Asset Declaration Amendment Rules

MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

(Department of Personnel and Training)

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi. the 8th September. 2014

G.S.R. 638(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-secrion (1) read with clause (k) and clause (1) of sub section (2) of Section 59 read with Section 44 and Section 45 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 (1 of 2014), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules to amend the Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities and the Limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns) Rules. 2014. namely:—

I. (I) These rules may he called the Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities and the Limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns) Amendment Rules, 2014.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

2. In the Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities and the Limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns) Rules, 2014. in rule 3. in the proviso to sub-rule (2), for the words on or before the 15th day of September, 2014’, the words “on or before the 31st day of December, 2014 shall he substituted.

[ F.No. 407/12/2014-AVD-lV(B) Pt.-I ]

BHASKAR KHULBE, Addl. Secy.

Note : The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary vide notification number G.S.R. 501(E). dated the 14th July. 2014.

Source : www.persmin.gov.in

[http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02ser/Not_Assetrulesamendmentgazt.pdf]

Centre May Drop Mandatory Police Verification for Govt Jobs

NEW DELHI: The Centre is considering a move to drop mandatory police verification of candidates selected for government jobs and may accept self-attestation certificates from them.

The issue of omitting the need of police verification of people getting selected for government jobs and applying for passports is under consideration of the Ministry of Home Affairs, official sources said.

The MHA is likely take a view of state governments and other stakeholders in the matter, they said.

A concept note on the matter by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions also favoured replacement of police verification in various works including for the purpose of issuance of passport and for government jobs.

It needs to be considered if this can be eliminated as (i) the police check is only about any criminal cases for which the persons concerned do provide necessary declarations and remain liable for false declaration; (ii) the police report is perfunctory as it covers the last place of residence only; (iii) in any case, neighbours' affirmation appears to have little meaning, the note says.

As part of its effort to reform the public service delivery system and bridging the governance deficit, the Centre is promoting self attestation in place of notarized affidavits for a big chunk of government-related work.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently sought minimum use of affidavits and a shift to self-certification, so as to benefit the common man.

"In a citizen-friendly initiative, all ministries and departments of the union government, and all state governments, have been asked to make provision for self-certification of documents in place of affidavits.

"The requirement of attestation by gazetted officer is also sought to be replaced by self-certification by the citizen," the Prime Minister's Office has said in a release.

The 12th report--'citizen centric administration-the heart of governance'--of the second Administrative Reforms Commission has also suggested simplifying procedures for self-certification provision.

Source : http://www.newindianexpress.com/

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 - Submission of declaration of assets and liabilities by the public servants for each year - regarding.

ubmission of declaration of assets and liabilities by the public servants for each year – Dopt Orders

F.No.11013/3/2014-Estt.(A)
Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training
Establishment Division

North Block, New Delhi
Dated August 25 , 2014

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act. 2013 – Submission of declaration of assets and liabilities by the public servants for each year – regarding

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Department’s Circular of even no. dated 23.07.2014 the subject mentioned above requesting all Ministries! Departments to bring the provisions of the Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities and the limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns) Rules, 2014, to the notice of all concerned for compliance. it is again requested that necessary directions may be issued in this regard urgently so that the declarations/information/returns from every public servant are received on or before the 15th day of September 2014 as stipulated in the said Rules. It is reiterated that the definition of public servant covers all Group A, B and C employees,

2. In this regard it is also clarified that the public servants who either failed or were not required to file the annual declarations as per the applicable rules [eg. Group C’ Government servants covered under CCS(Conduct) rules, 1964] are also required to file the stipulated declaration/ information/return within time,

3. Hindi version will follow. ,

sd/-
(J. A. Vaidyanathan)
Director (E)

source : www.persmin.gov.in
[ http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02est/11013_3_2014-Estt-A_25082014.pdf ]

Dos and Don’ts on how to use the PM’s pics for Government ads

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi doesn't want even Cabinet ministers to select his pictures that appear in government advertisements. PM's principal secretary, Nripendra Mishra, issued a circular to all secretaries of the Government of India on August 9 listing out dos and don'ts on how to use the PM's photograph.

