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kalahandipost.blogspot.com is not the official website of kalahandi postal division. It is just a private initiative to make the people aware about different postal product and services.All content displayed here are contributed by user and collected from different open sources. We do not claim any accuracy or originality of content.All pages you visit through the hyper link may have different privacy policy.we will not be liable for any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

Race between IT companies for supplying Hand held devices to DoP

IT companies Wipro and HCL Infosystems are in race for supplying 1.3 lakh handheld devices to post offices under a project that is estimated to cost Rs 1,500 crore. "Wipro and HCL Infosystems have qualified for technical bids for supplying 1,30,000 handheld devices to Department of Posts. The vendor for this project as per DoP is expected to be finalized by end of this month," a senior government official told PTI. The DoP has floated tender for supplying of handheld devices to 1,30,000 post offices located in rural area as part of its modernization project. The postal department has almost computerized about 25,000 of its departmental post offices but rural post offices will be provided handheld devices for digitalizing records.

 "The handheld devices will be connected to postal departments' network and software. These devices will be used for carrying out financial transactions like booking and receiving money order, speed post and other services provided through Post Offices and for which a receipt or record is must," the official said. Any transaction made using the device will get updates in core system of Post offices. The device will have bio-metric module to identify individual having Aadhar number, power panel for charging in absence of electricity and thermal printer to immediately print and handover receipt to customer.

SOURCE-//times of India//

Appoint Chairman and Members for 7th Pay commission immediately - NMC urges PM

National Mazdoor Conference has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to immediately appoint the chairman and other members of the 7th Pay Commission and hold discussions with representatives of the Centre and state government employees in this regard.

“National Mazdoor Conference has urged to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to immediately appoint chairman and other members of the 7th Commission and hold discussions with representatives of both Centre and state government employees in this regard as the Central and state government employees and pensioners will be entitled to 7th Pay Commission with effect from January one, 2016,” NCM President Subash Shastri said.

An early notification for appointing chairman and other members of the announced 7th Pay Commission is the need of the hour, as it will have a bearing on about one crore employees and pensioners, both with the Central as well as state governments, Shastri said addressing a NMC workers rally at Rani Park here.
“50 per cent of the DA should be forthwith merged into the basic pay and pension,” he suggested, adding that 20 per cent interim relief should be sanctioned as early as possible in favour of Central and state government employees and pensioners.

The NMC chief also demanded regularization of all daily- rated workers and casual and seasonal labourers engaged in different government departments.
He appealed to the Chief Minister, Finance Minister and Chief Secretary to formulate a comprehensive policy for the regularization of all such workers.

source : The Economic Times
[http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/nmc-urges-pm-to-appoint-chairman-for-7th-pay-commission/articleshow/24451805.cms]


PROPOSAL FOR STARTING COMMERCIAL BANKING SERVICES BY INDIA POST HAS BEEN DROPPED BY THE CABINET

The cabinet has rejected the India Post proposal for starting commercial banking services on the ground that it does not have the expertise to handle banking operations as a result of which the venture was not likely to be viable.

Top government sources said the proposal for starting commercial banking services by India Post that was aimed at enhancing financial inclusion through the wide network of the organization has been dropped by the cabinet after the finance ministry expressed reservations over the proposal.

The proposal needed an immediate transfusion of Rs 1,900 crore by the government.

However, the postal department has a poor financial track record. It has piled up huge losses over the last 11 years and has been losing badly to private couriers. India Post reported a loss of Rs 6,346 crore in fiscal 2011-12 which weighed against its credibility.

However, India Post is doing well on the savings front. Its outstanding balance under the Post Office Savings Scheme stood at Rs 6.05 lakh crore on March 31, 2013. This is half the deposits of State Bank of India and double that of the largest private lender ICICI Bank.

The postal department is one of 26 contenders for banking licenses. It had moved the proposal to the cabinet in order to enable it to meet the financial eligibility criteria of the Reserve Bank of India for new bank licenses to be issued by January next year.

India Post needs the government’s permission for the Rs 700 crore capital that is needed to set up the bank if it gets a licence. It will then require an additional Rs 1,200 crore in the first five years of its operations.

