JACSDO represents 11 organised and unorganised Central Health Services (CHS), Indian Railway Medical Services (IRMS), Indian Ordinance Health Services (IOHS), MCD, NDMC, Delhi administration and ESIC.

Inputs with PTI

Find your loss, due to delayed 7CPC Implementation?

Find your loss, due to delayed 7CPC Implementation? In continuation towards our effort of providing our readers with effective tools and calculator based on 7th CPC recommendation wherein we were the first site to release the online 7th CPC Calculator with all the below benefits. • 7th CPC Pay Calculator • 7th CPC Pay Calculator (Including Bunching Benefit) • 7th CPC Arrears Benefit Calculator • 7th CPC Missing Benefit Calculator (due to delayed Implementation) In line with this, we have included the feature “Missing Benefit Calculator due to delayed 7th CPC Implementation” in the 7th CPC Calculator. Use this feature to find out how much you are losing out money due to delayed implementation of 7th CPC?
Click here to Find your missing benefits?
Do note, we have included only two allowances which is (TA + HRA) while calculating the “Missing Benefit Calculator” Central Government Union Leaders are fighting for our rights to get the loss value and hope this request is accommodated while 7th CPC is implemented.  Though we all expected a non arrears Pay Commission, but looks like we are heading towards arrears based implementation. Did you know?
GOVTEMPDIARY – Was the first site to provide readers with “7th CPC Online Calculator”

Publicise all govt vacancies: Centre tells ministries

New Delhi: All central government vacancies must be publicised countrywide through local employment exchanges and 'Employment News' newspaper among others, the Centre said today.

DoPT Secretary Sanjay Kothari

The decision assumes significance as over two lakh posts are estimated to be created by the central government in its various departments by 2017.

Citing the instructions it had issue earlier, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said all vacancies to be filled on regular basis, except those which fall within the purview of Union Public Service Commission and Staff Selection Commission, are to be notified in the local employment exchange or central employment exchange.

"In addition to the reporting of the vacancies to the local employment exchange or central employment exchange, it has been stipulated that the vacancies should be given wide publicity on an all India basis," it said.

In this regard, it was advised that the advertisement should be placed in the Employment News or 'Rozgar Samachar' published by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Such recruitment notices are also to be displayed on the office notice board.

It has been decided that an advertisement of vacancies may also be put at the National Career Service (NCS) portal of Ministry of Labour and Employment, which has been developed primarily to connect the opportunities with the aspiration of the youth, DoPT said in an order issued to all the secretaries of the central government's ministries.

The central government has projected in the budget estimates for 2016-17 an increase of about 2.18 lakh in the existing workforce of 33.05 lakh (as in 2015) by 2017.

The Centre has been striving to create more jobs in the country. It had recently decided that all proposals seeking approval of appraisal bodies like Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and Core Group on Disinvestment need to mandatorily mention "employment generation potential".

PTI

Govt to promote Hindi in central government offices

New Delhi: In a bid to promote the use of the Hindi language, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the use of Hindi would be encouraged in central government offices, and in North East and South India to make the language more popular.

Minister of State for Personnel Singh said the move does not aim to impose Hindi.

Chairing a meeting of Hindi Advisory Committee, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that, in spite of government's emphasis on increased use of Hindi in official work, still a lot needs to be done in this direction.

Singh said that Hindi has the capacity to serve not only as a common medium of communication for whole country, but it also carries high stakes for youngsters who aspire for jobs in corporate sector and multi-national companies where knowledge of Hindi is given an additional weightage during selection.

Friday's meeting was held with the motive to promote the use of Hindi language in central administration.

Minister of State for Personnel Singh said the move does not aim to impose Hindi, but to inspire voluntary adoption of the language in the larger interests of administration and ease of governance.

Inputs with PTI

FinMin seeks free access to PNR details for all depts to curb LTC fraud

New Delhi: The Finance Ministry sought all ministries and departments to have free access to the Indian Railways' passenger reservation data to check widespread fraud in Leave Travel Concession (LTC) and Travel Allowance (TA) claims made by central government employees.

Finance Ministry wrote to Railway Board Chairman A K Mittal about the problem with fraud LTC and TA claims.

