FinMin working on norms for salaries of retired central govt officials re-appointed on contract

The finance ministry is working on guidelines for wage transfers to contractually re-elected central government employees and has suggested that appointments will stay ‘no more’

The Ministry of Finance of the Department of Expense, in its August 13 Office Memorandum, has indicated that ministers and departments are appointing retired central government employees on contract basis, including as consultants.

Also check: Pay and accounts Offices of ministries / departments manage pension cases in a timely manner

In the case of the recruitment of retired central government officers, the department of expenditure has published draft regulations for pay and, within 10 days, invited comments by ministries / departments.

“It was felt that the salaries for the contractual appointment of retired central government employees should be regulated uniformly,” said the department.

The draft guidance notes that, by an application based on certification of the previous service and not on free market ads, the recruitment, even as advisors, of pensioners can not be undertaken as a ‘politique and must be held to a minimum’

“Such appointments may only take place in the justified official work requirements, where the retired employee’s appointment serves the public interest,” the draft guidelines stated.

As far as payment of wages is concerned, the draft guidelines state that a fixed monthly amount, which is deducted from the basic salary drawn at the time of retirement, is admissible. It is known as “pay.”

“For the period of contract, the amount of the wage so fixed remains unchanged.”

It said house rent allowance (HRA), except in situations where the Cabinet Appointments Committee is empowered to have a separate dispensation.

The length of these appointments shall run up to one year for an initial duration and can be increased to two years longer than the age of surplus

“… no more than the age of superannuation shall in any event be extended to the limit of five years,” the draft Guidelines have stated.

In addition, the remuneration will be regulated as offered by contract terms if the nomination of a former central government employee is made from an open market.

Source: PTI

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No.NC/JCM/2019

Dated: September 25, 2019

All Constituents of the JCM (Staff Side)

Dear Comrades,

Government’s briefing to the PTI on the age of superannuation of the Central Government Employees

There are serious rumours in the air that the Department of Personnel & Training (Government of India) has mooted a proposal in regard to age of superannuation of the Central Government Employees, laying down condition of either 33 years of Qualifying Service or 60 years of age, whichever is earlier. It is also being claimed by several sources that, this proposal has already been sent to the Finance Ministry for their approval.

Also check: Central Government employees who have put in 33 years service or attained the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier, shall retire on superannuation

In this connection, it is clarified that, this has not to be given any cognizance since it is not possible without prior consultation with the JCM(Staff Side), being an important matter of the service condition, affecting the Central Government Employees.

Sincerely yours,
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
Secretary(Staff Side)
National Council(JCM)

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Union Home Ministry recently announced government benefits of better pay and service benefits to CAPF officers

The Union Home Ministry has formed a six-member committee to prepare final modalities for granting the recently announced government benefits of better pay and service benefits to CAPF officers, said officials on Thursday.

The committee, headed by a director-level officer, has been asked to “ensure processing and completion of all proposals” by September 30.

The latest order is seen in the backdrop of a number of officers writing to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking his intervention, and launching a social media campaign claiming that despite a Supreme Court order and subsequent approval by the Union Cabinet, their headquarters were delaying these benefits to them.

PTI had reported about the contents of a number of such letters earlier this month.

The ministry, recently, also asked the chiefs of all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to send in their proposals without any delay to it else it would be considered a contempt of the top court”s order that has asked it to accomplish the task by September-end.

“The officers will take stock of all such proposals of non-financial functional upgradation (NFFU) and non-functional selection grade (NFSG) received by various sections…and will prepare force-wise proposals after scrutiny of records and place them before the screening committee for final deliberation,” an August 21 order, accessed by the news agency, said.

The direction has been issued by the Police-II division of the ministry that looks after the affairs of the CAPFs.

A difference of opinion had also cropped up between these officers and those from the IPS with regard to framing of new recruitment rules (RRs).

CAPF officers contend that as they have been granted the categorisation of an organised Group ”A” cadre, their RRs should be revised and this will allow them more positions in senior ranks as compared to the officers who come on deputation to these forces.

The Indian Police Service officers however state that framing of RRs is a procedure well laid out.

“Every organised cadre has a procedure for recruitment, promotion and for availing of service benefits. The eligibility criteria are drawn after taking a holistic picture of the service and the officer”s service tenure. It cannot be held back by anyone and it is being prepared in earnest,” an IPS officer said.

These proposals will be finally placed before the screening committee headed by the Union home secretary and a final framing of RRs and procedures will be brought out by the MHA, he said.

A senior Home Ministry official said Thursday the home secretary-led screening committee will strictly go by the procedure in granting the benefits of the NFFU and NFSG to these officers of paramilitary forces.