Unfortunately, over half of the population in rural India, do not have a bank account and the proposal for a postal bank would have a negative impact on government’s push to financial inclusion. The postal department has close to 1.55 lakh offices across country, with 1,39,040 in rural areas.India Post reported a loss of Rs 6,346 crore in fiscal 2011-12.

http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/cabinet-grounds-india-post-bank-plans-074832082.html


Policy Watch: Post offices can fit into inclusive banking template, and here's how

Within the next few weeks, the Reserve Bank of India will probably announce the list of parties who could set up new private banks. It is hoped that, this time at least, promoters like Ramesh Gelli (who was allowed to promote the now-defunct Global Trust Bank and was even awarded a Padmashri and Udyog Ratna by the government in 1980) will be avoided. 

It is also possible that the RBI will not allow India Post (IP) to get a banking licence. This could be because of two things:

First, the reporting structure of IP will have to change, probably as a pre-requisite. IP currently reports to the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. To be a bank, it must report to the RBI and to the ministry of finance. 

Second, there are reasons to believe that IP has not yet become a first rate manager of money. This correspondent recalls how in 2003, when his postal life insurance policy matured, he was asked to bring a bag in order to collect the sum of Rs 1.4 lakh. The reason: the post office did not issue cheques, but would pay in cash.  It was common to see bundles of cash lie in steel cupboards (not vaults) in suburban post offices. Banks do not do this. Lately, IP has begun moving towards electronic clearing systems. But for the discipline to percolate will take some time.

But there are other ways in which IP could be used by the Indian banking service.  

After all, it is the only organisation that can boast of 1,54,866 branches countrywide, compared with just 92,117 branches that the entire banking sector (165 banks, including 82 regional rural banks) has. The largest Indian bank – the State Bank of India (SBI) – has only 14,902 branches. 

More significantly, almost 90% of IP’s branches are in rural areas, compared to just 36% for the Indian banking sector (see table). But notwithstanding these advantages, IP loses money. In 2011-12, its total revenue covered only 57.6% of expenditure.  And it collects less money than Indian banks.

IP could, therefore, do with some more financial discipline. A good starting point could be for Indian banks to use IP’s branches as correspondent banks. This way, post offices could become extension counters of existing banks. After all, IP already collects money (almost Rs 80 crore daily), sells insurance policies and even mutual funds. It has  23.8 crore accounts – though banks with fewer branches have 81 crore accounts). It also provides money transfer facilities – it has tied up with Western Union for this. That is where extension counters, under the direct control of a bank, can play a significant role. 

It would expose post offices to the discipline demanded by banks, and allow them to scale up towards financial discipline far more rigorously than is currently the case. And it would allow the Indian banking sector to increase its presence in rural India at lower costs.

SBI realised this when it tied up with IP a few years ago, to link 417 post offices in Maharashtra circle to undertake the opening of SBI bank accounts, acceptance of loan applications, enrolment for and delivery of smart cards, and sale of foreign exchange. IP later tied up with HDFC Bank too for sale and purchase of foreign exchange through post offices. 

With the need for inclusive banking becoming more urgent, the role of IP could be phenomenal.  Using them for corespondent banking could be an easy way to ensure that transition. During this process, the restructuring of IP could also be addressed.

Source:-http://www.dnaindia.com

One Rupee Coin celebrating 150 years of Indian Post


Postal savings products are gaining popularity among investors

Until about a year ago, Saroj Bhatia, a Mumbai-based postal savings agent in Andheri, rarely received calls from young professionals. But these days, half of her working hours are spent extolling the virtues of India Post schemes to yuppies wary of market-linked options.

Investment advisors like Bhatia stand testimony to the ambiguous concept of ‘flight to safety.’ Investors are returning to tried-and-tested investment products and showing more tolerance towards the slow but steady returns that saving instruments like bank fixed deposits, postal savings schemes and held-to-maturity bonds give. “Investors today are a scared lot because of the high volatility in equity markets, bond yields, gold and rupee. With macro indicators still looking weak, there is a need for investors to consider some low-risk investments,” says Raghvendra Nath, managing director, Ladderup Wealth Management.

