PSU Banks write-off Rs.1.14 lakhs NPA

The public sector banks in India have written off loans of more than Rs.1.14 lakh crores during 2013-15 alone as per an RTI reply received from the Reserve  Bank of India. Out of this, more than Rs. 40,000 crore is from SBI alone. 29 Banks have written off such NPAs. The RBI refused to provide even the details of the loans taken of more than Rs. 100 crores.

The non-repaid loans which are called Non-Performing Assets(NPA) have been increasing. These are mainly loans of large amounts coming to hundreds of crores of rupees mostly given to big corporates and business concerns. While the small amount loans of a few lakhs or so are recovered through coercive measures from the common people, the big sharks are let off. The government also keeps silence. The common men’s savings are gifted to the corporates. The PSUs are let to bleed. This injustice has to be put an end to.

 

TRAI takes firm stand on Net-Neutrality

Putting an end to the discriminating tariff plans of certain net-providers like Facebook and Airtel, the TRAI has taken a firm stand on Net-Neutrality. Violation of Net-Neutrality will invite penalty up to a maximum of Rs.50 lakh.

The TRAI stated as follows: ” Keeping in view of India’s large number of Net users and content producers, the authority has taken a view that  prohibition of discriminatory tariff for data services is necessary to ensure service providers continue to fulfill obligations in keeping Internet open and non-discriminatory.”

Facebook’s Free Basics and Airtel Zero are barred accordingly. It is reported that Facebook has spent thousands of crores of rupees towards publicity of its Free Basics.

Reason has won at least for the present. TRAI has stated that it may review the decision after two years. The service providers have been given 6 months time to comply with the present decision.

Strike by CG Employees from 11th April 2016

 

NJCA DECIDED INDEFINITE STRIKE FROM 11th APRIL 2016

Meeting of the National Joint Council of Action (Railways, Defence, Postal, Confederation) held on 08th February 2016 at New Delhi has unanimously decided to serve indefinite strike notice on 11th March 2016 and to commence indefinite strike from 11th April 2016. The demands of the strike is also finalized; mainly modifications on the retrograde recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

Personalised take away bedrolls service in Indian Railways

Shri Suresh Prabhu, launched Personalised take away bedrolls service in Indian Railways

 

Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, Union Minister of Railways during a grand function held at East Tambaram Railway Colony Ground in Tambaram, Chennai yesterday i.e. 07.02.2016 (Sunday) launched various Railways project/schemes which also included ‘Personalised take away bedrolls scheme’

Initially, the supply would be at Chennai Central Railway Station and Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station of Southern Railway. Later, this scheme will be extended to other stations also in the country in phases .

Salient features of e-Bedrolls:

Bedrolls are disposable. Hence, passengers can take them home after journey.

 

Type 1 – Bedroll kit packed in a non-woven fabric bag consisting of two cotton bedsheets and one pillow at a cost of Rs.140.

Type 2 – Blanket kit packed in a non-woven bag consisting of one blanket at a cost of Rs.110.

Cost is inclusive of all taxes and uniform across stations over Indian Railways.

Booking:

Any passenger having a valid confirmed ticket for travel from Chennai Central railway station or Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station can book the bedroll kit – either type 1 or type 2 or both together.

Booking available at www.irctctourism.com under the tab Bedrolls.

Bedrolls can also be purchased across the designated counter at the stations by paying cash.

Website asks for PNR number, validates the same and shows information on availability, cost etc.

Passenger can book the required bedroll kits and pay through credit / debit / pre-charged cards.

Booking will be confirmed at the website and also through e-mail and SMS.

Bank charges for the transaction to be borne by the customer.

Bedrolls service available between 06.00 hrs. to 22.00 hrs.

In case of trains running late and reaching the designated station between 22.00 hrs. to 06.00 hrs., bedrolls will not be delivered and treated as non-delivery by IRCTC.

In case of non-delivery by IRCTC, 100% charges for the service would be refunded to the pasenger’s account. (Refund will not include bank charges for booking transaction).

Advance reservation period – from 60 days before day of travel to up to five hours before scheduled departure of train.

A toll free number – 1323 – will give information about the kits, cost and availability.

Cancellation / Amendment:

Cancellation / Amendment of orders through www.irctctourism.com with the registered ID.

Refund amount will be credited to the card account through which the original booking was made.

Cancellation / amendment before five hours of scheduled departure will incur cancellation charge of 20%.

