Steps to be taken for smooth functioning of POSB operations and prevention of frauds in CBS Offices - Directorate Order dtd 21/06/2016

Instructions to Prevent Fraud in CBS Post Offices Issued by Directorate

Postal Directorate vide letter No 25-11/2016-FS-CBS dated 21.06.2016 has issued detailed instructions regarding the steps to be taken for smooth functioning of POSB operations and prevention of frauds in CBS Post Offices. Following are the instructions.

1. Staff working on CBS should not share password with any other official of his own office or CPC officials or CEPT Team members or any other person. Administrative Officers should take stringent disciplinary action against staff who have been found sharing password.

2. It will be duty of Postmaster/SPM/APM/ to get user IDs of those officials who proceed on leave/deputation etc. disabled.

3. It will be the responsibility of the concerned Division to get user IDs of officials deleted who have been suspended, dismissed, retired or transferred to non CBS offices by referring it to CEPT Team through Circle CPC.

4. SBCO should generate Consolidation of each scheme from the Finacle (which is available in production for any date) when vouchers are received from SOs/HO and compare the consolidation print out sent by SOs/HO Counter with the consolidation shown by the system. In case of discrepancy, SBCO Incharge should immediately raise the issue and report to Divisional Head as well as Vigilance branch of Region/Circle. It is mandatory that consolidation report should be generated from the Finacle production system for reconciliation.

5. SBCO should tally vouchers with the LOT generated through MIS server only. Whenever MIS server access is available, SBCO should first tally vouchers of old/pending dates. Efforts are being made to make MIS server access available all the time. SBCO should immediately raise ticket through CPC concerned as and when MIS server is unable to generate reports.

6. Each and every counter PA should make its Teller Cash Account ZERO before start of End of

Day. If this is not done, suitable disciplinary action should be taken against the official concerned.

7. All CBS Post offices should follow the cheque clearing process scrupulously and no transfer entry should be made in any clearing office account from any other office account. Any unauthorized entry into any office account shall be treated as violation of rules and official will be liable for disciplinary action.

8. Salary or Pension credit to savings account of employee or pensioner should be done only at

Head Post Office. Postmaster/APM shall be responsible for correct upload of amount of

salary/Pension into employee/pensioner savings account. Similarly any credit of benefits like MGNREGS or Old Age Pension should also be done at HO only. Use of HTTUM menu by any other office shall be treated as violation of rules and shall be liable for disciplinary action.

9. Freezing and unfreezing of any account/certificate should be done only at HPO level. For this purpose, SOs have to send request with prescribed documents to HPO.

10. Transfer of account/certificate from one CBS office to another or from post office to bank should also be done at HO level only. SO has to enter transfer application detail in a register and send transfer application with prescribed documents to HPO duly recommended on the day of receipt. HO shall transfer the account after due verification of signatures/KYC documents and balance in the system on the day of receipt and return the application and documents to SO duly signed and mentioning the date of transfer. SO shall maintain a separate guard file to keep such applications which will be checked by visiting/inspecting authorities.

11. Transfer of account/certificate from one scheme to another and transfer of certificates from one person to another should be done at HO only. Any such request if received at any SO, should be entered in a register and sent to HO alongwith documents and recommendations on the day of its receipt. On receipt at HO, all such requests should be executed on the day of receipt and retuned to SO duly signed. SO should maintain separate guard file for keeping such requests. This should also be checked and verified by Inspecting/Visiting Officers. HO shall maintain register and guard file for the requests presented directly at HO.

12. Revival of silent account shall be done at HO only for SO's and HO both. SOs have to enter application for revival in the register to be maintained and send application for revival duly recommended with prescribed KYC Form (in duplicate) with KYC documents to HO on the day of receipt. HO will verify the signatures with the system and ensure proper KYC documents have been taken. HO will first unfreeze the account and then modify the status from Dormant to Active. HO will return the application to SO alongwith one KYC Form and KYC documents duly signed mentioning date of revival and one copy of KYC Form will be sent to CPC. SO shall maintain a separate guard file to keep these applications and KYC documents as well as KYC Form which will be checked by visiting/inspecting authorities.. .

13. All SBCO staff should be given training at WCTCs by User Champions for End User/Supervisor Module and Auditor training by Infosys or User Champion. Circles should ensure that all SBCO staff has been trained by User Champions or Infosys and a certificate of completion of training should be obtained from all SBCO staff and kept in their service book. All IP/ASP who have not yet taken training of EAP should also be given EAP training through User Champions.

14. Divisional Heads should ensure that SBCO staff is comparing LOT generated through MIS server with the vouchers received from SO/HO. Wherever, there is shortage of staff in SBCO, necessary help should be provided from Post Office staff to SBCO (spared from SBSO branch) to complete voucher checking. Voucher checking should not be in arrears for more than 2-3 days. It will be responsibility of Divisional heads to ensure that adequate staff are provided.

