Government employees demand restoration of old pension scheme

Government employees demand restoration of old pension scheme

Central and state government employees protested here Sunday, demanding restoration of the old pension scheme.

Hundreds of employees staged a dharna outside the Hamirpur office of local MP Anurag Thakur and raised slogans against the new pension scheme.

The employees said if the old scheme was not restored then they would be compelled to launch a nation-wide stir.

Bikram Singh Rana, a national-level leader of the employees association, alleged the new scheme was launched to help big companies and not for the benefit of the employees and that all employees were against it.

The employees demanded all parties declare in their manifestos that the old pension scheme would be reverted back to.

Senior BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal, who was in Hamirpur during the dharna, addressed the employees and assured them that he would take up their issue with the central and state governments. He said their case was justified.

PTI

Delegation of powers to Ministries/ Departments for payment of Sitting Fee in respect of Non-officials of Committees/ Panels/ Boards

Delegation of powers to Ministries/ Departments for payment of Sitting Fee in respect of Non-officials of Committees/ Panels/ Boards etc: Fin Min OM

No.19047/10/2016-E-IV
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi.
Dated: 12.04.2017

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Delegation of powers to Ministries/ Departments for payment of Sitting Fee in respect of Non-officials of Committees/ Panels/ Boards etc.

The undersigned is directed to state that the issues related to payment of Sitting Fee to Non-officials of Committees/Panels/Boards etc. have been examined in D/o Expenditure. It has been decided that Administrative Secretaries of the Ministries/ Departments may decide the Sitting Fee in respect of Non-officials of Committees/Panels/Boards etc. in consultation with their Financial Advisors and with the approval of their Ministers.

2. While considering the proposals for payment of Sitting Fee to Non-officials, the Ministries/Departments are directed to keep in view the following instructions/guidelines:-

2.1. Categorisation of Committees: For the purpose of payment  of Sitting Fee, Committees/Boards/panels are categorized into following three categories:-

(i) High Level Committee: In terms of Cabinet Secretariat Circular No. 1/16/1/2000-Cab. dated 15.04.2002, a High Level Committee is a Committee set up with the approval of Hon'ble Prime Minister through the Cabinet Secretary and presided over by a high ranking dignitary eg. a Minister, a Judge of the Supreme Court of India, a Vice-Chancellor etc. including prominent persons in public life as Members.

(ii) Technical or Expert Committee: A Technical or Expert Committee is a Committee constituted to discharge functions as prescribed under Acts/Rules/Subordinate legislation on the subject. Such Committee is to be set up with the approval of the Minister of the concerned Ministry. In case any Member of Parliament is included in the Committee, the prior approval of Prime Minister to their inclusion is to be obtained in terms of Cabinet Secretariat Circular No.1/16/1/2000-Cab. dated 15.04.2002.

(iii) Other Committees: All other Committees will be covered under this category. These Committees will be constituted with the approval of the Administrative Secretary or Minister.

2.2 Definition of a Non-official: For the purpose of grant of Sitting Fee only such persons are to be considered as Non-officials who are not employed in any institution/ organisation/body funded by the Central Government.

3. Rates of Sitting Fee: On the basis of categorisation of Committees viz. High Level Committee, Technical or Expert Committee and Other Committees, The Ministries/Departments shall ensure that the maximum rates of Sitting Fee to be paid to Non-official Chairman/ Members will not be more than the following:-

(i) High Level Committee : Not more than Rs.10,000/- per day of Sitting.
(ii) Technical or Expert Committee : Not more than Rs.6000/- per day of Sitting.
(iii) Other Committees : Not more than Rs.4000/- per day of Sitting.

4. For arriving at the rates of the Sitting Fee to Non-official Chairman and Members of the Committees/Boards/Panels, the Ministries/Department shall observe the following conditions:

i. While considering the amount of Sitting Fee, the Ministries/Departments have to keep in view facts such as nature and scope of the Committee, importance of the subject assigned to the Committee, category of the Committee (i.e. High level Committee, Technical or Expert Committee or other Committee), level/ status of Chairperson/ Members, duration of the Committee, frequency of meetings, Terms of Reference of the Committee etc.

ii. In no case, the ceiling should exceed 10 meetings in a month in respect of all categories of Committees viz. High Level, Technical or Expert Committees and Other Committee. It is presumed that such committees are constituted for a limited duration specified in the order.

iii. It is clarified that the Govt. employees nominated to such Committees/ Boards/ Panels etc. will not be entitled to Sitting Fee.

iv. Cases seeking deviation from the above norms may be referred to M/o Finance giving full justification for seeking deviation.