A copy of the final advertisement carrying the PM's picture was always sent to the PMO for approval. After approval, the PMO used to send the advertisement to the Directorate of Advertising And Visual Publicity, which in turn released the advertisement to newspapers. But this was a mere formality and the Prime Minister's Office did not have any role in selecting pictures or changing the content.

All this would change. Unlike the practice of sending the final copy to the PMO, Mishra has asked for three options from all ministries. "All ministries/departments are requested to furnish at least three different options (layouts) for approval, so that a reasonable choice can be made among available alternatives," wrote Mishra. 

This has to reach the PMO, at least, five working days before the scheduled date of publication. Also, the PMO wants the content "to convey a clear message to the target audience... be appealing to the reader, and be informative." Nripendra Mishra says that careful thought should be given to the language-mix adopted for the advertisement, keeping in mind the audience and the states targeted. 

All government advertisements, henceforth, will have the website address of the department making the appeal at the bottom of the ad. The PMO has reiterated the need to pay, "special attention to the use of the social media to publicise government schemes. 

Mishra has asked all ministries to ensure that they select the media, that is, newspapers and other publications, based on these criteria. Obviously, the clear hint is that the ministries have been issuing advertisements without much attention to details like content, target and language and the choice of the media. 

The new set of instructions may put an end to old practice of ministers and bureaucrats patronising obscure publications, which mysteriously manage to ensure government advertisement without subscription or circulation base.

Aadhaar watch on babus;Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) be implemented in all central government offices

New Delhi, Aug. 20: The sarkari babu will have to make every minute count.

The Narendra Modi government has ordered that an Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) be implemented in all central government offices.

A circular issued to all central government offices in the capital today has also asked employees, of all ranks, to submit their contact details (email ID, residential address, telephone and personal mobile phone numbers) to the department of personnel and training that is with the Prime Minister’s Office.

Delhi police are already building a databank containing the cellphone number, email ID, name, rank and “personal number” and of every city cop, from constable to commissioner, on the orders of the PMO. A letter from the home ministry on August 5 had asked for such a databank, which will also include the municipality in which the cop lives. “All the station house officers are on the job,” an officer said.

The circular issued today does not give a date from which the new attendance system will be implemented. It says “Aadhaar number is mandatory to register attendance”.

At least one state — Jharkhand — has begun implementing the AEBAS. But a central government order means the system will have to be adopted across the country.

The system will be implemented in the capital first and then in all central offices outside New Delhi. The order is binding on all employees, including those in the armed forces.

To implement the system, all offices will have to install fingerprint scanners with Wi-fi Internet. The objective of the system, sources said, is “to check absenteeism and measure the time an employee spends in office and the time he or she checks in and checks out”.

Similar systems have been implemented in many corporate offices, both in the private and the public sector, though they are not based on Aadhaar, the card issued to citizens by the Unique Identification Authority of India that was headed by Nandan Nilekani and created by the UPA II government of Manmohan Singh in 2009.

The system will also seek to ensure that employees cannot backdate attendance or mark attendance for someone else.

On July 1, Nilekani had met Modi and finance and defence minister Arun Jaitley and given a presentation on the Aadhaar scheme that impressed the new regime.

Police clueless

Delhi police have been left befuddled by the message from the PMO asking for the databank.

“This is unprecedented. We are not clear about the objective behind it,” a senior officer said in private.

“It seems the PMO is going to be the new control room for everything: it will keep a tab on all government officials including the police,” conjectured an IPS official posted in the home ministry.

The Delhi police, who claim to be the world’s largest metropolitan force with their 80,000 personnel including nearly 50,000 constables, have thrown themselves into the massive exercise.

Delhi’s is the only police force in the country that is under the Union home ministry’s direct control. Police sources said the directive came in the form of a ministry letter dated August 5.

Additional deputy commissioner Mahesh Batra then wrote to all the zonal deputy commissioners to help prepare the databank.