According to wealth managers, stockmarket volatility triggered the first round of flight to safety. The sudden surge in bond yields during the July-August period this year, and the resultant decline in bond portfolio returns, further alienated investors from market-linked investments. Weak rupee and worsening economic conditions hastened the scramble for safe, fixed return investment products.

Low-risk products protect principal investments, but fail to beat inflation. Yet there has been traction in the number of people opting for such products.

Good Ol’ Post
Postal savings products are gaining popularity among investors in Tier 2 and 3 locations and in villages. Senior Citizens’ Savings Schemes (SCSS), Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS), Recurring Deposit Accounts (RD Accounts), Public Provident Fund (PPF) and even postal savings accounts that yield just about 4 per cent per annum, are in demand.

“People have become quite risk-averse after the financial crisis in 2008. Investors in smaller cities and villages are not even comfortable investing in bank FDs. This, perhaps, explains the significant increase in postal savings account. The thrust is mainly coming from rural folk,” said Gali Sarish, an investment analyst with Nagpur-based Moneybee Institute.

The PPF is a hot pick among salaried investors.  India Post manages PPF money worth Rs 35,992 crore across 2.3 million accounts. Investments in PPF yield an annual interest rate of 8.7 per cent for 15 years. Participants have to deposit a minimum of Rs 500 (maximum can be Rs 1 lakh) every year. Interest earned is tax-free. Investors can also avail loan facility from the third year up to the fifth financial year. “PPF is a good investment product as it allows the flexibility to invest in lumpsums. I invest in one shot at the end of the year,” says K.K. Pradeepkumar, who works for a tyre manufacturing unit at Kochi, Kerala.



Risk-averse retirees and senior citizens can park their money in SCSS, which offers 9.2 per cent interest, paid out quarterly. Minimum deposit is Rs 1,000 and the maximum can be as high as Rs 15 lakh. The scheme is open for savers aged above 60 (years) and investment maturity period is 5 years. Investments in SCSS attract tax deducted at source (TDS) if the interest payout is more than a specific sum of money (changed periodically).

“SCSS is a good instrument for senior citizens as it provides returns comparable with bank FDs,” says Bhatia. India Post has over 1.2 million SCSS accounts with an outstanding balance of Rs 26,763 crore.

For steady monthly income, there is POMIS, which offers 8.4 per cent interest per annum but which is paid every month. Investments can go up to five years. Maximum investment in a single account can be Rs 4.5 lakh and Rs 9.5 lakh in joint accounts. Interest earned is taxable in the hands of the investor — it is added to your taxable income and taxed at the marginal rate. Premature withdrawals come with an exit load.

India Post manages over Rs 2.05 lakh crore across 24 million POMIS accounts.

Another popular investment product is postal recurring deposits, which yield over 8.3 per cent per annum. The number of such accounts has grown from 67 million in 2007 to almost 86 million in 2012. As on March 2012, India Post managed investments worth Rs 6.26 lakh crore in RD accounts.

An RD account is a simple deposit account. The amount of deposit made at the time of opening the account cannot be changed; that is, the investor has keep investing the same amount of money every month till maturity. You are allowed four defaults (in monthly payment) during the entire tenure of the fund. The account can be closed prematurely after 3 years. RD accounts allow (part and) premature withdrawals but there could be deep cuts in interest pay-out. These are generally opened for five years. Interest earned is exempt from tax.

“People are shying away from investing in long-term plans; this is true even for postal savings schemes. This is why schemes such as time deposits, cumulative term deposits and fixed deposits are not popular among investors. We are advising investors to invest in PPF and SCSS. PPF allows tax benefits and interest-free income at maturity while SCSS seems much better than several bank deposit schemes,” says Sarish of Moneybee Institute.

source-www.businessworld.in

A DEMAND TO 7th CENTRAL PAY COMMISSION (CPC) - CHILD CARE LEAVE(CCL) FOR MALE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

