Monday, January 12, 2015
Media reports proposal of LTC to Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal for Central employees
Following Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal for the Saarc
summit, the government is mulling a proposal to provide leave travel concession
(LTC) for government employees to four countries — Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and
Sri Lanka — to boost tourism in the neighbourhood. The LTC will be modeled on
the schemes for the north-east and J&K which helped increase tourism and
fueled economic improvement in the two regions.
Incidentally, there has been a sharp dip in tourist arrivals from all
four countries in the last few years. While Sri Lanka remains one of India's
top source countries, tourism arrivals declined by 11% in 2013 while arrivals
from Maldives dropped by 10% between 2012 and 2013.
Similarly, the number of tourists from Nepal came down by 9% while
Bhutan, which has a small share of tourists (15,016), saw a drop of 1% in the
same period.
Sources in the tourism ministry said, "Introducing LTC for 20 lakh
government employees could encourage greater people to people exchange among
the Saarc countries. But there will have to be some reciprocal arrangement. We
are working on that." Sources said India was in touch with the countries
to consider the proposal's viability.
At the Saarc summit, Modi had highlighted the need for better
connectivity in the region. In his speech, he had said, "It is still
harder to travel within our region than to Bangkok or Singapore; and, more
expensive to speak to each other."
There are a large number of Buddhists in the region and India hopes to
capitalize on that. Besides Lumbini in Nepal, other significant spots for
Buddhists are in India including Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kapilvastu. Modi also
flagged off a Kathmandu-Delhi bus but plans for greater rail and road
connectivity were stonewalled after Pakistan blocked two agreements in Nepal
PM likely to approve India Post revival plan
Task Force proposes to divide India Post into five biz verticals
New Delhi, January 6:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to review a report on the
revival of India Post soon.
Official sources said that Minister for Communications and Information
Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad has approved the task force report and will
submit it to the prime minister for a review.
The task force had submitted its report to Prasad in December,
recommending division of India Post into five verticals, including one each for
banking, insurance and e-commerce, with India Post being the holding company.
“The minister is expected to meet the prime minister on Wednesday for
an in-principle approval. The task force has highlighted priority areas, which
would give a fillip to our postal department,” an official told BusinessLine.
The Centre is also investing ₹5,000 crore for IT modernisation in India
Post.
He said priority tasks include providing banking and insurance services
to the public and making e-commerce companies such as Amazon, Flipkart and
Snapdeal use India Post’s services.
“The main purpose is to utilise the network in line with the Prime
Minister’s vision of reaching rural areas for financial services through
innovation and digital connectivity instead of mere postal services,” the
official added.
The task force, chaired by former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian,
was set up by the Prime Minister last year.
The idea was to leverage India Post’s wide reach across India.
Snapdeal has already partnered with India Post to work on bringing
thousands of weavers and artisans from Varanasi on its website. The online
company has launched a pilot with India Post to set up facilitation desks at
Varanasi post offices to enable local weavers to sell their products on its
platform.
Source : http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/
Post office cannot be held liable for postal delay
NEW DELHI, January 3, 2015
THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT STANDS PROTECTED AGAINST CLAIMS OF DEFICIENCY IN
SERVICES BY VIRTUE OF A STATUTE
The postal department takes 15 days to deliver a speed post resulting
in a woman missing out on her chance of being appointed as a JBT teacher.
However, the department stands protected against claims of deficiency in
services by virtue of a statute which says a post office is not liable to
compensate if damage caused was not wilful or fraudulent.
The post office derives this protection from section 6 of the Indian
Post Office Act, 1898 which says no official of the post office shall incur any
liability by reason of any loss, mis-delivery, delay or damage, unless he has
caused the same fraudulently or by his wilful act or default.
In the instant case, a woman from Gurgaon, was denied any relief by the
Gurgaon District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum when she claimed a
compensation of Rs. 20 lakh from three post offices after her applications for
JBT teacher’s appointment failed to reach the Delhi Subordinate Services
Selection Board’s office in time.
The woman had sent two applications for appointment of JBT teacher by
way of speed post registry on December 31, 2009 through post office, Pataudi,
Gurgaon with last date for submission as January 15, 2010.
The Speed Post registry failed to reach it in time to DSSS Board at
Karkardooma here even as a speed post should have reached within 48 hours.
She moved the District Forum against Post Office, Pataudi, District
Gurgaon, the main post office in Gurgaon and the post office at Karkardooma and
also the DSSS Board seeking compensation.
In their reply, the post offices at Gurgaon told the Forum that the
complainant’s post was dispatched to Speed Post Centre, Delhi on December 31,
2009 for being delivered to its destination. However, the centre in New Delhi
inadvertently dispatched both the articles to Krishna Nagar head office due to
heavy work in connection with mailing AIEEE admission forms. Her posts were
received at Krishna Nagar office on January 15, 2010 and were anyway taken to
DSSS Board but they refused to accept the same.
The post offices on their part said it was the fault of the Board that
it refused to accept the applications and went on to claim protection under
section 6 of the Indian Post Office Act. The Board in turn said it could not
accept any application after the advertised date and time.
Accepting the arguments, the District Forum held the post office not
liable. Consequently, no case of deficiency of service is made out, it said.
The Hindu.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Sale of Rs. 300 Tirumala darsan tickets commences at post offices
TTD Executive Officer D. Sambasiva Rao and Chief Post
Master General B.V. Sudhakar handing over a Rs.300 darshan ticket to a woman
devotee at the Tirupati Head Post Office on Monday. Post Master General Meera
Ranjan Tshering is also seen. Photo: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar
Buoyed by the success of the pilot project of issuing
‘Rs.300 special entry darshan tickets’, Department of Posts (DoP), in
association with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), has decided to extend
the service through all the 95 head post offices in Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana from Monday.