15 No user should normally use back value date while doing transaction. Back value date should be used only in case of deposits through clearing. If in case, back value date is to be used, user should write in error book, take permission from next higher authority and attach copy of error book with the voucher.

16 SBCO staff should sign on each and every voucher after tallying with LOT generated through the system in token of having checked TRAN ID, Account Number and Amount in addition to general check of vouchers as prescribed.

17 SBCO should also compare LOT Date shown at the top of LOT the value date shown against each transaction. If difference in date in any of transaction will be of more than 3 days (other than clearing), objection should be raised, if error book entry or approval of competent authority is not attached with the voucher.

18. No BPM should accept cash deposit transaction for more than Rs.25,000/- in any account in a day. Instructions in this regard should issue by Circles/Regions and Divisions.

19. Postmaster of HPO shall designate one PA who will generate LOT of Office Accounts of Single/Double Handed SOs except 0340 and see if any transaction of more than Rs.25,000/- is shown in these LOTs. Customer Account details of such transactions should be generated from HACLI menu and sent to PRI(P)/Inspector Post/ASP(Post) for verification.

20. BO transactions should not be entered in Finacle if BO Bag is received after 3:.30 PM. These transactions should be entered on the next day.

21. All CBS Post Offices should complete their transactions maximum by 5 PM and no new transactions should be entered after 5 PM. All Supervisors should verify transactions regularly without any delay. For any delayed verification of more than 30 minutes, Supervisor will be held responsible except in Single/Double handed offices where it will be 60 minutes.

22. All Supervisors should tally Teller Account with each counter PA with Treasurer's Cash Book and ensure that teller account has become 0 (zero) before start of EOD.

23. Teller Cash Account of each Single/Double Handed SO should be checked at HO by a designated PA to ensure that balance has been made as 0 (Zero).

24. SOs should not lodge cheques in Finacle. Cheques received for New Investment and subsequent deposit should be sent to HO by preparing manual list. HO should lodge cheques presented at SOs for new Investment and RD subsequent deposit cheques against Clearing Office Account of SO and for subsequent deposits in other schemes in its own Clearing Account. SOs should check their clearing office Account on daily basis to see clearance received at HO and open accounts with value date as clearing date and fund the account. Amount of clearance of cheques lodged against SO Clearing accounts should be shown as remittance received from SO in advance and SO after funding the account shall account for as Deposit and remittance (in advance) to HO.

25. Every office should generate Post Office Clearing Report from HFINRPT and tally the inward and outward clearing amount with Treasury figures.

26. All POSB cheques should be given clearance by the CBS Post Office dealing with clearance and should not be sent to other HOs or SOs for giving clearing as data relating to all accounts is available in every CBS post office.

27. All POSB Cheques issued by any CBS Post Office if presented at any CBS Post Office should be treated as AT PAR cheques and should not be sent for clearing. No POSB Cheque for more than Rs.25000/- should be accepted at other SOLs in a day.

28. Activities of security pledge or release in case of TD or NSC or KVP should also be carried out at HOs only. In case such request is submitted at SO, SO can verify the facts and recommend security pledge or Release on the application and send to HO. At HO, a designated Supervisor will use HAFSM menu and execute the request. Another Supervisor or Postmaster has to verify the same. Application should be returned to SO which will do necessary entries on the original certificates and keep requests in a separate guard file. No other office should use HAFSM menu even having two Supervisors.

29 Closing of any discontinued scheme account/certificate including NSS-87 or NSS-92 should be done at HO only and closure amount should be paid only by credit into savings account or by cheque. No cash payment should be made in such cases. Any depositor if approaches for closure of such account/certificates at any SO should be asked to approach HPO.

30. For closure of any account/certificate at the office other than the office of account opening or issue of certificate, first account/certificate has to be transferred in the office by following the procedure of transfer of account/certificate mentioned in point No.10.

31. Issue of duplicate Passbook should also be done at HPO only If any application is received at any SO, it should be sent to HO duly. recommended after entering into a register. HO on receipt of application should issue duplicate passbook and send back the Passbook to SO duly entered in SO Slip. SO will enter date of receipt in register and deliver Passbook to customer under receipt in the register. Application for issue of duplicate passbook should not be routed through SBCO for balance verification as prescribed earlier.

32. No CBS Post Office will now collect closed passbook of any scheme from the customer and no closed passbook should be sent to SBCO for checking.

33. All circles should start a drive for collection of Mobile and Aadhaar Numbers from the customers and enter into CIF and this modification should be verified by Supervisor. In addition to this, drive should be started to pursue depositors to open Savings Account at the time of new investment and also for credit of maturity value at the time of closure.

View Original Order Copy of SB Order No.05/2016