We know that a lot of anomalies pending in front of National Anomaly Committee.Few of them were solved and remaining anomalies will be discussed in the next NAC meeting.Even though central govt announced 7th CPC.It is a amicable news for CG employees.This is the time to speak out the problems we faced in 6th CPC through social media and blogs.Child Care Leave is one of the important issue to male central government employees.  During important moments i.e the child's ill health , the child's important examination days the 6th pay commission has paved way for the mother to be by the childs sideby, the introduction of the plan known as CCL it has been whole heartedly welcomed by one and all .  Having borne in its mind that todays childcare the sculptors of tomorrows modern India, the central government has given this CCL which is a formidable concession. Of the couples who got to work to earn their living ,those of them who are both central govt employees are very few.   In certain families the husband will be a central govt employee while the wife may work in a private firm.  In some others the husband may work in a private firm while his spouse may work in a central govt institution

For instance let us keep in mind that the husband is a central govt employee and his wife works in a private institution the critend is that they would not reap the beneath of CCL as it as certained only to the female central govt employee.  We are all very well aware that the children need the warmth and care of both parents in equal measures.If it is so why then the central govt has not allotted CCL for their male employees.  During pregnancy time the female central govt employee are given maternity leave On similar basis the male employees are given paternity leave.This seems to be acceptable to a certain extent. But [to say frankly] the allotment of CCL only to the female central govt employee is not acceptable.

It is the same payment for same work for both the female and male employees in a central govt institution. Similarly the concessions given should be in common for both of them. If a female employee is given two years CCL the male employee also can be given nearly the same if not equal.  There are grounds on which a male central govt employee loses his wife or he diverse why hasn't the govt not taken in to consideration the condition of their children.Henceforth ccl should be given to the male central govt employees though certain conditions can be imposed. Only then the reason for which this concession (ccl) has been introduced could be realised to it full extent.

Source : www.centralgovernmentemployeesportal.blogspot.in


Productivity Linked Bonus to Railwaymen-Cabinet meeting to be held on 03.10.2013

All India Railwaymen's Faderation
No.AIRF/387
Dated: September 30, 2013
The General Secretaries,
All Affiliated Unions,
Dear Coms.,
Sub: Productivity Linked Bonus to Railwaymen

Though all of you have created pressure on Ministry of Railways, Government of India for implementation of Resolution No.1 - Productivity Linked Bonus to Railwaymen adopted by the General Council of the AIRF on 13.09.2013 in New Delhi, wherein AIRF had taken a decision to stop trains without any notice, in case of any reduction in number of days for PLB.


The issue of PLB to Railwaymen is likely to be taken-up by the Cabinet on 3rd October, 2013, it is once again advised that we should hold “Massive Demonstrations and Mobilization Programmes at Branch level, demanding payment of PLB to Railwaymen without any reduction in number of days.
Comradely yours,
sd/-
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
General Secretary
Source: AIRF
http://www.airfindia.com/AIRF%202013/CABINET%20MEETING%20ON%20PLB_01.10.13.pdf

October 2 : GANDHI JAYANTI (International Day of Non-Violence)


Payment of Dearness Allowance to Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) at revised rates w.e.f.1/7/2013 onwards..reg.


NEW CERTIFICATE FOR EMO, EPAYMENT, ACCOUNTS MIS CLIENTS

After 29/09/2013 eMO, ePayment, Speed Net Communication and Accounts MIS Clients were not transmitting due to PTC Mysore certificate has been expired.
Error Message: Error in Communication The underlying connection was closed: Could not establish trust relationship for the SSL/TLS secure channel. Solution: Solution provided by PTC Mysore.Please Click Here for details.

“World Post Day” is coming - Are you ready?

Traditionally observed every year on October 9, World Post Day was created back in 1969 by the Universal Postal Union as a way to create awareness of the Postal Service, its people, and the impact it has on the lives of citizens around the globe.

To celebrate the day, postal organizations around the world will engage in activities and promotions to increase awareness of the Postal Service and the impact it has on the lives of the world’s population. For individuals who’d like to join in on the fun, what better way to celebrate than to mail a letter or card to a friend of family member? Besides enjoying a special message, they’ll appreciate the thoughtfulness of the unexpected arrival in the mail, and it might also encourage them to reciprocate.  Mail continues to have a meaningful impact in society, even in a digital age. Besides its tactile and visual appeal, no message creates as much joy, wonder, and intrigue than those lovingly sent and eagerly received in the mail.