The project, offering TTD’s darshan tickets, was
envisaged on December 1 last year through nine post offices across five districts
of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with the intention of reaching out to more
people. Positive reviews emerging from various corners of the two States
prompted the officials to launch the facility through head post offices.
Inaugurating the services at Tirupati's Head Post Office
here on Monday, TTD Executive Officer D. Sambasiva Rao said this method of
booking would be more pilgrim-friendly when compared to internet
booking/e-darshan as majority of the population including rural masses would
have access to post offices.
As many as 5,000 tickets would be allocated by the TTD in
different slots for post offices falling under the project. Devotees could book
the tickets four weeks in advance so as to plan their itinerary. The facility
would also be available at sub post offices at Narasampet (Warangal district)
and Madanapalli Bazaar (Chittoor District).
In wake of complaints against internet booking of Rs. 300
tickets, TTD was contemplating ensuring booking in post offices with internet
facility. To the suggestion of Chief Post Master General B.V. Sudhakar to
enable booking of accommodation and kalyana mandapams through HPOs, Mr.
Sambasiva Rao said the TTD would look into the feasibility of introducing the
facility.
Postmaster General Meera Ranjan Tsering and District
Postal Services D.V.S.R. Murthy from Kurnool region, Tirupati Superintendent of
Posts T.A.V. Sarma, TTD Deputy Executive Officer C. Ramana, GM Transport Sesha
Reddy, EDP Manager Bhaskar and other officials took part.
Source : http://www.thehindu.com/
Bi monthly meeting with PMG, CR on 20.1.2015
M.Newtonbalakrishnan S.ARULDOSS P.V.SEKAR
Circle President
&ASP Circle Secretary & ASP Circle Treasurer
& ASP(HQrs)
Tiruchendur Sub Division, Tiruvarur Sub Division, Cuddalore Division,
TIRUCHENDUR-
628215 TIRUVARUR-610 001 CUDDALORE-607 001
___________________________________________________________________________
|
,
|
AIA
IP&ASP/Bi-monthly/Dlgs dated at Tiruvarur 610 001the 05.01.2015
Respected Sir,
Sub:- Bi-monthly
meeting of Recognized Service Associations with
the PMG., Central Region., TN circle, Tiruchirappalli-620 001 –
reg.
Ref
:-PMG’s letter No. SR/3-22/2013/TR dated
29.12.2014.
The following are the
subjects to be discussed in the proposed Bi-monthly meeting to be held on 20.01.2015.
Old Subjects:- “NIL”
New Subjects:-
a.
Request for Posting
newly selected young & Energetic graduate
and computer knowing Postman as
Mailoverseers in all the Sub Divisions in central region and imparting
training to them on all the DOP software & investigation at PTC., Madurai
so as to facilitate the Sub Divisional heads to execute their work more
effectively & efficiently and to have much concentration on Business
prospectives.
b.
Request for release of Honorarium bill for IO/PO which are pending in
respect of all the cases and ceiling may be raised as notified in DOPT memo.
i.e. Rs.5000/Rs.10000.
c. Request for collection
of RPLI Daily figures directly from the
concerned CPCs., by the Divisional office, instead of submission
of daily figures by the Sub Divisional heads to DO. If the SDHs., are directed to submit daily report on procurement of
RPLI, the routine work of Sub divisions will be affected.
The following members of our Association will attend the proposed
Bi-monthly meeting to be held on 20.01.2015. It is kindly requested to make
necessary relief arrangements to them.
1. Shri. S.ARULDOSS, Circle Secretary, AIAIPASP & ASP, Tiruvarur Sub
Division, TIRUVARUR-610 001.
2. Shri. C.PASUPATHI, Vice President, AIAIPASP & ASP., Lalgudi Sub Division, LALGUDI-621 601.
/S.ARULDOSS/
Circle Secretary
To
The Postmaster General,
Central Region, TN Circle,
TIRUCHIRAPPALLI-620 001.
*****************************************
*****************************************
Friday, January 2, 2015
Service Tax on PLI & RPLI Premia
The PLI Directorate of India Post has decided to collect the Service
Tax on insurance premium from all PLI and RPLI policy holders w.e.f.
01/01/2015. The circular in which
recovery of service tax from individual policy holders was stopped from
1/11/2007 and was decided to meet the liability on Service Tax from the
PLI/RPLI fund.
Later the case was re-examined
in the light of ever increasing out-go
from the PLI Fund I RPLI Fund,
IRDA guidelines issued to indicate separately the amount of premium and
service tax collected from individual policy holder and also collection of
service tax by LIC and other insurance
companies from their policy holders.
The Service Tax @ 3.09% (Including education and higher education cess)
of the gross premium during the first year and @ 1.545% (Including education and higher education cess) on subsequent years i.e.,
second year onwards (rounded off to nearest rupee) is to be collected from the
Policy Holders separately and a consolidated receipt issued for the total
amount i.e. premium+ service tax.
The service tax is to be collected every time the premium is collected,
be it monthly, quarterly, half yearly or annually at the rates cited
above. Insurant who pay the premium in
the form of cheque (s) should be advised to include the service tax component
also at the above prescribed rate in the value of the cheque.
It should collect the above mentioned service tax and show the same
separately in the receipts issued to the PLI/RPLI policy holders. At the end of the day, the PO records should
indicate, the premium collected and service tax collected separately in all
their accounts and consolidated
accordingly. In all the returns to
Postal Accounts Offices and DPLI Kolkata pertaining to PLI and RPLI these two
components should be correctly reflected to facilitate amount collected and
amount depicted in departmental accounts and further book adjustment with the
Service Tax Department.
PTC Mysore is also being advised to make necessary changes in the
Meghdoot software and NIC Delhi in the respective module of its software.
Source : PBI FB.