Cancellation / Amendment within five hours of scheduled departure – no refund.

 

OROP arrears shall be paid in four equal half yearly installments – PCDA

 

PCDA has issued instructions for implementation of OROP and payment of accrued Arrears on implementation one rank one pension. Payment of Arrears has been explained in in its Circular dated 04-2-2016 [Click to See the PCDA Circular]    under sub heading  “Additional Instructions “

17.Additional instructions

17.1 No arrears on account of revision of pension shall be admissible for the period prior to 01.07.2014. Arrears on account of revision of pension from 1.7.2014 till date of its implementation shall be paid by the Pension Disbursing Agencies in four equal half-yearly installments. However, all the family pensioners including those in receipt of Special/Liberalized Family Pension and all Gallantry award winners shall be paid arrears in one installment.

 

17.2 No commutation of pension shall be admissible on revised/additional amount of pension accruing as a result of the revision of pension under this order. However, the existing amount of pension, if any, that has been commuted will continue to be deducted from the revised pension.

17.3 As a result of these orders, there will be no change in the amount of gratuity already determined and paid with reference to the rules in force at the time of discharge/ Invalidment/death.

17.4 Any overpayment of pension coming to the notice or under process of recovery shall be adjusted in full by the PDAs against arrears becoming due on revision of pension on the basis of this Government letter, cited under reference.

17.5 The following elements will continue to be paid as separate elements in addition to the pension revised under this order.

a) Monetary allowance attached to Gallantry Awards such as Param Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra etc.

b) Constant Attendance Allowance (CAA)Wiacedmissible todisability pensioners.

17.6 The rate prescribed in these orders shall be the basic pension from 1.7.2014. Additional pension as applicable to the old age pensioners/ family pensioners on attaining the relevant age (80 years and above) shall also be enhanced by the PDAs from 1.7.2014 or the date from which the pensioner attain the age of 80 years or more, whichever is later as per the extant orders on the subject

JEEVAN PRAMAAN- DIGITAL LIFE CERTIFICATE.

 

Now Life Certificate for Pensioners can be provided by digital process. The Press Release issued by the Ministry of Communications and IT dated 02-02-2016 is reproduced below:

Government of India

Ministry of Communications & Information Technology

02-February-2016 15:00 IST

Jeevan Pramaan- A Hit With Pensioners 

Jeevan Pramaan (https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in/) provides a big relief to all pensioners. A pensioner can now digitally provide Annual Life Certificate to the authorities for continuity of pension instead of presenting himself physically or through a Life Certificate issued by specified authorities every year. Lakhs of pensioners on various schemes are already benefitting from it.

             Launched by the Prime Minister on 10th Nov 2014, nearly 12.5 Lakhs pensioners have registered for Digital Life Certificate (DLC) in about a year. Interestingly the enrolled pensioners come from different districts of the country showing the interest the facility has generated all over the country including in far flung rural and hilly districts. Started with Civil pensioners of Central Government only, several other pensioner schemes have adopted Jeevan Pramaan and provide this facility of Digital Life Certificate to these pensioners. Presently apart from civil Central Government employees, Defence services, Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), Post Offices, Railways, Defence Pensioners Disbursement Office (DPDOs), several PSUs including Mumbai Port Trust, Chennai Port Trust and New Delhi Municipal Council are providing this service.

State Governments have also recognized the potential of Jeevan Pramaan and adopted the service. State Governments of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Pondicherry, Odisha, Andaman & Nicobar, Rajasthan and Jharkhand have already started providing these services.

Jeevan Pramaan service is provided by NIC through a Central Portal developed on Open source. The platform is highly scalable. Developed using in-house manpower, the portal has been developed and maintained free of cost to all the user agencies and is also free for pensioners. 

            In Jeevan Pramaan a pensioner can digitally show that he or she is alive using his/her biometrics. Biometric devices are available in CSC’s, Bank branches, Pensioner associations, Govt. offices etc. More over any citizen can also purchase a finger print scanner and do the identification from home. A typical finger print scanner currently costs around Rs. 2600/- only and the prices are expected to come down in future. The usefulness of Jeevan Pramaan will increase even further as the biometric authentication device gets integrated with mobile phones.

            All pension disbursing organizations, which have a requirement of periodic life certificate to continue disbursing pension are welcome to join this free offering.

            For more details they are required contact Ms Nandita Chaudhri, DDG, NIC (Email: ) 

*****

OBSERVE S.K.VYAS MEMORIAL DAY ON HIS FIRST DEATH ANNIVERSARY,13-02-2016.

