RTI course is open for all the citizens and is available free of cost – Dopt

RTI online Certificate Course conducted by the Department of Personn and Training

F No.111012009-IR

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

Department of Personnel and Training

North Block, New Delhi-I 10001

Dated: 7.10.2014

Office Memorandum

Subject: RTI online Certificate Course conducted by the Department of Personn and Training

The Department of Personnel and Training has been conducting an justify to  Information Online Certificate Course in English since the year 2009 and in Hindi and Telugu since the year 2012.

The course is hosted through Centre for Good Governance, Hyderabad on the url rtiocc.cgg.gov.in . The RTI online certificatecourse not only offers the benefit of away from Class room learning, but also provides a platform for reinforcing one’s learning through interacting with experts and fellow candidates.

This course is open for all the citizens and is available free of cost.

2. The CGG hosts two courses on RTI – a short duration course of 7-days and a longer version of 15 days. The 7 days course is introductory in nature and does not  have chat window/moderator facility and does not carry any certificate. However, this is treated as an eligible criterion for getting selection into the longer version 15-days course.

3. The 15-day course is more intensive with practical orientation of applying the RTI Act. This version of the course has the facility of discussion forum and moderation. On successful completion of the course, an e-Certificate will be issued.

4. It is requested that the Public Information Officers and First Appellate Authorities working in your Ministry/Department and public authorities under your administrative control may be encouraged to enroll for the said Online Certificate Course on RTI.

(Archana Varma)

Joint Secretary

Source: Dopt

7% DA for TN State Government Employees

7% DA for TN State Government Employees

An another announcement of hiking in Dearness allowance to the employees of State Government of Tamil Nadu today.

Tamilnadu Chief Minister announces an additional DA to state employees from 1.7.2014.

More than eighteen lakh state government employees will get the hike, which is effective from 1.7.2014. The arrears for three months will be paid in cash. The Tamilnadu Chief Minister Pannerselvam announced the hike of DA today.

Following the Central Government, the state government has declared DA to its employees from the existing rate of 100% to 107% with effect from 1.7.2014.
Click to view the Government Order…

Is Interim Relief Likely for Central Government Employees..?

Is Interim Relief Likely for Central Government Employees?

Is it really possible for Central Government employees to get an interim relief this time? Let us look at it in detail.

‘Interim Relief’ may be defined as the temporary relief given to employees before the new Pay Commission’s recommendations are implemented. ‘Interim relief will be treated sui generis’, most of the Finance Ministry orders included the sentence when sanctioning interim relief.

If one looks at the interim relief granted in 1983 and 1993, it can also be inferred that interim relief is granted in order to correct the errors in salary revision once every ten years. One gets the feeling as if an entire Pay Commission was lost simply for the sake of a small hike.

During the previous Pay Commission, particularly in 5th CPC, since 50% DA Merger was granted, there was no interim relief.

Here are some of the reasons why interim relief is normally granted :

* It has been granted a number of times before, in the past.

* DA Merger hasn’t been sanctioned this time

* Prices have touched the skies

* Some errors in the formulation of once-in-a-decade Pay Commission…etc.,

Reasons cited for the Government’s refusal to sanction DA Merger/interim relief:

* 7th Pay Commission was constituted at the right time.

* There was no recommendation for DA Merger in the 6th Pay Commission

* There was a recommendation against DA merger in the 6th Pay Commission (the Commission is, therefore, not recommending merger of dearness allowance with basic pay at any stage).

* In the event that the Price Index is taken as 115.76 instead of 306.33 for the DA calculations.

All the Central Government Employees Unions and Federations are functioning with the intention of getting the DA merged with the basic pay. If that doesn’t happen, these federations are hoping that interim relief will be offered through the 7th Pay Commission’s interim report.

This is very much possible if Modi Government is willing to accept the demand.