In a letter addressed to Railway Board chairman A K Mittal, a Joint Secretary in the Finance Ministry, Annie George Mathew, has written that submission of bogus or forged rail tickets with LTC/TA claims was a common problem faced by the government.

Mathew requested the Railways to consider giving access to Passenger Name Record or PNR-related information to ministries and departments free of cost "in the overall interest of transparency and corruption-free government".

The development follows an audit report and subsequent letter from Additional Controller General of Defence Accounts (A-CGDA) A K Saxena, who found that 3,500 LTC and TA claims made by Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel, including 400 officers up to the rank of Air Commodore, were fake.

Saxena's report estimates the total fraud over the past five years to be around Rs 350 crore. Individually, the amounts seem petty but the fraud could affect promotions of several high-ranking officers as the auditor has recommended strict action against them.

The letters and the audit report of the Dehra Dun-based Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA) have been reviewed by the media like The Economic Times.

Saxena had earlier written to the railways seeking access to passenger records, but the national transporter had demandedRs 750 per PNR for the information.

It would cost CGDA about Rs 12.5 crore per year just to verify the PNRs of the 1.5 lakh LTC and TA claims it audits annually.

Now the Finance Ministry has sought free access to the information for all ministries and departments.The PCDA audit had found that in many cases tickets presented for reimbursement were fake and hotel bills were inflated or bogus.

In some cases where IAF officers took flights, they forged the signatures of the under-secretary of the civil aviation ministry. The ministry's approval is mandatory when officers fly airlines other than Air India.

Some people digitally altered the amounts on the tickets to show a higher fare than they actually paid. The auditors suspect there could be an organised racket, considering "the widespread forgery across all commands, involvement of large number of personnel from accounts branch, uniformity in methodology and use of information technology".

Inputs with ET

7th Pay Commission: Central Govt Employees Confederation want 7CPC implementation soon

New Delhi, May 27:  With a new development coming almost everyday on the Seventh Pay Commission, the central government employees are getting more ardent day by day.
Demanding fast implementation of the seventh pay commission recommendations, in Thiruvananthapuram, the Central Government Employees' Confederation has said that the same should be implemented speedily.
According to a The Hindu report, "A press note issued here said the recommendations of the pay commission, which are beneficial to 50 lakh Central government employees and 30 lakh pensioners, ought to have been implemented with effect from January 1, 2016." The recommendations, which have come after a gap of 10 years, should be implemented immediately with necessary amendments, the confederation further said in the press release. Earlier, the central government employees had also said that they are planning to strike work on July 11 so that they get higher wages and allowances under the 7th Pay Commission. OneIndia News

Govt making efforts to unearth black money: Jaitley

New Delhi: Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre is making all-out efforts to unearth black money stashed in offshore accounts.

Centre is making all-out efforts to unearth black money stashed in offshore accounts, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says at a mega event 'Ek Nayi Subah'.

Speaking at a mega event 'Ek Nayi Subah' in the national capital to celebrate NDA government's completion of two years in office, Jaitley said the government has launched a massive crackdown on parallel economies.

"The Indian economy can grow at the rate of 8-9 percent in the years to come. For first time in history, India is growing at a pace no other country can match. Never in the history has any government taken so many steps which NDA has taken in two years," he added.

Emphasising the need for uniform taxation system, Jaitley said the government has made direct tax system simpler and put in place redressal mechanism.

"The rural economy will grow if there is a good monsoon and resources should be pumped in rural areas due to which overall economy will grow. The government has provided the road connectivity in seven lakh villages in the country," he added.

The Finance Minister also said the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has been launched to benefit millions of farmers of the country.

Earlier, Minister of state for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said every youth in India has immense potential and what they need are opportunities.

Mega film star Amitabh Bachchan strongly advocated his opinion on 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', the much ambitious scheme of the government to save girl child.

Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many of his ministerial colleagues are scheduled to attend the event at India Gate.

The government completed two years in office on Thursday and it has launched a series of events to highlight the achievements of the government.

A number of film-stars including Priyanka Chopra, Vidya Balan, Anil Kapur and Prasun Joshi are expected to attend the event.