“The decision will be taken on the merits of the proposals and the established norms for Group A services and not because some one has launched a campaign,” the home ministry official said.

The Modi government, on July 3, had announced that the cadre officers of forces like CRPF, CISF, BSF, ITBP and SSB will be given the NFFU and will be categorised as an organised group A service.

This decision had come after a decade-long legal battle waged by the cadre officers seeking a level playing field by ending the dominance of IPS officers in their senior ranks.

The new order is meant to benefit about 11,000 serving cadre officers and a few thousand more who have retired since 2006 from the five CAPFs.

The apex court had in February upheld a Delhi High Court verdict on the subject and agreed that all the CAPF officers be recognised as “organised services”, saying it will remove stagnation, ensuring the promotion and other service-related benefits to officers in the same post.

These officers command units are deployed to undertake anti-Naxal operations, counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency tasks, border guarding and they also render a variety of roles for maintenance of internal security and conduct of elections across the country.

PTI

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The government on Thursday told the Rajya Sabha that there has been a reduction in number of vacancies in various departments of the central government.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh said filling up of vacancies in the government was a continuous process and efforts were being made to reduce them further.

“The government is already working in this direction. If you go by the vacancy figures, the percentage of the vacancy strength has been constantly reducing over the past five to six years.

“When this government came in, in the year 2013-14, ending March 31, 2014 before the government took over, the vacancy percentage was 16.2 per cent. The successive year it is 11.57 per cent. Then in 2015-16 it is 11.52 per cent, then in 2016-17 it is 11.36 per cent. In fact, the record is better in the central government than many of the states,” he said.

Singh said the record in the central government was far better than Karnataka where he said it had gone down from 27.3 per cent in 2014-15 to 32.56 per cent in 2018-19.

He also informed the House that steps to fill up almost 4 lakh vacancies in central government departments was underway and would be filled up by 2020.

The minister also pointed out that the Congress had claimed in its manifesto for the recent Lok Sabha polls that it will fill up the 4 lakh vacancies in the central government departments and the PSUs.

But, he said, the party did not mention that the process for filling up the vacancies had already started during the last NDA regime.

Singh said there is a total vacancy of 6,83,823 in all departments of central government, out of which almost half 3,89,069, almost 4 lakh, were already in the process of being filled up in the beginning of the year.

“All of 4 lakh vacancies in central government and PSUs, judiciary and Parliament will be filled up before March 2020.

But the catch is that the process of filling the vacancies had already been in the process. So we are already pro-active in filling up of vacancies,” the minister said.

In his written reply, the minister said vacancies in Central Government Ministries/Departments, their attached and subordinate offices arise due to retirement, resignation, voluntary retirement, promotion, transfer, transfer on deputation, termination of service, dismissal from service, death etc.

Based on the vacancies reported by the user Departments, the SSC has started recruitment process to fill up 1,05, 338 posts during the year 2019 and 2020, the minister said.

“During 2017-18, the Centralised Employment Notifications (CENs) for 1,27,573 combined vacancies of various Group C and Level-1 posts were notified by the Ministry of Railways For new and future vacancies to arise in two years time, another five CENs covering 1,56,138 vacancies of various Group C and Level-1 posts have been issued in 2018-19.

“Thus, recruitment process to fill up 3,89,069 vacancies has already started,” the minister said.

To reduce the recruitment cycle, some recruiting agencies have switched over to computer based on-line test and interview for non-gazetted posts has been discontinued, he said in a written reply.

The minister also said provisional appointment is being made pending verification of antecedents of the candidates.

PTI

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BSNL, a state – owned telecoms company, said that its 1,76 lakh employees were cleared of their pending february salaries.

The company also announced the launch of various schemes to increase its market share and revenue.

“We have disbursed salary of all employees that was pending for the month of February. BSNL employees have ensured that customers services run uninterrupted despite issues that they were facing. Now we will aggressively focus on increasing our market share and revenue with attractive schemes,” BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava told PTI.

The BSNL CMD Thursday had said that the telco was using internal accruals of Rs 850 crore to clear the February salary.

He had stressed that with the telecom department’s support, there would be no delay in salary disbursement in coming months.

BSNL Friday announced free voice call on its ‘Wings’ mobile app and free broadband services for a period of 30 days to attract new customers.

Under the scheme, BSNL landline and mobile customers can make unlimited calls across India for free for a period of 30 days through its Wing mobile application and make calls to any landline or mobile number in India for Rs 1.2 per minute when they are travelling abroad.

