Department of Posts: Exemption for travel in airlines other than Air India

Exemption for travel in airlines other than Air India on Government Tour: Department of Posts OM.

F. No.9-1/2016-FC (Posts)
Government of India
Ministry of Communications & IT
Department of Posts
(Integrated Finance Wing)

New Delhi, the 24th August, 2017

 OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Exemption for travel in airlines other than Air India - reg.

Consequent upon the delegation of powers to the Financial Advisors to accord exemption for air travel in airlines other than Air India in individual cases, this office is receiving requests from the officers seeking exemption for air travel by airlines other than Air India.

While processing such proposals, it has been observed that in spite of repeated instructions issued by the Directorate vide letter no. 17-01/2015-PAP dated 28.07.2016, OM no. 9-1/2016-FA (Posts) dated 09.08.2016 and dated 28.02.2017 (Copies enclosed for ready reference), requests for seeking exemption are being submitted in the last days / hours of the proposed journey and that too with incomplete/insufficient reasons/documents in' prescribed Performa (Revised) as required vide Directorate OM no. 9-1/2016-FA (Posts) dated 28.02.2017. This results in avoidable delay in processing such cases and higher expenditure due to the last minute booking of tickets. It is-also seen that even without obtaining approval of the competent authority, the journey by airlines other than Air India is performed and at a later stage requests seeking ex-post facto approval are submitted, violating the instructions on the subject.

In view of the above, it is once again reiterated that the requests in the revised Performa complete in all respect are submitted to JS&FA at least 7 working, days in advance from date of travel so that adequate time is made available for processing in Integrated Finance Wing. It may also be noted that non-receipt of approval by the stipulated date does not entitle one to claim relaxation as a matter of right.

This issue with the approval of Competent Authority.

(Nirdosh Kumar Yadav)
Director (FA)

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Grant of Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) to the Armed Forces Pensioner/Family Pensions - Order 29.08.2017

Grant of Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) to the Armed Forces Pensioner/Family Pensions - Order 29.08.2017

No.1(10)/2009-D(Pen/Policy)
Government of India
Ministry of Defence
Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare

New Delhi-110011
Dated: 29th August 2017

To
The Chief of the Army Staff
The Chief of the Naval Staff
The Chief of the Air Staff

SUB: GRANT OF FIXED MEDICAL ALLOWANCE (FMA) TO THE ARMED FORCES PENSIONERS/FAMILY PENSIONERS IN SUCH CASES WHERE DATE OF RETIREMENT IS PRIOR TO 1.4.2003 AND WHO HAD OPTED NOT TO AVAIL MEDICAL FACILITIES AT OPD OF ARMED FORCES HOSPITALS/MI ROOMS AND ARE NOT MEMBERS OF ECHS.

Sir,
The undersigned is directed to refer to the Govt. of India, Ministry of Defence letter No.1(1)/98/D(Pen/Sers) dated 15th June 1998 and letter No. 1(10)/09-D(Pen/Policy) dated 12th January 2011 & No. 1(10)/2009-D(Pen/Policy) dated 5th May 2015 regarding grant of Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) of Rs.500/- pm. with effect from 19.11.2014 to Armed Forces Pensioners/Family' Pensioners for meeting expenditure on day to day medical expenses that do not require hospitalization unless the individual had opted for OPD treatment in Armed Forces Hospitals/ M.I. Rooms and convey the sanction of the President for enhancement of the amount of FMA from Rs. 500/- to Rs. 1000/-per month. The other conditions for grant of FMA shall continue to be in force.

2. Ex-Servicemen who retired on or after 01 Apr 2003 have to-become member of ECHS Compulsorily and are not eligible to draw Fixed Medical Allowance. These orders applicable only in such cases, where the date of retirement is prior to 1.4.2003 and who had opted not to avail medical facilities at OPD of Armed Forces Hospitals/ MI rooms and are not members of ECHS.

3. These orders will take effect from 01.07.2017.

4. All other conditions as laid down in Government of India letter No. 1(1)/98-D(Pen/Sers) dated 15th June 1998 will continue to apply.

5. This issue with the concurrence of Ministry of Defence(Finance/Pension) vide their ID No. 32(9)/2010/Fin/Pen dated 16 August 2017.