ANI

Nearly two-thirds of people give a thumbs up to Modi govt: Survey

New Delhi: Two years into its term, the Narendra Modi government has been rated by 62 per cent of metropolitan Indians as having done a good or very good job in a survey done exclusively for The Times of India. That's a touch lower than the 67 per cent who voiced the same opinion a year ago. PM Narendra Modi himself was perceived by nearly half the respondents to the survey as a strong leader. Meanwhile, the proportion of those saying it has done a poor or very poor job has risen from 9 per cent to 16 per cent. Modi himself was perceived by nearly half the respondents to the survey (47 per cent) as a strong leader with intent who was being handicapped in delivering on that intent by those around him, a perception that could explain the slightly lower ratings. This also fits in with the finding that just over half (51%) felt that the strength of Brand Modi had eroded since 2014, though about one in five felt it had actually become stronger. As was the case a year ago, the Swachh Bharat programme remains the most popular of the various initiatives launched by this gover nment, with 42 per cent picking it as the best. Make In India came in a distant second at 13 per cent. The failure to create enough jobs was seen as the government's biggest failing with 43 per cent choosing this. Interestingly , the next biggest failing was seen as an overly confrontationist attitude towards the opposition.
Responses to the government's performance on two related areas - black money and corruption - were interestingly different. The government was perceived by just over a quarter of the respondents as having reduced corruption. About 40 per cent said it had made no difference and 23% felt corruption had in fact worsened. On black money, however, there is a less sceptical view that came across. While 40 per cent said the government had not kept its promise on black money, a little over a third felt a good beginning had been made and 15 per cent suggested that the promise had been fully kept. More than two-thirds of those polled approved of the government's foreign policy initiatives and over three-fourths felt the Pakistan policy was either courageous or realistic. Barely one in five expressed the opinion that it was blinkered by ideology. The China policy had similar approval ratings. Less than half of the respondents were willing to give the government any or all of the credit for inflation coming down. About 24 per cent said government efforts had kept prices in check and another 22% said both international factors and government efforts had played a part. About 35 per cent said it was entirely due to international factors and one in five insisted that inflation hadn't come down at all. The expectations from the government in its third year not surprisingly mirror these perceptions with job creation emerging as the top priority , followed by tackling farmers' woes, curbing inflation and boosting the economy . The survey was conducted by IPSOS, a global market research company in India's eight biggest cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad. The 1,348 people polled were aged 18 to 45 and from socio-economic categories (SEC) A and B. There were as many men as women in the sample.

TNN

The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Act, 2015

The Gazette of India
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II — Section 1

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY

No. 6] NEW DELHI, FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016/PAUSHA 11, 1937 (SAKA)

Separate paging is given to this Part in order that it may be filed as a separate compilation.

MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE
(Legislative Department)

New Delhi, the 1st January, 2016/Pausha 11, 1937 (Saka)

THE PAYMENT OF BONUS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2015
NO. 6 OF 2016

[31st December, 2015.]

An Act further to amend the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965.

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Sixty-sixth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—

1. (1) This Act may be called the Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Act, 2015.

(2) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 1st day of April, 2014.

2. In section 2 of the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), in clause (13), for the words “ten thousand rupees”, the words “twenty-one thousand rupees” shall be substituted.

3. In section 12 of the principal Act,—

(i) for the words “three thousand and five hundred rupees” at both the places where they occur, the words “seven thousand rupees or the minimum wage for the scheduled employment, as fixed by the appropriate Government, whichever is higher” shall respectively be substituted;

(ii) the following Explanation shall be inserted at the end, namely:—

‘Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, the expression “scheduled employment” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (g) of section 2 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.’.

4. In section 38 of the principal Act, for sub-section (1), the following sub-section shall be substituted, namely:—

“(1) The Central Government may, subject to the condition of previous publication, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules to carry out the provisions of this Act.”

DR. G. NARAYANA RAJU,
Secretary to the Govt. of India

Signed copy

No more Affidavits, Interviews for Government Jobs

No more Affidavits, Interviews for Government Jobs – “The most revolutionary and path breaking decision is abolition of attestation of certificates by gazetted officers instead promoting self-attestation.”

.”

