Payment of Agency Commission on pension accounts – RBI Circular on 21.1.2016

Payment of Agency Commission on pension accounts – RBI Circular on 21.1.2016

Reserve Bank Of India

RBI/2015-16/294

DGBA.GAD.No.2278/31.12.2010/2015-16

January 21,2016

The Chairman & Managing Director/

The Chief Executive Officer

All Agency Banks

Dear Sir/Madam

Payment of Agency Commission on pension accounts

As you may be aware, agency banks are being compensated at Rs.65 per transaction for handling pension computation, payment and related services on behalf of Central and State Governments. As per the norms followed by the Government, a pensioner’s account should not have more than 14 credit transactions in a calendar year attributable to pension and related arrear payments, if any.

2. It has however come to our notice that certain banks are apportioning payment of arrears on account of Dearness Relief (DR) and/or delay in start of pension monthwise, thus, resulting in inflated agency commission claims. It is reiterated that number of commisionable transactions for payment of agency commission on account of pension in a year should not exceed 14. This includes one monthly credit for payment of net pension and a maximum of two per year for payment of arrears on account of increase in DR, if applicable.

3. It is also reiterated that cases involving payment of arrears on account of late start/restart of pension qualifies as a single transaction for claiming of agency commission. In other words, any payment of arrears on account of late start/restart of pension should be effected in a single credit transaction instead of separate monthly credits.

4. Some of the Central Government Departments and State Governments prefer to compute the pension figures on their own and pass them on to banks for payment. Such transactions may be included under non-pension payments, on which agency commission is payable on a turnover basis as per the existing norms (currently at 5.5 paise per Rs. 100/-).

Yours faithfully

(Manish Parashar)

Deputy General Manager

Authority: https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/

Facilitation Fee levied by authorized travel agents on Air Tickets – Clarification orders issued by PCA(Fys)

Facilitation Fee levied by authorized travel agents on Air Tickets

Principal Controller of Accounts (Ordnance Factories), Kolkata

Important Circular

Office of the PCA (Fys) Kolkata,

10A, S. K. Bose Road, 

Kolkata -700001

Dated: 20/1/2016

NO.2078/AN-VIII/TA/LTC/BL

Sub: Facilitation Fee levied by authorized travel agents on air tickets book on Government account

A copy of Gol, MoF, DoE, OM no. 19024/1/2012-E-IV, dated 5/9/2014 on the above subject along with M/s Balmer Lawrie Co. Ltd. Letter dated 3/11/2015 is forwarded herewith for your information and guidance, please.

sd/

Nabarun Dhar

Jt. C of A.(Fys)

N0.19024/1/2012-E-lV

Government of India

Ministry of Finance

Departrnent of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi. 

Dated the 5th September, 2014.

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject- Facilitation Fee levied by authorised travel agents on air tickets booked on Government account – Withdrawal regarding.

Attention is invited to this Department’s O.M of even number dated 10th October 2013 wherein the authorized travel agents namely M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited (BLCL) M/s ,Ashok Travels & Tours (ATT) and Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) were allowed to levy ‘Facilitation Fee’ @ Rs.100/- per ticket for domestic sector and Rs.300/- per ticket for international sector for air travel. Wherein Government of lndia bears the cost of air passage.

2. The issue has been re-examined in consolation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Department of Legal Affairs in the light of provisions of the Air craft’s Rules,1937, as amended from time to time and it has been decided to Withdraw this Department’s O.M of even number dated 10th October 2013 with immediate effect. Consequently, no service charges (by whatever nomenclature), which are not included in the tariff charged by Air India / Airlines, are required to be paid to the authorized travel agents.

3. payment to the authorized travel agents for the Bills raised by them for air tickets produced/ purchased till date in respect of air travel already undertaken or due to be undertaken would be regulated as per O.M of even number dated 10.10.2013. it is reiterated that as far as possible air tickets on Government account may be obtained directly from Air India/ Airlines (booking counter/offices/website) and if obtaining tickets directly from Air India/ Airlines is not possible should the services of authorized travel agents be availed of.

4. All Ministries/Departments are advised to bring these instructions to the notice of all concerned from compliance.

Sd/-

(Subhash Chand)

Director

Balmer Lawrie

TOURS & TRAVEL

Date: November 03, 2015

To

Principal Controller of Accounts (FYS)

1OA, S K Bose Road

Kolkata – 700001

Kind attention: Mr. Nabarun Dhar, JT. Controller of Accounts (AN)

Dear Sir,

Kindly refer to your letter ref. no. 2078/ AN-VIII/TA-DA/BL dated 16/10/15, please note that in accordance with GOI, MoF, DoE OM no. 19024/1/2012-E.IV, dated 5/09/2014, we are not charging any Service Charge/Facilitation Fee/ Processing Fee etc. in our bill.

