Snapdeal ties up with India Post

Online marketplace Snapdeal has partnered India Post to jointly work on bringing thousands of weavers and artisans from Varanasi through its website.

Snapdeal has launched a pilot with India Post to set up facilitation desks at Varanasi post offices to enable local weavers to sell on its platform. “This is an endeavour by Snapdeal and India Post to empower local artisans, small and medium entrepreneurs to sustain their livelihood by providing a platform to popularise their indigenous products,” Snapdeal CEO and co-founder Kunal Bahl told PTI. Through this association, weavers will be able to access the national audience by listing their products on Snapdeal at negligible cost, he added. — PTI

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Minutes of the JCM

Minutes of the JCM, Departmental Council (DC) Meeting held on 
16/12/2014 

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மன்னார்குடி கிளை சங்க மாநாடு

28.12.2014 அன்று மன்னார்குடி தலைமை அஞ்சலகத்தில் வைத்து நடைபெறும் 26 வது கிளை சங்க மாநாடு சிறப்புற வாழ்த்துகிறோம் 

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சொத்து கணக்கை சமர்பிக்க அவகாசம் நீடிப்பு

Lokpal: Babus get four more months to file info on assets

Central government employees have got four more months, till April next year, to file details of their assets and liabilities under the Lokpal rules.

The forms for providing such declarations are also being revised by the Centre.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) today extended the date, from this month-end, to April 30, 2015 for filing the property returns.

The formats for submission of statement regarding movable properties and for submission of statement regarding debts and liabilities are also being revised and will be notified, it said in an order.

The move comes following concerns raised by some bureaucrats regarding putting details of their assets and liabilities, including that of their family members, in public domain.

The DoPT has also formed a committee to look into the babus' concerns. The committee has submitted its first report, recommending simplified formats for declaration of movable property, debts and other liabilities.

The DoPT had in September notified the Public Servants (Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities and the Limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns) Amendment Rules, 2014, extending the date for the filing of returns to December 31.

As per the rules, every public servant shall file the returns of his assets and liabilities, including that of his spouse and dependent family members, on March 31 every year on or before July 31 of that year.

For the current year, the last date for filing these returns was September 15, which was later extended to December-end and now till April 30, 2015.

The declarations under the Lokpal Act are in addition to similar ones filed by the employees under various services rules.

All Group A, B, and C employees are supposed to file a declaration under the new rules. There are about 26,29, 913 employees in these three categories, as per the government's latest data.

The existing form for filing this return has fields for mentioning details of cash in hand, bank deposits, investment in bonds, debentures, shares and units in companies or mutual funds, insurance policies, provident fund, personal loans and advance given to any person or entity, among others.

The employees need to declare motor vehicles, aircraft, yachts or ships, gold and silver jewellery and bullion possessed by them, their spouses and dependent children.

The DoPT has asked all central government ministries, departments and cadre controlling authorities to issue necessary order for their respective employees to ensure compliance of its order

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“New Year Gift” to our citizens

          Give “New Year Gift” to citizens by permitting and publicising the use of ordinary Postal Stamps for payment of RTI fee: 
CIC’s recommendation to Department of Personnel and Training

         Central Information Commissioner Prof. M. Sridhar Acharyulu has strongly recommended the use of postal stamps as RTI application fee. While disposing off a petition, he observed, “The Commission strongly recommends Department of Personnel and Training to adopt the one year old proposal of the Department of Posts, which is very user-friendly and avail the opportunity of giving New Year Gift to the citizen by permitting and publicising the use of ordinary Postal Stamps for payment of RTI fee, as this would go a long way in setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information.  Accepting postal stamps for RTI fee would resolve many difficulties in payment, besides preventing wastage of public money in returning or rejecting the IPOs or spending much larger amounts than Rs 10, for realizing Rs 10, and avoidable litigation.”

            The Complainant, Shri Raghubir Singh is a senior citizen of 75-years old and a law teacher who is associated with the making of the  RTI Act before its enactment by the Government.  The Commission heard him on the telephone as desired by him.