Source: 7thpaycommissionnews.in

CPAO instructions on manner of disposal of Pension Payment Order

Manner of disposal of PPO – Death of the pensioner with no claimant authorized for family pension in the same PPO

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF FINANCE

DEPARTMENT OF EXPENDITURE

CENTRAL PENSION ACCOUNTING OFFICE

TRIKOOT-II, BHIKAJI CAMA PLACE,

NEW DELHI-110066

CPAO/Tech/Bank Performance/2014-15/511-581,

23.09.2014

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: Manner of disposal of PPO – death of the pensioner with no claimant authorized for family pension in the same PPO

The Central Pension Accounting Office is a nodal agency for administering the Scheme for pension disbursement through public sector banks. It is in continuous process of streamlining and simplifying the pension delivery to the utmost satisfaction of Pensioner’s/ family pensioner’s comfort and convenience. The disbursement of family pension to the “family pensioner other than spouse” like widowed/divorced daughter is one of those areas in which a lot of efforts have been put in to simply and make them effective and efficient.

But it has been observed that a number of court cases and legal cases received in CPAO are mainly related to delay in the commencement of family pension to the family pensioner other than a spouse and arisen due to negligence on the part of the banks in returning the disbursers’ and the pensioners’ half of the PPO to CPAO if there is no family pensioner stands to be authorized through the same PPO.

In this context, Para 23.3 of “Scheme for Payment of Pensions to Central Government Civil Pensioners through Authorized Banks” provides the manner of disposal of PPOs wherein no claimant exists after the death of pensioner/family pensioner with the stipulation that the disburser’s portion as well as pensioner’s portion of the PPO is to be returned to CPAO for updation of its record and onward transmission to the PAD/AG who had issued the PPO for similar action and record.

The non-compliance of these instructions by the banks is resulting increase in receipt of number of court cases and legal cases in CPAO, non-updation of CPAO’s and PAO’s relevant record, delay in authorization of family pension to the eligible family members for whom a new PPO is to be issued, causing hardship to the claimants, points raised by the Pensioners’ Welfare Associations from different platforms including SCOVA meetings.

The Para 6.3.1 of the CPPC Guidelines also stressed upon the strict adherence to the codal provisions of “Scheme Booklet”, CCS[Pension] Rules, Orders, Guidelines on Pension issued by Government of India/Reserve Bank of India from time to time.

Non-compliance of codal provisions by the banks is a very serious lapse on their part. Therefore, it is imperative to instruct the Heads of CPPC of all the banks/ Heads of Govt. Business Divisions to take a stock of these cases and send a Review Report within seven days from the receipt of this Office Memorandum followed by returning of both the halves of all such PPOs wherein pensioner/spouse has died and no claimant for family pension has been authorized in the PPO. The matter may be taken

on priority as it is under review at the higher level.

This issues with the approval of Chief Controller [Pensions].

The Hindi version will follow.

sd/-

(M.M. Kaushik)

Asstt. Controller of Accounts

Source: www.cpao.nic.in

[http://cpao.nic.in/pdf/cpao_tech_bank_perf_2014-15-511-581.pdf]

Clarification on Submission of Boarding Pass along with TA bills – Finance Ministry Orders on 8.10.2014

Dopt published a circular yesterday on this subject that the Boarding Pass need not submit along with settlement of TA claims. And also said in the order that simplify the procedure of settlement of TA claims, submission of Boarding Pass alongwith settlement of TA claim is dispensed with.

No.19030/3/2014-E.IV

Government of India

Ministry of Finance

Department of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi

Dated the 8th October, 2014

Office Memorandum

Subject: Travelling Allowance (TA) Rules – Submission of Boarding Pass along with TA bills- reg.

References have been received in this Department seeking review of the existing guidelines relating to submission of Boarding Passes alongwith TA bills for air journeys performed on Government account.

2. O/o Controller General of Accounts have clarified that as per provisions of Civil Accounts Manual Pay and Account Offices are mandated to ask the DDOs to produce records to ensure that the journey for which TA is being claimed, was actually performed and DDOs may accordingly be asked to enclose the Boarding Passes with the TA bills.

3. Since submission of Boarding Passes as proof of having undertaken the journey is a requirement under the rules and procedures for passing TA claims, all concerned are required to follow these instructions. Ministries/Departments etc. are accordingly advised that these instructions may be brought to the notice of all concerned for strict compliance.

sd/-

(Subhash Chand)

Director

Source: www.finmin.nic.in
[http://finmin.nic.in/the_ministry/dept_expenditure/notification/tour_ltc/TARules_BoardingPass08102014.pdf]