“May kindly direct the concerned to collect the same from every employee under your control and feed the information by August 13,” says the letter, dated August 11, of which The Telegraph has a copy.

“There will not be an extension of this date, being time-bound requirement by Prime Minister’s Office….”

Not surprisingly, the deadline has been missed. A senior officer said the task would be completed by the end of this month.

Source: The Telegraph

MACP ON PROMOTIONAL HIERARCHY - GUWAHATI CAT JUDGMENT

GRANT OF MACP ON PROMOTIONAL HIERARCHY: CAT GUWAHATI DIRECTS UNION OF INDIA TO GRANT MACP ON PROMOTIONAL HIERARCHY TO ASSISTANT ENGINEERS OF CPWD. THE CASE WAS FILED BY SHRI NARAYAN KALITA AND 26 ASSISTANT ENGINEERS VIDE OA NO. 040/000052 OF 2014.

By citing the judgments delivered by the Principle CAT, Delhi & High Court Chandigarh on the subject the Hon’ble judges have observed that “ In our considered view the aforesaid judgement rendered by the Chandigarh Bench as upheld by the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana as well as judgement passed by the CAT, Principle Bench. In view of the above the present OA is allowed. Respondents are directed to grant scale of pay (PB-3) of Rs. 15,600-39,100+ Grade Pay of Rs. 6600/ attached to the said promotional posts of Executive Engineer from due date to the applicants.

The aforesaid directions shall be complied with within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order, subject to the other conditions mentioned in the MACP Scheme.”

Children Education Allowance for Central Government Employees - Annual Ceiling and Details of Admissible Institutions.

While answering to a question in Parliament on 18.7.2014, Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley said in a written form regarding the details of Children Education Allowance that it has been informed by the Department of Personnel and Training that the annual ceiling limit for reimbursement of Children Education Allowance (CEA) is 18,000/- per child. The Hostel Subsidy shall be 4,500/- per month per child.  
The annual ceiling for reimbursement of CEA for disabled children of Government employees is 36,000/- per annum per child and the rates of Hostel Subsidy for disabled children of Government employees is 9,000/- per child per month.  
These revisions are applicable with effect from 1st January, 2014.  

The reimbursement is admissible for the children studying in institutions affiliated to any Board or recognised institution, whether in receipt of Government aid or not, recognised by the Central or State Government or Union Territory Administration or by University or a recognised educational authority having jurisdiction over the area where the institution is situated.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF POSTAL EMPLOYEES, PURI DIVISIONAL BRANCH WISHES A VERY HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY To ALL ITS MEMBERS AND VIEWERS. LET'S ASSESS THE VALUABLE INDEPENDENCE OF OUR BELOVED NATION WITH OUR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ASSIGNED. LET'S DEFINE OUR TRICOLOUR WITH PROSPERITY.

 Sri Gobinda Ch Pratihari 
 Divisional Secy. NAPE, Gr-'C' PURI

What is EBOLA and How does it spread?

ALL INDIA SERVICES (CONDUCT) AMENDMENT RULES, 2014

Introduction of combined mo form

UNION BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS; KISAN VIKAS PATRA TO BE REINTRODUCED

The following are the Union Budget 2014-15 highlights

For individuals

* Tax slab on personal income remains unchanged

* Income tax exemption limit raised by Rs 50,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh and for senior citizens to Rs 3 lakh

* Exemption limit for investment in financial instruments under 80C raised to Rs 1.5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh.

* Investment limit in PPF raised to Rs 1.5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh

* Deduction limit on interest on loan for self-occupied house raised to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 1.5 lakh.