       The complainant complained that the Directorate of Education has harassed him by raising meaningless technical issues.  They had returned the Indian Postal Order of Rs.10/- saying that it is not properly drawn, when he claims to have rightly drawn in favour of the Accounts Officer.  The Complainant objected to the returning of the Postal Order by PIO by speed post, for which he had to spend more than Rs.25/-.  He complained that the Directorate has not updated its web-site and appropriate address against whom the Postal Order should be drawn or fee to be paid was not given.

         The complaint was filed against the Directorate of Education had demanded information on 2 points: i) Which of the Government Secondary Schools in Delhi under the Directorate of Education,  have introduced Punjabi teaching as a third language for the first time afresh in class VI in the academic year 2010-2014; ii) the number of such students enrolled in Class VI, School-wise.

        The Commission hence directed the PIOs to check up whether every school has properly replied to the RTI application, if not fulfil the deficiencies.  The Commisison also directed them to contact the Complainant on the telephone number given by him, and provide the complete information within 15 days from the date of receipt of this order.

The Commission referred to its earlier decision in S.C. Aggarwal vs. Ministry of Home Affairs wherein it had issued several directions. It had directed that, “no instrument shall be returned by any officer of the public authority on the ground that it has not been drawn in the name of a particular officer. So long as the instrument has been drawn in favour of the Accounts Officer, it shall be accepted in all circumstances” among several others.

These directions were mandatory and the Commission observed that non-compliance would lead to penalty proceedings. It observed, “The Commission finds it is a misuse of the power of PIO to reject to receive RTI application and the fee amounting to harassment of the applicant. It is also a kind of denial of information. Any kind of delay in furnishing of information on such grounds, violates the letter and spirit of RTI Act on several counts.”

         In another second appeal by Mr. R.K. Jain as decided on 5th December, the CPIO of Department of Posts told the Commission that their department has given a proposal to DoPT vide letter dated 31.1.2014 suggesting that ordinary postal stamps could be used for payment of RTI fee.

The respondents, their PIOs and incharge officers were directed to update their official website immediately and send a compliance reprt to the Commission with a copy to the Complainant within 10 days from the date of receipt of the order. All the PIOs of

        Directorate of Education and all other officers concerned were directed to accept the IPO without raising technical objections and follow all the directions issued by the full bench order of CIC.

They were asked to submit separate reports to the Commission explaining how many IPOs they have rejected so far and what are the grounds of rejection, from January 2014 to December 10, 2014, within 15 days from the date of reciept of the order.

          A show cause notice was issued to the PIO who refused and returned the IPO of appellant as to why maximum penalty cannot be imposed against him for acting against the spirit of RTI and harassing the applicant and for not updating the official website.

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வாஜ்பாய்க்கு மோடியின் பிறந்தநாள் பரிசு

