Family members of missing govt employee eligible for pension

Family members of a missing government employee or pensioner can get all benefits including pension, gratuity and leave encashment among others, the central government has said.

Family members of a government employee or pensioner kidnapped by insurgents and terrorists will also be eligible to all monetary benefits given by the government, according to a fresh set of instructions issued last week by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

However, family members of those employees who disappear after committing frauds or crime etc. will not be entitled to pension or any other benefits.

"In the case of a missing employee or pensioner or family pensioner, the family can apply for the grant of family pension, amount of salary due, leave encashment due and the amount of GPF and gratuity (whatever has not already been received) to the Head of Office of the organisation where the employee or pensioner had last served, six months after lodging of police report," it said.

According to the direction, the family must lodge a report with the concerned police station and obtain a report from the police, that the employee or pensioner or family pensioner has not been traced despite all efforts made by them.

"The report may be a First Information Report or any other report such as a Daily Diary or General Diary Entry," it said.

"An Indemnity Bond should be taken from the nominee or dependents of the employee, pensioner or family pensioner that all payments will be adjusted against the payments due to the employee, pensioner or family pensioner in case she or he appears on the scene and makes any claim," it said in the direction issued to all central government ministries.

The retirement gratuity will be paid to the family within three months of the date of application. In case of any delay, the interest shall be paid at the applicable rates and responsibility for delay shall be fixed.

The difference between the death gratuity and retirement gratuity shall be payable after the death of the employee is conclusively established or on the expiry of the period of seven years from the date of the police report, it said.

"The amount of salary due, leave encashment due and the amount of GPF will be paid to the family in the first instance as per the nominations made by the employee or pensioner on filing of a police report and submission of an indemnity bond," the directive said.

7CPC 7th CPC, Merger of DA, Removal of ceiling of Bonus etc. included in Common Charter of demands for Joint Council of Action by Confederation, AIRF & AIDEF

7th CPC, Merger of DA, Removal of ceiling of Bonus etc. included in Common Charter of demands for Joint Council of Action by Confederation, AIRF & AIDEF

As per Confederation letter published on official website the following demands are included Common Charter of demands for Joint Council of Action by Confederation, AIRF & AIDEF.   In the meeting of members of Confederation, AIRF & AIDEF, it has been decided to submit the Charter of demands to the Cabinet Secretary and seek negotiated settlement.

1.     Set up the 7th CPC and frame its terms of reference after consultation with Staff Side.
2.     Merge DA with pay for all purposes.
3.     Scrap the New Contributory Pension Scheme.
4.     Regularize (a) Gramin Dak Sevaks of Postal Department.(b)Daily rated workers , (c) Contract Labourers:
5.     Remove 5% Ceiling on Compassionate appointments.
6.     Settle all 6th CPC anomalies raised in the National Anomaly Committee and implement the Arbitration Awards.
7.     Remove Ceiling of Rs. 3500 on computation of Bonus.

The contents of Confederation post is reproduced here for information:-

CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES & WORKERS
(Central Head Quarters)
1ST FLOOR, NORTH AVENUE POST OFFICE BUILDING,
NEW DELHI – 110001

 Dear Comrade,

The representatives of AIRF, AIDEF, Confederation met at AIRF Office today under the Chairmanship of Com. Umraomal Purohit. President, AIRF. The following Comrades were present.

Com. U. M. Purrohit, President AIRF
Com. Shiv Gopal Mishra, General Secretary, AIRF
Com. S. N. Pathak, President AIDEF
Com. C. Srikumar General Secretary AIDEF
Com. J. S. Sharma, Org. Secretary: AIDEF
Com. S. K. Vyas, Advisor, Confederation.
Com. K. K. N. Kutty, President, Confederation.
Com. M. Krishnan, Secretary General, Confederation
Com. Virigu Bhattacharjee, Finance Secretary Confederation.
The meeting decided to forge a Joint Council of Action to pursue the enclosed Charter of Common Demands of CGEs. Com. Umraomal Purohit President AIRF will be the Chairman and Com. Shiv Gopal Mishra will be its Convenor. The following shall be the members of the Council.

1.         Com. U.M. Purohit – AIRF
2.         Com. Shivgopal Mishra-AIRF
3.         To be nominated by AIRF
4.         Com. S.N. Pathak – AIDEF
5          Com. Sree Kumar –AIDEF
6.         To be nominated by AIDEF
7.         Com. S.K. Vyas – Confederation
8.         Com. KKN Kutty – Confederation
9.         Com. M. Krishnan- Confederation

The following demands were included in the Common Charter of demands:

1.    Set up the 7th CPC and frame its terms of reference after consultation with Staff Side.
2.    Merge DA with pay for all purposes.
3.    Scrap the New Contributory Pension Scheme.
4.    Regularize (a) Gramin Dak Sevaks of Postal Department.(b)Daily rated workers , (c) Contract Labourers:
5.    Remove 5% Ceiling on Compassionate appointments.
6.    Settle all 6th CPC anomalies raised in the National Anomaly Committee and implement the Arbitration Awards.
7.    Remove Ceiling of Rs. 3500 on computation of Bonus.

All organizations may include the department –specific and other demands in Part B of the Charter and seek settlement thereof with the appropriate authorities.

The meeting also decided to submit the Charter of demands to the Cabinet Secretary and seek negotiated settlement.
The Council will meet again in the first week of August 2013 to decide upon the date of National Convention and other programmes of action in pursuance of the Charter of demands.

India Post needs to become a corporate for banking foray

While most of the 26 applicants for banking licence were usual suspects, there were a few surprises, too. And there was at least one unusual name, although its banking ambition was well known.

The application by the Indian postal department, a division of the ministry of communications & information technology, has raised some curiosity within the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This is because RBIs new bank licence norms released in February this year  talked about new bank licences in the private sector.

Since India Post is a part of a ministry, it cannot be considered as a private sector entity. According to RBI sources, to be eligible for a bank licence, India Post will have to become a corporate entity, because a government department cannot come under RBI purview. For example, if they are found violating the know-your-customer (KYC) or anti-money laundering norms, how can the regulator impose penalty against the sovereign, asked an RBI official.

India Post has for long wanted to diversify into a bank and had held discussions with RBI on this. According to experts, while the postal departments huge rural presence definitely gives it an edge to get a licence because both RBI and the government are emphasising on financial inclusion.

Technically, there are challenges on whether it fulfils the prescribed criteria but its reach definitely makes it a strong contender, sources said.

According to the final guidelines on a new bank licence, RBI has mandated 25 per cent of bank branches to be opened in un-banked rural areas. New banks should also meet priority sector norms right from inception.

Globally, there are examples of postal departments diversifying into lending activity. Deutsche Postbank  the Bonn-headquartered German retail bank  was formed from the de-merger of the postal savings division of Deutsche Bundespost in 1990.

With around 14 million clients, 19,000 employees and total assets amounting to ^170 billion, the Postbank Group is one of Germanys largest financial service providers. According to its website, the lender focuses on business with private customers as well as small and medium-sized companies.

The 26 entities that have applied to RBI include the Tata Group, Aditya Birla Group, the Anil Ambani Group, heavy engineering major L&T and a host of non-banking financial companies, including a gold loan company. Two micro finance companies have also applied.

Of the 26 applicants, there are usual suspects, but some surprises, too. There are a few names which meet the minimum requirement, but could rank low in terms of relative probability to get a licence. We expected a higher number of applicants, maybe around 30-35, said Monish Shah, senior director, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India.