* Kisan Vikas Patra to be reintroduced, National Savings Certificate with insurance cover to be launched

* Long term capial gain tax for mutual funds doubled to 20 pc; lock-in period increased to 3 years

* Mandatory wage ceiling of subscription to EPS (Employee Pension Scheme) raised from Rs 6,500 to Rs 15,000

* Minimum pension increased to Rs 1,000 per month

* LCD, LED TV become cheaper

* Cigarettes, pan masala, tobacco, aerated drinks become costlier

Deduction limit on interest on loan for self-occupied house raised to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 1.5 lakh

New projects

* 5 IIMs to be opened in HP, Punjab, Bihar, Odisha and Rajasthan

* 5 more IITs in Jammu, Chattisgarh, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

* 4 more AIIMS like institutions to come up in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Vidarbha in Maharashtra and Poorvanchal in Uttar Pradesh

* Govt proposes to launch 'Digital India’ programme to ensure broad band connectivity at village level

* Kisan TV for farmers, Arun Prabha TV for northeast.

* National Rural Internet and Technology Mission for services in villages and schools, training in IT skills proposed

* Govt proposes Ultra Modern Super Critical Coal Based Thermal Power Technology

* A project on the river Ganga called ‘Jal Marg Vikas’ for inland waterways between Allahabad and Haldia; Rs 4,200 crore set aside for the purpose.

* EPFO to launch the “Uniform Account Number” Service for contributing members.

* New programme “Neeranchal” to give impetus to watershed development in the country with an initial outlay of Rs. 2142 crores.

* Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana to generate awareness and help in improving the efficiency of delivery of welfare services meant for women.

* Free Drug Service and Free Diagnosis Service to achieve “ Health For All”

* Two National Institutes of Ageing to be set up at AIIMS, New Delhi and Madras Medical College, Chennai.

5 more IITs in Jammu, Chattisgarh, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala

Allocations

* Rs 100 crore to support about 600 new and existing Community Radio Stations

* Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to cover every household with sanitation facility by the year 2019

* Rs 100 crore for metro projects in Lucknow and Ahmedabad

* Rs 2,037 crore set aside for Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission called ‘Namami Gange’

* Rs 150 crore allocated for increasing safety of women in large cities

* Rs. 7,060 crore for the project of developing 100 Smart Cities.

* Set aside Rs 11,200 crore for PSU banks capitalisation

* Govt provides Rs 500 crore for rehabilitation of displaced Kashmiri migrants

* 1000 crore provided for “Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna” for assured irrigation.

* Rs. 50,548 crore under the SC Plan and Rs. 32,387 crore under TSP

Rs. 7,060 crore for the project of developing 100 Smart Cities

Economic initiatives

* Composite cap of foreign investment to be raised to 49 per cent in Defence and Insurance sectors.

* Requirement of the built up area and capital conditions for FDI reduced to 20,000 square metres and USD 5 million respectively for development of smart cities.

* Manufacturing can sell its products through retail including Ecommerce platforms.

* Requirement to infuse Rs.2,40,000 crore as equity by 2018 in our banks to be in line with Basel-III norms PSUs will invest through capital investment a total sum of Rs. 2,47,941 crores.

* Rs 4,000 cr set aside to increase flow of cheaper credit for affordable housing to the urban poor/EWS/LIG segment.

* Govt in favour of consolidation of PSU banks

* Govt considering giving greater autonomy to PSU banks while making them accountable

The numbers

* Government expects Rs 9.77 lakh crore revenue crore from taxes

* Plan expenditure pegged at Rs 5.75 lakh crore and non-plan at Rs 12.19 lakh crore.

* Fiscal deficit target retained at 4.1 pc of GDP for current fiscal and 3.6 pc in FY 16

* Disinvestment target fixed at Rs 58,425 crore

* Gross borrowings pegged at Rs 6 lakh crore

* Contours of GST to be finalised this fiscal; Govt to look into DTC proposal.