Path-breaking initiatives like discontinuation of affidavits for host of government services and ending job interviews for various posts from January 1 among other initiatives kept the Ministry of Personnel in news during 2015.

 

“The most revolutionary and path-breaking decision is abolition of attestation of certificates by gazetted officers instead promoting self-attestation,” Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh told PTI.

He said the government took this decision as it was willing to trust citizens, more importantly it’s youth who will not give wrong information while submitting self-attested documents.

This decision has come as a big relief to common people, especially those living in rural areas, who had to take lot of pain in getting documents attested.

The Ministry also recently discontinued the practice of submission of affidavit by the family members of deceased government employees for the appointment on compassionate grounds.

Now people are required to submit self-declaration at the time of applying for compassionate appointment. All states and union territories have also been asked by the Centre to do away with practice of getting gazetted officer-signed affidavit and seek self-attestation.

“We have decided that from January 1, next year, the process of interview for Group C and D recruitments will be abolished,” he said, adding that these are some steps which nobody thought of in past over 60 years after country’s independence.

Singh said the Ministry which is held by the Prime Minister started several measures to increase transparency and simplify governance.

“We have started the process of simplification of various application forms being used in the government. We are converting multi-page application forms into one-page,” the Minister said.

Talking about other initiatives, he said a pension portal has been started. “Those who are getting superannuated can check the status of their pension online. They can also check pension payment orders online,” Singh said.

He said out of 6.5 lakh public grievances received by his ministry during the year, 4.8 lakh were disposed of.

“The ministry will continue to work towards simplifying governance,” Singh said.

In another novel initiative, the ministry started yoga camps for the central government employees and their dependents.

Besides, it exempted the parents of differently-abled children from the mandatory transfers so that they can take proper care of them.

The scheme of interaction of officers with school students has been launched in which the officers of government of India visit schools and share their experiences with the students.

As a pilot project, senior officers of Department of Personnel and Training have visited kendriya vidyalayas in Delhi and interacted with the students.

For the first time in the history of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the officers of 2013 batch were posted as assistant secretary in the Central Secretariat for a period of three months.

In order to crack a whip on non-performing bureaucrats, it has started assessing the performance of employees. The government has asked all its departments to identify such public servants and move proposals for their premature retirement.

The Personnel Ministry has formed rules to check unauthorised stay on foreign postings by IAS, IPS and IFS officers.

[ Financial Express ]

Don’t Use Google Translate – Maharashtra Govt Notifies its Employees

Don’t Use Google Translate – In the state too, it had served as a handy tool for many government employees for its time-saving and ease-of-use features.

It’s official now. Google is not the answer to everything under the sun. Not, at least, in Maharashtra.

The BJP-led government in the state has barred its officers and employees from using Google’s popular translation tool for rendering official documents in other languages.

The ban, imposed through an official notification on Monday, comes in the wake of a major embarrassment to the state government over a faulty translation of a circular for imposing sedition charges.

The circular issued on August 27, 2015, had sparked a controversy owing to its conditions required for initiating action against a person under section 124 A of Indian Penal Code (IPC) which deals with sedition.

The Devendra Fadnavis-led government, which admitted to mistakes in the Marathi version, later withdrew the circular.

On Monday, the state Information Technology department issued a Government Resolution (GR) asking all the government departments not to use google translator facility — www.translate.google.com — for translation purpose.

“The concerned person will be held responsible for the content of the government resolution and circular uploaded on the government’s official website,” the GR pointed out.

It also said that the concerned person should be very careful while making changes or translating content of the government resolutions or circulars. Also, the same should be certified (by superiors) before uploading on the government website.

Though used by millions of users worldwide, Google’s tool is known to occasionally throw up incoherent answers, mainly due to literal translation of the words.

In the state too, it had served as a handy tool for many government employees for its time-saving and ease-of-use features.

Besides the bar, the government order has also decided to hold responsible the concerned officials for any mistake in the contents of government resolutions and circulars uploaded on the official website of the state henceforth.

[ Hindustan Times ]

PERFORM OR PERISH- ALL MINISTRIES SHOULD REMOVE DEAD WOOD

Strengthening of Administration – Premature retirement of Railway servants – Periodical review

Railway Board has issued a communication to all the General Managers of Indian Railways regarding the guidelines to be followed on premature retirement of Railway employees.