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a charismatic practitioner of consensual politics who found acceptability across the political spectrum, was picked for the country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna, an award that was also bestowed on late freedom fighter and Hindu Mahasabha leader Madan Mohan Malviya.
                The announcement of the decision taken by the Modi government came ahead of the birthday of Vajpayee, who turns 90, and the 153rd birth anniversary of Malviya on Thursday.
"The President has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya (posthumously) and to Atal Bihari Vajpayee," a Rashtrapati Bhavan press communiqué said.
With today's decision, the number of those bestowed with the Bharat Ratna award goes up to 45. Last year, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and scientist C N R Rao were chosen for the honour.
The first BJP Prime Minister who was in office between 1998 and 2004, Vajpayee has faded from public life due to age-related illness. He is lauded as a statesman and the moderate face of BJP whose respect for political adversaries was a striking feature of his personality.
As prime minister, he has been credited with conceiving the golden quadrilateral infrastructure project and was praised for his bold peace initiative with Pakistan.
India's longest serving prime minister outside Congress party, Vajpayee's detractors called him the "mask" of RSS but still they always had good words for him.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the conferment of Bharat Ratna on Malviya and Vajpayee was a "fitting recognition" of the services of the "illustrious stalwarts" to the nation.
Describing Vajpayee as one of the greatest communicators that India has ever seen, Union Minister Arun Jaitley said he made his presence felt at the national level and was committed to peace in Southeast Asia.
The Presidential announcement was also greeted across the political divide with Congress, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar, who were ministers in his cabinet, welcoming the award.
However, Congress hoped that the Modi government would follow the 'raj dharma' (duty of the rulers) and secularism. This was an apparent reference to Vajpayee's advice to Modi in the aftermath of the 2002 post-Godhra riots.
The other awardee Malviya was a multifaceted personality. He was an educationist who founded the Banaras Hindu University and became one of the torchbearers of the freedom struggle acting as a bridge between the Moderates and the Extremists.
Known for his espousal of Hindu nationalism- being one of the initial leaders of the far -right Hindu Mahasabha - Malviya was a social reformer and a successful Parliamentarian.
Born on December 25, 1861, Malviya was catapulted into the political arena immediately after his moving speech at the second Congress session held in Kolkata in 1886. He was President of INC in 1909 and 1918.
The recommendation for Bharat Ratna is made by the prime minister himself to the President. No formal recommendation for this is necessary.
Last year, when the UPA government had announced Bharat Ratna for Tendulkar and Rao, the BJP had criticised Congress for ignoring Vajpayee's contribution to the nation.
Some of the prominent personalities who were chosen for the honour included C Rajagopalachari, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, C V Raman, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mother Teresa, Lata Mangeshkar, Jaya Prakash Narain and J R D Tata.

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Merry Christmas

 அனைவருக்கும் இனிய கிறிஸ்துமஸ் நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்

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27th Death Anniversary

மக்கள் தலைவனுக்கு எங்கள் புகழாஞ்சலி

காலத்தை  வென்றவன் நீ

காவியமானவன்  நீ 
வேதனை தீர்த்தவன் நீ
விழிகளில் நிறைந்தவன் நீ
வெற்றி திருமகன்  நீ   நீ        நீ
 
என்றும் நிரந்தரமானவன்  நீ
எந்த நிலையிலும் உனக்கு மரணமில்லை.............. 

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Download Admit cards for Postman/Mail Guard DR Examination, 2014

             Tamilnadu Postal Circle issued a notification No. REP/5-1/DR/14 in local newspaper, The New Indian Express & Dinamani dated 15/11/2014 for Postman/Mail Guard Direct Recruitment Examiantion,2014, for 806 vacancies in the above cadre.
            The Admit cards of the eligible applicants for the above examination have been released in the website (www.dopchennai.in)  and available since 21/12/2014. 

The candidates are requested to download their admit cards by accessing the above website. The candidates are also requested to check Admit Card for Venue and timing details. The Admit cards are not sent by Post.
The candidates appearing in the examination are hereby intimated that the Examination will be held on Sunday, 28/12/2014 (from 11:00 A.M to 01:00 P.M).

Download Admit cards for Postman/Mail Guard DR Examination, 2014 

Date of Examination 28-12-2014

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Can’t recover excess salary paid to class III, IV staff: SC

NEW DELHI: Recovery of excess amount paid to Class-III and Class-IV employees due to employer's mistake is not permissible in law, the Supreme Court has ruled saying that it would cause extremely harsh consequences to them who are totally dependent on their wages to run their family. 

The apex court said employees of lower rung service spend their entire earning in the upkeep and welfare of their family, and if such excess payment is allowed to be recovered from them, it would cause them far more hardship, than the reciprocal gains to the employer. 

A bench of JS Khehar and Arun Mishra also directed that an employer cannot recover excess amount in case of a retired employee or one who is to retire within one year and where recovery process is initiated five years after excess payment.

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Federation News

BEDU : Not Recognized - No Trade Union Facilities - Department clarified to our Secretary General RTI
Charging higher fares in Premium Tatkal tickets  

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TREK TO BHILAI

21 st ALL INDIA CONFERENCE

Bhilai entices you. Representatives, Delegates and Active Corps of the Postal National union movement will converge at Bhilai from 20^th to 22nd January, 2015 in the mammoth gathering to review the activities of the union in the last two years, analyze the present situation, take a peep into the future, and resolve upon the further steps to be taken to realize our objectives in the 21st  AIC of NAPE, Group C.