3. These instructions will be effective from the date of issue of this O.M.

4. This is issued with the approval of Finance Minister.

sd/-
(Nirmala Dev)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India

Source: finmin.nic.in

Just good won’t be good enough to get government employees an annual raise now

Just ‘good’ won’t be good enough to get government employees an annual raise now

Central government employees will be entitled to annual increments and promotions, under a new pay structure that takes effect next month, only if they get a ‘very good’ on their report cards rather than just ‘good’ — the current benchmark.

The finance ministry on Tuesday notified new salaries and pensions as well as other recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission that will impact 4.7 million workers and 5.3 million pensioners.

The commission — which reviews pay grades and suggests hikes every 10 years — had recommended an increase of up to 23.55% in overall take-home amounts, fixed the minimum monthly pay at Rs 18,000, and revised the highest pay to Rs 2.5 lakh for officers of the rank of cabinet secretary, the highest ranking bureaucrat.

Beneficiaries will get arrears from January 2016, to be paid before March 31, 2017.

But with the higher salaries come rigorous performance checks and tougher promotion criteria for the bureaucracy.

“There is one significant aspect where this commission feels a change is required… The commission recommends this benchmark, in the interest of improving performance level, be enhanced from ‘good’ to ‘very good’,” the pay panel had suggested. This was accepted by the government.

The commission had also sought “more stringent criteria such as clearing of departmental examinations or mandatory training before grant of Modified Assured Career Progression”. A panel will now be appointed to streamline the national pension system. The revision is likely to cost the government Rs 1.02 lakh crore annually or 0.7% of GDP.

Source : hindustantimes

BPMS has decided that all the affiliated Unions will support the indefinite strike from 11th July 2016

BPMS has decided that all the affiliated Unions will support the indefinite strike from 11th July 2016

Ref : BPMS / CIRCULAR / 17th TC / 07

Dated : 30th Jun 2016

To,
The Office Bearers & CEC Members BPMS
President / Secretary of Unions
Affiliated to BPMS

Sub :- AGITATIONAL PROGRAMME ON 7TH CPC

Dear Brothers & Sisters,
Sadar Namaskar.

1. As we are aware that after a long deliberation between the stake holders and the Departments/Ministries, concerned Secretaries had submitted their recommendations on the 7th CPC to the Empowered Committee and after considering it, the Central Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the 7th CPC on 29th June 2016 ignoring the submissions of this Federation.

2. The Govt has not enhanced the Minimum Pay from Rs 18000/- to 24000/-, Multiplying Factor from 2.57 to 3.42, rate of increment from 3% to 5%, non-merging of any of the pay scale of Group ‘C’, non-resolving the issue of MACP etc.

3. This has caused discontentment amongst the employees. It has to be kept in the mind that the then Defence & Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley and MoS of PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh had assured the delegation of BPMS/BMS to resolve the above issues in favour of the employees. But now the Govt has reneged to its promises.

4. In this situation, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, Govt Employees National Confederation & BPMS have decided to observe an agitational programme with immediate effect till 08th July 2016. In this agitational programme, Gate Meetings, Slogan shouting, Dharna, Procession, March, Demonstration at Main Gate etc will be organized as per feasibility. On the last day (08.07.2016) unions will submit a memorandum to respective Head of Departments & local Hon’ble Member of Parliament addressed to Hon’ble Prime Minister of India with a copy to BPMS.

5. Further, Shri Shiv Gopal Mishra, Convener, NJCA has requested to BPMS vide his letter (No NJC/2016/07th CPC dated 07.06.2016) to support in the proposed indefinite strike commencing from 11th July 2016. This Federation has considered the same and decided that all the affiliated Unions will support the indefinite strike from 11th July 2016.

We hope for full support and cooperation to give a great success to the programme.

With regards.

Brotherly yours,
(M P Singh)
General Secretary

Source: www.bpms.org.in