6. Hindi version will follow.

Yours faithfully
sd/-

(Manoj Sinha)
Under Secretary to the Government of India

Authority: http://www.desw.gov.in/

Division/ Railway-wise status of pending pension eases of Normal retirement and Other than normal retirement

Inordinate delay in finalization of pension cases on all units of Indian Railways/Production units. - Railway Board Order after Railway Minister concern

Government of India
Ministry of Railways
Railway Board

No. 2016/AC-II /21/8/Pt-l New
Delhi dated: 28.08.2017

PFAs,
All Zonal Railways / PUs

Sub- Division/ Railway -wise status of pending pension eases of Normal retirement and Other than normal retirement.

Hon'ble Minister for Railways has expressed concern that there has been inordinate delay in finalization of pension cases on all units of Indian Railways/Production units. It is desired that immediate Steps be taken to streamline the system in place. A division/Railway-wise status report on pending pension cases of Normal retirement and Other than normal retirement as on 31.3.2017 has been sought.

It is therefore requested the requisite details may be provided in the following format by mail at jda[at]rb.railnet.gov.in by 31.08.2017.

Railway	Division	Number of pending cases for Settlement of Normal Retirement as on 31.03.2017	Number of pending cases for Settlement of other than Normal Retirement as on 31.03.2017	Reasons for delay

(Vivek P. Tirupathi)
Director Finance/CCN
Railway Board

Atal Pension Yojana surges ahead with 62 lacs enrolment

Atal Pension Yojana surges ahead with 62 lacs enrolment

A total of 3.07 lac APY accounts have been sourced under One Nation One Pension. The stellar performance of the banks under the campaign includes some of the largest banks in the country namely, State Bank of India sourcing a stupendous 51,000 APY accounts and other prominent banks like Canara Bank which has sourced 32,306 APY accounts, Andhra Bank at 29,057 APY accounts, in other private banks category, Karnataka Bank at 2641 APY accounts, in RRB's category, Allahabad UP Gramin Bank at 28,609 accounts followed by Madhya Bihar Gramin Bank at 5,056 APY accounts , Baroda Uttar Pradesh Gramin Bank at 3,013 APY accounts, Kashi Gomti Samyut Gramin Bank at 2,847 APY accounts & Punjab Gramin Bank at 2,194 APY accounts.

At a time when the interest rate on various financial instruments including Savings Bank is declining, Atal Pension Yojana as a pension scheme offers a guaranteed rate of 8% assured return for the subscribers and also the opportunity of higher earnings in case the rate of return is higher than 8% at the time of maturity, after staying invested in the scheme for 20-42 years. Increasing enrolment is attributed to financialisation of assets and driving the people to pension products which has Govt of India implicit guarantee to give an assured pension to the subscriber, spouse and return of corpus to the nominee.

Department of Financial Services in association with Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has been organizing various APY campaigns to give thrust through which the population not covered by any pension scheme is approached by APY Service Provider banks and Department of Posts to inform about the salient features and benefits of the APY scheme and are encouraged to get enrolled in the scheme. PFRDA organised a National Level Pension Mobilization Campaign " One Nation One Pension" from 2nd August to 19th August 2017 in association with the APY Service Provider Banks all over the country. 62 lacs subscribers have become members of the Atal Pension Yojana till date in 2 years after launch of the scheme.

The objective of PFRDA is to cover the maximum possible population uncovered by any pension scheme under the APY scheme so that India as a nation can move from a pension less to a pensioned society and the citizens can live a life of dignity in their vulnerable years.

PIB

Cabinet approves equivalence of posts in Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Banks, Insurance Institutions with Posts in Government so that the children of those serving in lower categories in PSUs and other institutions can get the benefit of OBC reservations

Cabinet approves equivalence of posts in Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Banks, Insurance Institutions with Posts in Government so that the children of those serving in lower categories in PSUs and other institutions can get the benefit of OBC reservations 

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to the norms for establishing equivalence of posts in Government and posts in PSUs, PSBs etc. for claiming benefit of OBC reservations. This addresses an issue pending for nearly 24 years. This will ensure that the children of those serving in lower categories in PSUs and other institutions can get the benefit of OBC reservations, on par with children of people serving in lower categories in Government. This will also prevent children of those in senior positions in such institutions, who, owing to absence of equivalence of posts, may have been treated as non Creamy Layer by virtue of wrong interpretation of income standards from cornering government posts reserved for OBCs and denying the genuine non creamy layer candidates a level playing field.