A new Government at the center formed and there are apprehensions in the minds of postal workers about their future. New Technology is introduced rapidly into the India Post for modernization and entering into the market competition. The burden of UPSO and consequent cross border subsidy continues. India Post mooted to have a strategic plan for  development and sustenance.

The task force on leverage of post office net work suggested holding companies with subsidiary companies designated as strategic business units, 100% owned by Department of post. Corporatization of postal services in very near future is  a reality.

There is no tangible movement for the sectional problems like  DA merger Interim relief, MACP, Postmaster Cadre, problems faced in the New Technology. we have to formulate our demands and resolutions. The efficiency in the service is our concern. We are capable of doing it in Govt. owned Departments.

          Trek to Bhilai in large numbers, we are looking forward to return from Bhilai with hands laden with destiny. Let us make the 21^st AIC  a historic one. And again, on to Bhilai

DELEGATE  FEES IS FIXED  AS  Rs  800/-

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NC Staff Side JCM writes a letter to Cabinet Secretary

NC Staff Side JCM writes to Cabinet Secretary to convene a meeting of National Council JCM

The procrastinated discussions in the National Anomaly Committee did not proceed to settle any tangible anomaly item. Even after reaching agreement, the government has refused to issue orders on some issues. This apart, the demands raised by the Staff Side for grant of Interim Relief and Merger of DA with Pay have been refused by the government. 

National Council Staff Side Secretary JCM writes to Cabinet Secretary to organize a JCM meeting.  

 

Reproduction of the letter is given below for your information…

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No proposal to reduce retirement age from 60 to 58 years

There is no proposal to reduce the retirement age of employees from 60 to 58 years, the Centre said on Thursday even as it noted that 78% of its total wage bill of over Rs one lakh crore is spent on three departments-- railways, home and defence (civil).
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh said, "The retirement age for Central Government employees was revised from 58-60 years in 1997 on the basis of recommendations of the fifth Central Pay Commission," and that there is no such proposal "at present" to reduce the age. To a query whether the Centre's was aware of the Haryana government's move to reduce the retirement age of its employees, Singh replied in affirmative saying, "The various state governments are having their own service conditions for their employees."
He also ruled out that there was any proposal to fix single retirement age limit policy in all state government's and PSU in the country. "There is no such proposal at present. Age of retirement in state governments/PSUs is decided by respective state governments and board of PSUs etc depending on their requirements," Singh said.
The Minister also said that the total wage bill of central government employees in 2012-13 was Rs 1.04 lakh crore whereas in 2011-12 it was Rs 92,264.88 crore and in 2010-11 it was Rs 85,963.50 crore. The details in the reply showed the highest wage bill was that of the railways which incurred Rs 38,560 crore (almost 38% of total wage bill) in 2012-13, Rs 35,097.08 crore in 2011-12 and Rs 33,580.41 crore in 2010-11.
Followed by the railways, the home department had the next highest wage bill of Rs 25,113.14 crore in 2012-13, Rs 20,036.76 crore in 2011-12 and Rs 17,809.16 crore in 2010-12, he said. The Minister said defence (civil) had the third highest wage bill with Rs 14,502 crore incurred in 2012-13, Rs 13,102.38 crore in 2011-12 and Rs 12,127.92 crore in 2010-11. The cumulative wage bill for three departments was Rs 78,175 crore which comes to about 78 per cent of the total wage bill of over Rs one lakh crore incurred in 2012-13.

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POSTAL JCA வின் காலவரையற்ற வேலை நிறுத்த அறைகூவல்

No. PJCA/2014                                                                                   Dated: 16.12.2014

CIRCULAR

To

            All Office Bearers of both Federations,

            All General Secretaries of both the Federations

            All Circle / Divisional and Branch Secretaries

 Comrades,

A meeting of Postal JCA consisting NFPE, FNPO, AIPE Union GDS (NFPE) and NUGDS was held at NFPE office, North Avenue, Post Office Building, New Delhi on 03.12.2014. All General Secretaries of NFPE, FNPO and GDS Unions attended the meeting. Com. M. Krishnan Ex. Secretary General NFPE and Secretary General Confederation was also present.