Plan expenditure pegged at Rs 5.75 lakh crore and non-plan at Rs 12.19 lakh crore

Administrative reforms

* Committee to look into all fresh tax demands for indirect transfer of assets in wake of retrospective tax amendments of 2012

* Expenditure management commission to be setup; will look into food and fertilizer subsides

source: THE HINDU

DO LETTER , regarding cleanliness of POs

Modernisation of Post Offices : Lok Sabha Q&A

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF  COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

LOK SABHA

STARRED  QUESTION NO 17

ANSWERED ON   07.07.2014

MODERNISATION OF POST OFFICES

17 . Shri PRATHAP SIMHA

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) whether the Government has modernised, computerised and upgraded a number of post offices in the country and if so, the details of the post offices modernised/upgraded during the last three years and the current year, State/ UT-wise;

(b) whether the Government has achieved the targets fixed for modernisation/upgradation of the post offices in the country and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) the time by which the remaining post offices are likely to be modernised/upgraded/ computerised; and

(d) the steps taken by the Government to expedite the modernisation process of all the post offices in the country?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & LAW AND JUSTICE (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 17 FOR 7TH JULY, 2014 REGARDING “MODERNISATION OF POST OFFICES”

(a) Yes, Madam. Government is upgrading the post offices by modernising and computersing the departmental post offices in a phased manner. The Department has conceived ‘Project Arrow’ in April 2008 for improving ‘Look and Feel’ of the post offices with a focus on infrastructure, branding, IT and human resource and also set-right the core areas under ‘Core Operations’ by improving the quality of service relating to mail delivery, remittances, Savings Bank and office service levels.

All the departmental post offices have also been computerised.

I. Circle-wise details of post offices modernised under ‘Look & Feel’ activities of Project Arrow in the last three years are given below:

Sl. No.	Name of the Circle	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
1.	ANDHRA PRADESH	15	48	8
2.	ASSAM	05	18	2
3.	BIHAR	15	48	2
4.	CHHATTISGARH	00	15	2
5.	DELHI	05	25	5
6.	GUJARAT	15	48	3
7.	HARYANA	05	22	2
8.	HIMACHAL PRADESH	03	15	2
9.	JAMMU& KASHMIR	02	20	5
10.	JHARKHAND	02	10	4
11.	KARNATAKA	11	49	3
12	KERALA	10	35	2
13.	MADHYA PRADESH	07	48	3
14.	MAHARASHTRA	20	49	3
15.	NORTH EAST	03	64	24
16.	ODISHA	08	20	2
17.	PUNJAB	00	35	2
18.	RAJASTHAN	25	50	3
19.	TAMIL NADU	10	49	3
20.	UTTAR PRADESH	25	49	3
21.	UTTARAKHAND	05	14	5
22.	WEST BENGAL	16	49	12
	Total	207	780	100

II. The Circle-wise details of computerised post offices during the last three years are as under:

Sl. No.	Name of Circle	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
1.	ANDHRA PRADESH	60	0
2.	ASSAM	0	0
3.	BIHAR	88	46
4.	CHHATTISGARH	9	3
5.	DELHI	33	3
6.	GUJARAT	67	2	Nil#
7.	HARYANA	35	1
8.	HIMACHAL PRADESH	0	0
9.	JAMMU& KASHMIR	34	0
10.	JHARKHAND	24	12
11.	KARNATAKA	4	0
12	KERALA	70	0
13.	MADHYA PRADESH	16	6
14.	MAHARASHTRA	138	5
15.	NORTH EAST	13	0
16.	ODISHA	7	0
17.	PUNJAB	3	1
18.	RAJASTHAN	47	14
19.	TAMIL NADU	63	30
20.	UTTAR PRADESH	175	27
21.	UTTARAKHAND	9	0
22.	WEST BENGAL	59	26
	Total	954	176

# All the departmental post offices have been computerized.

(b) The targets under modernisation have been achieved to the extent of availability of Plan funds.

During 11th Plan, 1735 post offices were modernised under Project Arrow against the target of 1759 post offices. The minor shortfall was due to curtailment of Plan funds.

During the 12th Plan, 2,500 post offices are proposed to be modernised under Project Arrow with an outlay of 284.00 crores. During the first two years of the 12th Plan, 880 post offices have been modernised under Project Arrow. Thus, so far, 2615 post offices have been modernised under the 11th and 12th Plan.

(c) & (d) All departmental post offices have been computerized. Modernisation by way of improvement of post office infrastructure and ‘Look & Feel’ is a continuous process dependent on availability of funds.

Source: Lok Sabha Q&A