“The Wings app annual activation charge is Rs 1,100 but we are giving it to all students at 20 per cent discount, all central and state government at 50 per cent discount and BSNL employees for 75 per cent discount,” BSNL Wings (OSD) AK Jain said.

Post the free offer, Wings users can make calls using any wifi network and will need to pay as per their landline or mobile subscription plan.

BSNL customers can divert incoming calls on their landline or mobile phone to the Wings app.

“We are not charging money for diverting calls to the app,” Jain said.

Besides voice calls, the state-run firm announced free broadband service for its landline and new customers for 30 days. Under the offer, customers availing broadband connection will get 5Gb per day data.

Though the scheme is not applicable for existing broadband customers, the company has announced “25 per cent cash back and Amazon prime subscription for a year on zero cost” for them.

Amid tariff war fuelled by Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio, BSNL is the only company, apart from Jio, that gained new customers in mobile segment, according to the Trai data.

The company, however, had been losing landline customers and expects new schemes to check the decline.

PTI

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Madurai (TN), Jan 27 (PTI) Virtually sounding the Lok Sabha poll bugle in Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday hit out at critics of the 10 per cent quota for the economically weaker sections.

A few in the state were creating an “atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust” for ‘selfish’ interests, he said addressing a well-attended BJP rally here.

He took a swipe at the proposed grand alliance of opposition parties, saying they had set aside their ‘differences’ to “remove this watchman” in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections.

The government was taking effective steps to rid the country of corruption and nepotism, he said, while assuring firm action against economic offenders, even if put up abroad.

The Centre’s 10 per cent quota for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in the general category in education and government jobs will not impact the existing reservation benefits for Dalits, Tribals and OBCs, Modi said.

The EWS quota had been earmarked with the ‘spirit’ of providing opportunities to all in education and employment.

“This decision has been taken in such a way that it doesn’t impact Dalits, tribals and OBCs who are already availing the benefits of reservation,” he added.

“It is unfortunate that an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust is being created by a few people in Tamil Nadu to serve their own selfish interest. I urge all of you to be vigilant and against such negativity,” he said.

Opposition DMK and some other parties in the state have opposed the 10 per cent quota, saying social backwardness alone should be the criterion for reservation.

The DMK has moved the Madras High Court challenging the Constitution amendment providing for the EWS quota.

Modi further said any political thought which opposes the poor cannot benefit anyone, adding opportunities for all cannot be guaranteed as long as there were artificial concepts of high and low or ours and theirs.

Further, the union government was taking effective steps to rid the country of corruption and nepotism, he said.

“Any person who has cheated or looted the country shall be brought to justice. This is regardless of whether he is in India or abroad,” he said, in an apparent reference to economic offenders Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, all of whom are staying abroad.

Modi said the Centre’s effort against corruption has created a “stir from Chennai to Delhi,” and that all those who were “used to making bills in government contracts, “different bills, and welfare schemes, are now facing the music.”

That was why they were all coming together, he said in an apparent reference to a proposed grand alliance of major opposition parties, including the Congress and DMK.

“They say that keeping aside all other considerations they must unite to remove this watchman. However big a group they form, out of fear and negativity, Narendra Modi will stand firmly with the poor,” he said.

“And I call upon the people of Madurai and the youth of Tamil Nadu to reject these forces of negativity,” he said.

Modi, who started his address by extending salutations in Tamil, hailed Madurai for being a seat of the ancient Tamil Sangam, and a pilgrimage city. He also paid tributes to the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on the occasion.

Modi, who earlier laid the foundation stone for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences at nearby Thoppur, said it the hospital would be “ready soon.”

Work was on to establish one medical college in every three Lok Sabha constituencies which was being done with the objectives of improving medical services and providing avenues of education and employment to the youth, he said.

Besides direct intervention in health care, the Centre was also focused on preventive health care and the Swachh Bharat initiative has become a people’s movement with marked increase in rural sanitation, he said.

Nine crore toilets have been built in the last four years, with 47 lakh of them in Tamil Nadu, he said.

The government was working to improve the ease of living for the poor and middle class, Modi said while highlighting the increased focus on connectivity including highways and airways.

The speed of building highways and laying railway lines has doubled, he said, adding projects pending for years have been expedited.

The government has started work on a Rs 2,100 crore project to link the holy island of Rameswaram and Pamban in the state, while a new a Pamban bridge is being constructed to facilitate people in the region, he informed.

Madurai and Chennai will be now connected through the ‘ultramodern’ Tejas train while the country’s fastest Train 18 will in times to come provide high speed connectivity across the country, he said.

Developed at the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Train 18’s largescale production will create jobs for Tamil Nadu youth, the Prime Minister said, adding several other countries have also evinced interest in it.