The Union Cabinet also approved the increase in the present income criterion of Rs. 6 lakh per annum for applying the Creamy Layer restriction throughout the country, for excluding Socially Advanced Persons/Sections (Creamy Layer) from the purview of reservation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The new income criterion will be Rs. 8 lakh per annum. The increase in the income limit to exclude the Creamy Layer is in keeping with the increase in the Consumer Price Index and will enable more persons to take advantage of reservation benefits extended to OBCs in government services and admission to central educational institutions.

These measures are a part of the Government's efforts to ensure greater social justice and inclusion for members of the Other Backward Classes. The Government has already introduced in Parliament, a bill to provide Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes. It has also decided to set up a Commission, under section 340 of the Constitution, to sub categorize the OBCs, so that the more backward among the OBC communities can also access the benefits of reservation for educational institutions and government jobs. All these decisions, taken together, are expected to ensure greater representation of OBCs in educational institutions and jobs, while also ensuring that the more under-privileged within the category are not denied their chance of social mobility.

Background:
In its judgment dated 16.11.1992 in WP(C) 930/1990 (IndraSawhney case) the Supreme Court had directed the Government to specify the basis, for exclusion of socially and economically advanced persons from Other Backward Classes by applying the relevant and requisite socio-economic criteria.
An Expert Committee was constituted in February 1993 which submitted its report on 10.03.1993 specifying the criteria for identification of socially advanced persons among OBCs i.e. the Creamy Layer. The report was accepted by the then Ministry of Welfare and forwarded to DoPT which issued an OM dated 08.09.1993 on exclusion from the Creamy Layer.

The OM of 08.09.1993 specifies six categories for identifying Creamy Layer (a) Constitutional/Statutory post (b) Group 'A' and Group 'B' Officers of Central and State Governments, employees of PSUs and Statutory bodies, universities, (c) Colonel and above in armed forces and equivalent in paramilitary forces (d) professionals like Doctors, Lawyers, Management Consultants, Engineers etc. (e) Property owners with agricultural holdings or vacant land and/or buildings and (f) income/wealth tax asessee.

The OM further stipulates that the said parameters would apply mutatis mutandis to officers holding equivalent or comparable posts in PSUs, Banks, Insurance Organizations, Universities, etc. and Government was required to determine equivalence of positions in these organizations with those in Government.
Pending the equivalence to the established in these institutions Income criteria would apply for the officers in these Institutions.

However, this exercise of determining the equivalence of posts in Government and posts in PSUs, PSBs etc. had not been initiated. The determination of equivalence of posts has been thus pending for almost 24 years.
The matter of formulating equivalence has since been examined in detail. In PSUs, all Executive level posts i.e. Board level executives and managerial level posts would be treated as equivalent to group 'A' posts in Government and will be considered Creamy Layer. Junior Management Grade Scale-1 and above of Public Sector Banks, Financial Institutions and Public Sector Insurance Corporations will be treated as equivalent to Group 'A' in the Government of India and considered as Creamy Layer. For Clerks and Peons in PSBs, FIs and PSICs, the Income Test as revised from time to time will be applicable. These are the broad guidelines and each individual Bank, PSU, Insurance Company would place the matter before their respective board to identify individual posts.

PIB

GST: Cabinet approves promulgation of the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Ordinance, 2017

GST: Cabinet approves promulgation of the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Ordinance, 2017

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to the proposal of the Finance Ministry to promulgate an ordinance to suitably amend the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act, 2017.

The approval would allow to increase the maximum rate at which the Compensation Cess can be levied from 15% to 25% on:

a) motor vehicles for transport of not more than thirteen persons, including the driver [falling under sub-headings 870210, 8702 20, 8702 30 or 8702 90]; and

b) motor vehicles falling under headings 8703.

The GST Council, in its meeting held in August 2017, taking into consideration the fact that post introduction of GST, the total incidence on motor vehicles [GST+ Compensation Cess] has come down vis-a-vis pre-GST total tax, incidence, and had recommended increase in the maximum rate at which Compensation Cess can be levied on motor vehicles falling under headings 8702 and 8703 from 15% to 25%.

The issue regarding the increase in effective rate of Compensation Cess on motor vehicles will be examined by the GST Council in due course.

PIB