 

Dear Comrades!

The 3rd AIC of NCCPA held at Kolkata recently in the month of November 2015 had resolved to observe 13th February each year as the Memorial Day of Comrade S.K.Vyas. It is our misfortune that we miss him at this hour of dealing with the aftermath of 7th CPC with the Central Government. Comrade S.K.Vyas who had associated himself from the 1st Pay Commission to the recent 7th Pay Commission, had dealt the Pay Commissions and the Central Rulers with his nature bestowed intelligence and wisdom. An undisputed leader of the Central Government Employees and the Pensioners in India, his contributions are immense. His lone voice in the Standing Committee of JCM at times when the Government tried to impound the dues of CG Employees or tried to freeze the wages of Employees is still ringing around us and leading us to take correct positions at times of policy offensives of the Government. His role in linking the CG Employees movement with the entirety of the Working Class movement of India was spectacular. In fact we take pride in his leading role in unifying the government employees and the central trade unions of working class on a single platform of struggle against the neo-liberal offensives. He was also the founder of NCCPA the apex organisation of all Central Government Pensioners in India. NCCPA CHQ calls upon all organisations to hold befitting meetings in accordance with the decision of NCCPA AIC and remember Comrade S.K.Vyas!
KKN.Kutty
Secretary General NCCPA 

Greece Protest against Pension reforms

Massive Protest against pension reforms that are part of Greece’s third international bailout.

AFP Athens, Feb 4 : Greece was hit today by a general strike against an unpopular pension overhaul that has rallied workers against the embattled government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. The 24-hour labour action has deprived the country of train and ferry services and will sideline dozens of flights. Hospitals will operate on emergency footing, gas stations will remain closed and taxis have been pulled off the streets. Lawyers and farmers are also participating in the walkout. The general strike, the third in as many months, is directed against government plans to lower the maximum pension to 2,300 euros (USD 2,500) a month from 2,700 euros currently and introduce a new minimum guaranteed basic pension of 384 euros. The leftist administration of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras also wants to merge pension funds and increase social security contributions by both employers and staff. The plan has been criticised by a wide array of professional classes, from lawyers and engineers to sailors and farmers. The farmers have formed protest hubs at dozens of locations on Greece’s national highways, intermittently blocking traffic with tractors over the past two weeks. On Tuesday the farmers blocked passage of freight trucks into Bulgaria and Turkey, causing long lines on the respective borders. Greece must save 1.8 billion euros from state spending on pensions under a three-year bailout signed with the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund in July. The Tsipras government has warned that the nation’s pension system will soon collapse without the reform, which is expected to be put before parliament for a vote later this month.

BSNL provided 20 lakh new connections in January 2016 – Congratulations!

A REPORT FROM BSNL TELESERVICES IS GIVEN BELOW FOR INFORMATION

“We all are seeing the BSNL rejuvenating plans which are becoming the success stories. Yes, BSNL did it. BSNL has declared a new achievement which is, it has got 2 million gross new subscribers for BSNL Mobile in the month of Jan 2016, a new millstone for the efforts they have put in. BSNL is going like a bullet train and very aggressively with its new plans and decisions to make itself one of the best in class service provider for its sector.

Being a Public Sector enterprise, any change is a great deal. BSNL the only PSU in the telecom segment is able to push new boost among its own employees and its stake holders. BSNL strategies and adoptions of market expectations are quite dynamic. On the prima face, we thought that BSNL is trying to stand after a great surge. After a couple months it started running with its new BSNL Mobile Plans and Broadband Plans catalyzing the change in BSNL plans which were quickly accepted by large consumer base making BSNL to drive like a bullet train.

The financial year 2015 16 have given a bight scope of agility among BSNL stake holders. BSNL agenda, to make the company customer centric rather than a monotonous PSU company. To make this realized by its subscribers BSNL had implemented many plans and approach routes and bridged the gap between the subscriber and BSNL.

In this new record, BSNL Employees, Unions, Associations supports with their hard work to achieve this new mile stone, and in this new record Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan records top most growth and Assam, UP East, UP West, HP, Madhyapradesh, Maharashtra and Tamilnadu followed the record of acquiring highest volume of new mobile customers.”

Yes, BSNL is on the way to recovery by the joint efforts of the Unions/Associations and the Management. Let us continue this magnificent effort to bring BSNL to its past glory!