 

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(RAILWAY BOARD)

RBE No.143/2015

No. E(P&A)I-2015/RT-38

New Delhi dated 10/12-11-2015.

The General Managers,

All Indian Railways.

 

Sub:- Strengthening of Administration – Premature retirement of Railway servants – Periodical review under rule 1802 (a)/ 1803 (a)/ 1804 (a) – R- II, 1987 edition – Regarding.

 

DOP&T vide their OM No. 25013/1/2013-Estt (A) dated 21.03.2014 and 25013/01/2013-Estt.A-IV dated 11.09.2015

 

have reiterated the instructions on Compulsory Retirement under FR 56(1), 560) or Rule 48(1) (b) of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 with a view to improve efficiency and strengthening of the administrative machinery at all levels.

 

They have asked to follow these instructions strictly and to review the performance of Govt. servants periodically with a view to ascertain whether the Government servant should be retained in service or retired from service in the public interest. Provisions in this regard are contained in FR 56(j), 56(I) or Rule 48(1) (b) of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972. The corresponding rules in railways are Rule 1802 (a)/1803 (a)/1804 (a) of IREC, Vol-II, 1987 edition.

 

2. DOP&T has also drawn attention to the observation made by Hon’ble Supreme Court in State of Gujarat Vs Umedbhai M. Patel, 2001 (3) SCC 314, which are as follows:

 

(i) Whenever the services of a public servant are no longer useful to the general administration, the officer can be compulsorily retired for the sake of public interest.

 

(ii) Ordinarily, the order of compulsory retirement is not to be treated as a punishment coming under Article 311 of the Constitution.

(iii) “For better administration, it is necessary to chop off dead wood, but the order of compulsorily retirement can be passed after having due regard to the entire service record of the officers.”

 

(iv) Any adverse entries made in the confidential record shall be taken note of and be given due weightage in passing such order.

 

(v) Even un-communicated entries in the confidential record can also be taken into consideration.

 

(vi) The order of compulsory retirement shall not be passed as a short cut to avoid Departmental enquiry when such course is more desirable.

 

(vii) If the officer was given a promotion despite adverse entries made in the confidential record, that is a fact in favour of the officer,

 

(viii) Compulsory retirement shall not be imposed as a punitive measure.

 

3. In order to ensure that the power, conferred on the authorities empowered to retire a railway employee prematurely is exercised fairly and impartially and not arbitrarily, consolidated instructions relating to premature retirement of railway servants with a view to strengthening of administration were issued under the Board’s letter No. E(P&A)I-77/RT-53 dated 15.11.1979. These guidelines have, however, not been adequately followed by the Appointing Authorities. With the Government’s commitment to provide clean administration, it is essential that the power for premature retirement in public interest is availed of to weed out all those employees whose integrity is doubtful, with due regard to the appropriate procedure laid down for action for premature retirement.

 

4. The entire service records should be considered in every review. Here Service record will take in all relevant records viz. ACR/APAR dossier along with personal file of the officer containing valuable material. Similarly, the work and performance of the officer could also be assessed by looking into files dealt with by him or in any papers or reports prepared and submitted by him. All these data along with a comprehensive brief should be prepared for consideration by the Review Committee. Even un-communicated remarks in the ACRs/APARs may be taken into consideration also.

 

 

 

 

In case of those officers who have been promoted during the last five years, the previous entries in the ACRs may be taken into account if the officer was promoted on the basis of seniority cum fitness, and not on the basis of merit.

 

5. As far as integrity is considered, the following observations of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, while upholding compulsory retirement in the case of S. Ramachandra Raju Vs State of Orissa, may be kept in view:-

 

“The officer would live by reputation built around him. In an appropriate case, there may not be sufficient evidence to take punitive disciplinary action of removal from service. But his conduct and reputation is such that his continuance in services would be a menace to public service and injurious to public interest.”