On the Devendra Kula Velalar community’s demand to be scrapped from the Scheduled Castes list, Modi said he was “fully sensitive” about it.

A ‘significant’ progress has been made on the matter, he said and assured ‘justice’ to the community, which wants to be included in the OBC list.

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The Supreme Court Friday decided to examine the Centre’s decision to grant 10 percent reservation in jobs and education to poor candidates belonging to general category.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna issued notice to the central government on various petitions challenging the validity of the Constitution (103 Amendment) Act, 2019, which paved the way for grant of quota to poor belonging to general category.

“We are examining the matter and hence issuing notice returnable within four weeks,” the bench said.

The bench, however, did not stay the operation of the Centre’s decision granting quota to the poor in the general category.

In poll year, the Narendra Modi government had come out with the constitutional amendment bill giving quota benefits to the poor among general category candidates.

The petitions were filed by parties including organisations like Janhit Abhiyan and Youth For Equality challenging the Centre’s decision.

The petition, filed by Youth For Equality, has sought the quashing of the bill saying that the economic criterion cannot be the sole basis for reservation.

The plea has said the bill violates basic feature of the Constitution as reservation on economic grounds cannot be limited to the general categories and the 50 per cent ceiling limit cannot be breached.

A similar plea has been filed by businessman Tehseen Poonawalla seeking to quash the bill, saying that backwardness for the purpose of reservation cannot be defined by “economic status alone”.

The quota will be over and above the existing 50 per cent reservation to SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha cleared the Bill on January 8 and 9 respectively and it has also been signed by President Ram Nath Kovind.

Source: PTINews

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Nearly a month after the roll out of the Centre’s PMJAY health insurance scheme, one lakh people have availed the benefits of the ambitious programme, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said Sunday.

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (previously Ayushman Bharat), touted as the world’s largest health insurance programme, was launched pan-India by the prime minister from Jharkhand on September 23.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana on September 23 and within a month, one lakh beneficiaries have benefitted from it. We are committed to ensure the benefits of the scheme reach the last man,” Nadda said in a tweet in Hindi.

The scheme is expected to benefit up to 55 crore people, providing them an annual health cover of Rs 5 lakh for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation through a network of Empanelled Health Care Providers (EHCP).

There is no cap on family size and age in the scheme.

On October 5, two weeks after the launch of the PMJAY, Indu Bhushan, CEO of National Health Agency, said around 38,000 people have availed the benefits of the scheme.

The health ministry has said the scheme will help in reducing expenditure on hospitalizations and help mitigate the financial risk arising out of catastrophic health episodes.

Over 9,000 hospitals have been empanelled for the scheme, and 32 states and Union territories have signed MoUs with the Centre and will implement the programme. Telangana, Odisha, Delhi and Kerala are not among the states which have opted for the scheme.

PTI

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The telecom department is considering to allow only data services initially in flights and water vessels within Indian territorial boundaries, an official source said.

Under the proposed in-flight connectivity guidelines, both voice and data services would be provided to passengers on flights and maritime transport within the national boundaries.

“DoT will initially seek application for data services under IFC (in-flight connectivity) guidelines. There are some issues around gateway for voice so that will not start immediately,” a Department of Telecom official told PTI.

In-flight connectivity service is available in most of the developed markets.

While mobile phone use will still be restricted during takeoff and landing, the Telecom Commission has approved lifting the ban on the use of mobile phones and internet services at cruising altitudes.

Globally, many airlines are offering wi-fi for passengers, but they have to switch off the facility when they enter Indian airspace.

AirAsia, Air France, British Airways, Egypt Air, Emirates, Air New Zealand, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic are among 30 airlines that are already allowing mobile phone use on aircraft but not in Indian airspace.

The DoT is likely to approach the Law Ministry next week for the review of these guidelines before notifying them.

PTI

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The government has increased the rate of interest for General Provident Fund (GPF) and other related schemes by 0.4 percentage points to 8 per cent for the October-December quarter.

The rate is in line with that for Public Provident Fund.

The interest rate on GPF was 7.6 per cent for the July-September quarter of 2018-19.

“… during the year 2018-2019, accumulations at the credit of subscribers to the General Provident Fund and other similar funds shall carry interest at the rate of 8 per cent with effect from October 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018,” a Department of Economic Affairs’ notification said.

The interest rate would apply on Provident Funds of central government employees, railways and defence forces.

Last month, the government announced that the interest on small savings, including NSC and PPF, will be hiked by up to 0.4 percentage point for the October-December quarter, to align it with rising deposit rates in the banks.

PTI

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