But SERVICETAX, EDU. Cess, & High Edu. Cess, are Govt. Statutary Taxes which are chargeable if you purchase any ticket from an agency and we are regularly depositing this Service Taxes to the service tax authority vide service tax registration no. AABCB0984EST047, which is already mentioned in our bill.

Hence you are kindly requested to make payment of service taxes accordingly.

Thanking you.

Yours faithfully,

For Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd.,

Sd/-

(S. Nath)

Sr. Branch Manager (Travel & Vacations)

Authority: http://pcafys.gov.in/

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Admissibility of Travelling Allowance (TA) and other expenditure incurred while on training by the Government Servants on probation

Admissibility of Travelling Allowance (TA) and other expenditure incurred while on training by the Government Servants on probation

No.T-25014/1/2016-TRG(ISTM Section)

Government of India

Ministry Of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

Department of Personnel and Training

(Training Division)

Old JNU Campus, Block IV,

New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi – 110 067

Dated: 21st January, 2016

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Admissibility of Travelling Allowance (TA) and other expenditure incurred while on training by the Government Servants on probation.

Institute of Secretariat Training and Management (ISTM) is conducting Foundation Training Course of newly recruited Assistant Section Officers (DR) and Stenographers (DR). ISTM has received number of references from various Ministries and Departments, requesting for clarification, whether the expenditure incurred by trainee Assistants, now re-designated as Assistant Section Officers, for their boarding, lodging etc. while undergoing Foundation Training, under the aegis of ISTM can be reimbursed to them. Representations have also been received from Assistant Section Officers, through their administrative Ministries in this regard.

2. The matter has been examined in consultation with the IFD(MHA) with reference to the Supplementary Rules 164 and instructions issued by the Government from time to time under the aforesaid Rules, which govern claims of Travelling Allowances while on training by probationers. The rule position is clarified as under:-

(i) No Travelling Allowance may be allowed for the onward journey for joining the training institute;

(ii) No Travelling Allowance may be allowed to the probationers while they are taken for outstation for training activity;

(iii) Probationers have to pay boarding /lodging /transport charges, if any, from their pocket.

(iv) No daily allowance may be admissible.

(v) One side TA may be allowed to the participants while reporting for duty in the allocated Ministry/Department on completion of the Training Programme from an outstation Institute, which are located at Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Shimla and Jaipur, where such training is being conducted by ISTM at present, or any other State Training Institute, which may be identified later, outside NCR.

3. All Ministries/Departments of Government of India are, therefore, advised to decide the claims made by Assistant Section Offices in respect of reimbursement of expenditure by them for boarding/lodging and other transport charges during the period of their Foundation Training conducted by ISTM, in accordance with the provisions contained at para (2) of this O.M. In case, any reimbursement has already been made, the same may be recovered immediately.

4. This issues with the concurrence with the IFD(MHA), vide their Dy. No. 299/Fin.II/15, dated 31.12.2015.

sd/-

(O.P.Chawla)

Under Secretary to the Government of India

Authority : www.persmin.gov.in

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7th CPC recommendations for Sports Persons and Coaches

7th CPC recommendations for Sports Persons and Coaches

Allowances related to Sports : Allowances Covered

Alphabetical list of Allowances covered here is as under:

1. Out of Pocket Allowance

2. Refreshment Allowance

Out of Pocket Allowance : This allowance is paid to players and coaches of Indian Railways who participate in sports events abroad, in lieu of Daily Allowance on Foreign Travel, to take care of subsidiary expenses, at the rate of $35 per day. There is a demand to replace this allowance with Daily Allowance on Foreign Travel.

Analysis and Recommendations : The demand has merit. Accordingly it is recommended that Out of Pocket Allowance should be abolished and players and coaches participating in sports events abroad should be paid Daily Allowance on Foreign Travel.

Refreshment Allowance : This allowance is paid to players, coaches, technical officials and Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) observers during National and Indian Railways’ camps and Championships, to support additional food requirements, at a uniform rate of Rs.240 per day. There are demands for three fold raise in the amount of this allowance.

Analysis and Recommendations : While Refreshment allowance is understandable for players/coaches/technical officials, it is not justified for observers of Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB). Therefore, since the allowance is not indexed to DA, it is recommended that Refreshment Allowance should be increased by a factor of 2.25 to Rs.540 per day. The amount will rise further by 25 percent each time DA crosses 50 percent. However, the allowance will be paid only to players, coaches and technical officials.