 

Thus while considering integrity of an employee, actions or decisions taken by the employee which do not appear to be above board, complaints received against him, or suspicious property transactions, for which there may not be sufficient evidence to initiate departmental proceedings, may be taken into account. Judgment of the Apex Court in the case of Shri K. Kandaswamy, I.P.S (TN:1966) in K. Kandaswamy vs Union Of India & Anr, 1996 AIR 277, 1995 SCC (6) 162 is relevant here. There were persistent reports of Shri Kandaswamy acquiring large assets and of his getting money from his subordinates. He also indulged in property transactions which gave rise to suspicion about his bonafides. The Hon’ble Supreme Court upheld his compulsory retirement under provisions of the relevant Rules.

 

6. Similarly, reports of conduct unbecoming of a Government servant may also form basis for compulsory retirement. As per the Hon’ble Supreme Court in State of UP And Others vs Vijay Kumar Jain, Appeal (Civil) 2083 of 2002:-

 

“If conduct of a government employee becomes unbecoming to the public interest or obstructs the efficiency in public services, the government has an absolute right to compulsorily retire such an employee in public interest.”

 

7. Further, CVO in the case of gazetted officers, or his representative in the case of non-gazetted officers, will be associated in case of record reflecting adversely on the integrity of any employee.

 

8. In addition to above, internal committees may be constituted to assist the Review Committees in reviewing the cases. These Committees will ensure that the service record of the employees being reviewed, along with a summary bringing out all relevant information, is submitted to the Cadre Authorities at least three months before the due date of review.

 

9. In view of DOP&T’s present guidelines, the Board’s letters No. E(P&A)I-77/RT-53 dated 15.11.1979 and E(P&A)I-87/RT-4 dated 17.10.89 containing the provisions on Premature Retirement under Rule 1802 (a)/1803(a)/1804(a) – IREC, Vol-II, 1987 edition are enclosed for guidance. In addition to this, instructions issued by Board from time to time on the subject may also be linked while deciding such matters. Further, all Zonal railways are requested to follow the above instructions and periodically review the cases of railway servants as required under Rule 1802 (a)/1803(a)/1804(a) – IREC, Vol. II, 1987 edition. The quarterly data in enclosed proforma in respect of reviewing the cases of retirement under the aforesaid provisions during the period from 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2015 may be furnished immediately.

 

10. As per the latest guidelines of DOPcSiT’s OM dated 21.03.2014, para II 3 (c) (d) of the Board’s enclosed letter dated 15.11.1979 should be read as under:

 

“(c) While the entire service record of an officer should be considered at the time of review, no employee should ordinarily be retired on grounds of ineffectiveness if his/ her service during the preceding 5 years or where he/she has been promoted to a higher post during that 5 year period, his/her service in the highest post, has been found satisfactory.

Consideration is ordinarily to be confined to the preceding 5 years or to the period in the higher post in case of promotion within the period of 5 years, if compulsory retirement is sought to be made on grounds of ineffectiveness. There is no such stipulation, however where the employees is to be retired on grounds of doubtful integrity.”

 

“(d) No employee should ordinarily be retired on ground of ineffectiveness, if, in any event, he/she would be retiring on superannuation within a period of one year from the date of consideration of his/ her case.

 

Ordinarily no employee should be retired on grounds of ineffectiveness if he is retiring on superannuation within a period of One year from the date of consideration of the case. It is clarified that in a case where there is a sudden and steep fall in the competence, efficiency or effectiveness of an officer, it would be open to review his case for premature retirement.

 

The above instruction is relevant only when an employee is proposed to be retired on the ground of ineffectiveness, but not on the ground of doubtful integrity. The damage to public interest could be marginal if an old employee, in the last year of service, is found ineffective; but the damage may be incalculable if he is found to be corrupt and demands or obtains illegal gratification during the said period for the tasks he is duty bound to perform.”

 

11. The first sentence of para 4 of Boards letter dated 15.11.1979 should be added as under:

 

“The Supreme Court had not only upheld the validity of FR 56(3) but also held that no show-cause notice need be issued to any Government servant before a notice of retirement is issued to him under the aforesaid provisions.”

 

12. Kindly acknowledge the receipt.

 

(Anil Kumar)

Shared by Mail : COL LAMBA[ ONE MAN ARMY]