Lok Sabha passes the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Lok Sabha passes the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Government is fully committed to transparency and accountability; No question of decreasing autonomy of Information Commissions: Dr. Jitendra Singh

22 JUL 2019

Lok Sabha passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 today. In this amendment, it is proposed to amend the Right to Information Act, 2005 so as to provide that the term of office of, and the salaries, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of, the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners and the State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners, shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
Participating in the debate on the Bill, Union Minister of Statefor Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that this Government is fully committed to transparency and accountability. Following this principle, the Government has encouraged suo motu dissemination of maximum information by Government Departments in order to reduce number of RTIs.

In addition to this, the Minister said that the Government is focussing on grievance redressal through citizen involvement. This has strengthened the underlying principle of RTI and has consistently reduced the pendency of RTI applications in the last 5 years, the Minister informed the House.
Assuring the members that the Government is not misusing its powers to frame rules regarding State Information Commissions, Shri Singh said that according to the original RTI act of 2005, the power of framing rules in respect of Information Commissions does not fall under the purview of either the Union or the State or the Concurrent lists. Hence, framing rules, even for the State Information Commissions, falls under the Residuary powers of the Union Government, the Minister said.

Replying on the issue of comparison of service conditions of Information Commissions and Election Commissions, Shri Singh said that the Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions are statutory bodies established under the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Therefore, the mandate of Election Commission of India and Central and State Information Commissions are different. Hence, their status and service conditions need to be rationalised accordingly.Further, the Minister said that there has been no change in the section of the original act dealing with the appointment of Information Commissioners. Thus, the question of decreasing autonomy of the Information Commissions does not arise, the Minister added.

PIB

Meeting of the NJCA to discuss and decide course of action to fight against privatization / corporatization and anti-labour policies of the Government of India

Meeting of the NJCA to discuss and decide course of action to fight against privatization / corporatization and anti-labour policies of the Government of India

National Council (Staff Side)

Shiva Gopal Mishra
Secretary
No.NJCA/2019

Dated: July 18, 2019

All Constituent Organisations,
National Council (JCM),

Dear Comrades,
Sub: Meeting of the NJCA to discuss and decide course of action to fight against privatization / corporatization and anti-labour policies of the Government of India

As you are aware that; danger of privatization/ corporatization/ outsourcing, in Railways, Ordnance Factories and other Departments/ Organizations of the Government of India, is looming large. The government is moving in full-swing in the direction of privatization/ corporatization of the Railway Production Units and Defence Factories as also closure of the Railway Printing Presses in spite of assurance given by the Railway Board(Ministry of Railways) that nothing would be done without consulting the organized labour.

No doubt, all the Unions / Federations are fighting and agitating this issue at the grassroots level, but now, time has come to take a united movement to face the challenge. It has, therefore, become incumbent on us that, we should keep ourselves prepare to halt government’s efforts of privatization / corporatization of the Railways Production Units and Ordnance Factories.

To discuss and decide future course of action to fight against privatization/ corporatization / outsourcing policy of the Government of India, a meeting of the NJCA will be held on 25th July, 2019 in JCM Office, 13-C, Ferozshah Road, New Delhi, from 16:00 hrs.

You are requested to attend the above cited meeting of the NJCA.

Comradely yours,
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)

Source: ncjcmstaffside

Senior Pensioners aged 80 years and above be allowed to submit their Life Certificate

DOP&PW

No. 1/20/2018-P&PW (E)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare

3rd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhavan.,
Khan Market, New Delhi-110003
Dated: 18.7.2019

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject:- Submission of Life Certificate.

It has been the experience of this Department that the Senior Pensioners i.e. the pensioners 80 years and above are facing a lot of difficulties standing in queues while giving the Life Certificates in November. It has been under the consideration of the Government to provide some relief to such pensioners.

2. It has therefore, been decided by the Government, that Senior Pensioners aged 80 years and above be allowed to give their Life Certificate w.e.f 1st October every year instead of November which would be valid till 30th November of the subsequent year.

3. The remaining pensioners below the age of 80 years may continue to give their Life Certificate in November as per existing provisions of CPAO Scheme booklet.

This has the approval of competent authority.

(Sanjoy Shankar)
Under Secretary to Govt. of India