[10:01, 3/11/2017] Krishnaiah Sir: Macpii promotion list of rjy division [10:01, 3/11/2017] Krishnaiah Sir: Kkd division

[10:01, 3/11/2017] Krishnaiah Sir: Macpii promotion list of rjy division                      
[10:01, 3/11/2017] Krishnaiah Sir: Kkd division

Let's make 16.3.2017 one day strike successful

Grant of Transport Allowance at double the normal rates to deaf and dumb employees of Railways

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF RAILWAY

(Railway Board)

S.No.PC-VI/374

No.PC-V/2014/A/TA/1

RBE No.14/2017

New Delhi, dated 22.02.2017

The General Managers/CAOs(R)

All Zonal Railways & PUs

(As per mailing list)

Sub: Grant of Transport Allowance at double the normal rates to deaf and dumb employees of Railways.

In supersession of Railway Board’s letter of even number dt. 19.03.2014 (RBE No.28/2014) regarding admissibility of Transport Allowance at double the normal rates to employees who are deaf and dumb, it is stated that the matter has been re-examined and it has been decided with the approval of competent Authority that Transport Allowance at double the normal rates is admissible to Hearing Impaired employees also in addition to employees who are both deaf and Dumb.

2. Transport Allowance at double the normal rates would be admissible to the ‘Hearing Impaired employees having loss, of sixty decibels or more in the better ear in the conversation range of frequencies’ as per persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, protection of Rights and Full participation) Act, 1995.

3. The admissibility of Transport Allowance at double the normal rates to above categories of employees is subject to recommendation of the Head of ENT Department of a Railway or Government Civil Hospital and fulfilment of other conditions applicable in respect of other disabilities mentioned in Railway Board’s letter No.F(E)I-78/AL7/5, dated 23.10.2978 read with Board’s letter dated 12.09.2008 (RBE No.111/2008).

4. These orders would be effective from 19.02.2014.

5. This issues with the concurrence of the Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railway.

6. Hindi version is enclosed.

(N.P.Singh)

Dy.Director,Pay Commission-V

Railway Board

Source: http://nfirindia.com/

Department replies to the SG, NFPE & FNPO on 16.3.2017 one day strike

Is it time to discard 'minimum five years of service' gratuity rule?

Recently , the central government decided to increase the gratuity limits for private sector employees as well from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. This is a welcome step and follows the same principle applied to the central government employees whose gratuity limit was increased to Rs 20 lakh in July 2016. To implement these changes, the government will amend both the Payment of Gratuity Act and the Income Tax Act. This is because the gratuity received (i.e. computed as per the Payment of Gratuity Act) is tax free. 

This is a welcome step, but the government needs to liberalise the gratuity rules further. First, the rule about 'minimum five years of service', set a long time ago, needs to be discarded because labour mobility is quite high these days. Since very few employees stick with a company for five years, this needs to be brought down to at least three years. 

There is another reason this reduction is needed: since most companies follow cost-to-the-company (CTC) rules, gratuity is already part of the salary package. That means an employee, who leaves service before completing 5 years, is actually forced to give up a part of his or her salary . There may be some benevolent companies that pay gratuity as a taxable component at the time of final settlement, but most companies keep it to themselves. 

Although the gratuity rules of central government and private sector employees are aligned to this move, state government employees are still left out. There are several state governments that still continue with the Rs 10 lakh restrictions on gratuity . Hope they also increase this limit to Rs 20 lakh at the earliest. 

Third, ad-hoc increases in limits, such as the recent one, create problems for employees who retire just before these hikes kick in. For example, consider an employee who retired in 2016 and got a gratuity of Rs 18 lakh (i.e. Rs 10 lakh tax free and Rs 8 lakh taxable) with another employee who retired in 2017 and got a gratuity of Rs 18 lakh (i.e. entire Rs 18 lakh tax free). To make these things equal to all, the government need to revise these limits annually and this can be based on the inflation data published by the government. 

Finally , this arbitrary ceiling on gratuity (at Rs 20 lakh) is not needed because gratuity is calculated based on a well laid-out formula. As per the Payment of Gratuity Act, employees are eligible to get 15 days salary for each completed years of service. Gratuity is computed using the formula ­ last drawn salary×15/26×number of years of service. Please note that only basic and dearness allowance (DA) is considered as salary here. Since there are only 26 working days a month, the same is used instead of 30 days for calculations. 

Now assume that an employee's gratuity value comes to Rs 23 lakh.Here again, some benevolent companies may pay this gratuity as a taxable component (i.e. Rs 20 lakh as tax free and Rs 3 lakh as taxable), but other companies may keep it to themselves. To avoid such situations, the government should remove ceiling from the Payment of Gratuity Act. And if the government wants to restrict tax benefit on gratuity (i.e. to avoid misuse of this provision), it can retain the restrictions under the Income Tax Act.

Source : The Economic Times

OPERATIONALISATION OF FSI AND CSI IN RURAL POST OFFICES -- RS & A

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS

DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

RAJYA SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1172

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH MARCH, 2017

• OPERATIONALISATION OF FSI AND CSI IN RURAL POST OFFICES

1172. SHRIMATI SASIKALA PUSHPA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) in how many branch post offices across the country, Financial System Integrator (FSI) and Core System Integrator (CSI) have become operational, as on date;

(b) how many out of the operational FSI and CSI have been in rural branch post offices; and

(c) the number of branch post offices in the district of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu which have been provided with FSI and CSI?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS &

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) Roll out of Rural Information & Communication Technology (RICT) Project in Branch Post Offices is an ongoing Project. Number of Branch Post Offices across the country where Core Banking System (CBS) under Financial System Integration (FSI) have become operational as on 06.03.2017 is 13,071. (Details in Annexure). Core System Integration (CSI) is yet to be rolled out in Branch Post Offices.

(b) Out of the Branch Post Offices where Financial System Integration (FSI) is operational, 12,776 are Rural Branch Post Offices. Core System Integration (CSI) is yet to be rolled out in Branch Post Offices.

(c) Financial System Integration (FSI) & Core System Integration (CSI) are yet to be rolled out in the district of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.

Number of Branch Post Offices having 

Core Banking Solution(CBS) under Financial System Integration(FSI)

//COPY//

MAKING POs COMPATIBLE FOR PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED PERSONS - RS Q&A

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS

DEPARTMENT OF POSTS 

RAJYA SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1176

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH MARCH, 2017

MAKING POST OFFICES COMPATIBLE FOR

PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED PERSONS

1176. SHRI ANUBHAV MOHANTY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Ministry has received official notification with regard to making post offices compatible for the physically challenged persons with wheel chair;

(b) whether despite repeated requests and reminders, the sub-post office at Yelahanka Old Town, Bengaluru (Pin-560064) has refused to make its post office compatible for physically challenged persons with wheel chair; and

(c) whether the Ministry will take action against the erring officers and make all buildings under its charge compatible for the differently-abled persons?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS &

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) The Department of Posts has received official notification from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment regarding provisions for making government buildings accessible for persons with disabilities within the limits of their economic capacity and development.

(b) Yelahanka Old Town Post Office is located on the ground floor and it is easily accessible to the physically challenged persons with wheel chair. No request/complaint has been received about any inconvenience faced by physically challenged persons with wheel chair visiting the Yelahanka Old Town Post Office.

(c) Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, is making all out efforts to make all departmental buildings under its charge compatible for the differently abled persons within the available funds in a phased manner and, therefore, situation warranting action against erring officials does not arise. Construction of ramps and rails in all new post office departmental buildings has been made a mandatory feature.