After detailed discussions the following decisions were taken:

1.  Indefinite strike will be organized from 6^th May, 2015.

2.  Intensive campaign programme will be launched by the JCA leaders.

3.   JCA will be formed in all the circles. This work should be completed before 31^st Jan-2015

4.  JCA unanimously decided to oppose Task Force Committee recommendations.

5. State JCA leaders will authorize circle leaders of both Federations for formation of Divisional level JCA & this should be completed before 28^th Feb 2015.

6. State conventions and Divisional conventions should be held in the month of March-2015.

7. Circulars, Banners, Pamphlets describing the demands should be sent to all and these should be circulated in regional languages also.

Yours Comradely,

                                                                                                      

    R. N. Parashar                                                                         D. Theagarajan

Secretary General, NFPE                                                 Secretary General, FNPO   

                                                            

  P. Pandurangarao                                                                  P. U. Muraleedharan

  General Secretary                                                                   General Secretary

          AIPEU-GDS (NFPE)                                                                    NUGDS (FNPO)

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List of Holidays for 2015.

LIST OF CLOSED HOLIDAYS FOR THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN TAMIL NADU FOR THE YEAR 2015

ANNEXURE I

LIST OF CLOSED HOLIDAYS FOR THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT          OFFICES IN TAMIL NADU FOR THE YEAR 2015

SL      HOLIDAY                                                     DATE                    DAY 

1        MILA-UN-NABI OR ID-E-MILAD                 04.01.2015             SUNDAY

               (Birthday of Prophet Mohammad)

2        PONGAL                                                       15.01.2015             THURSDAY

3        REPUBLIC DAY                                           26.01.2015             MONDAY

4        MAHAVIR JAYANTHI                                 02.04.2015             THURSDAY

5        GOOD FRIDAY                                             03.04.2015             FRIDAY

6        BUDDHA PURNIMA                                    04.05.2015             WEDNESDAY

7        IDU’L FITR (RAMZAN)                               18.07.2015             WEDNESDAY

8        INDEPENDENCE DAY                                 15.08.2015             SATURDAY

9        VINAYAGA CHATURTH                             17.09.2015             THURSDAY

10      ID-UL-ZUHA (BAKRID)                               24.09.2015             THURSDAY

11      MAHATMA GANDHI’S BIRTHDAY            02.10.2015             FRIDAY

12      ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY FOR                      21.10.2015             WEDNESDAY

           DUSSEHRA (MAHA SAPTAMI)

13      DUSSEHRA (VIJAY DASHMI)                     22.10.2015             THURSDAY

14      MUHARAM                                                  23.10.2015             FRIDAY

15      DIWALI (DEEPAVALI)                                 10.11.2015             TUESDAY

16      GURU NANAK’S BIRTHDAY                      25.11.2015             WENDESDAY

17      MILAD-UN-NABI OR ID-E-MILAD              23.12.2015             WEDNESDAY

           (Birthday of Prophet Mohammad)

18      CHRISTMAS DAY                                                  25.12.2015             FRIDAY

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 ANNEXURE II

LIST OF RESTRICTED HOLIDAYS FOR THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN TAMIL NADU FOR  THE YEAR 2015

SL.               HOLIDAY                                           DATE                    DAY

1                  NEW YEARS’S DAY                           01-01-2015             THURSDAY

2                  MAKAR SANKRANTI                        14-01-2015             WEDNESDAY

3                  BASANT PANCHAMI/SRI PANCHAMI             24-01-2015             SATURDAY

4                  GURU RAVIDAS’S BIRTHDAY                                 03-02-2015             TUESDAY

5                  SWAMI DAYANANDA SARASWATI JAYANTHI 14-02-2015             SATURDAY

6                  MAHA SHIVARATRI                          17-02-2015             TUESDAY

7                  SHIVAJI JAYANTHI                           19-02-2015             THURSDAY

8                  HOLIKA DAHAN                                05-03-2015             THURSDAY

9                  HOLI                                                   06-03-2015             FRIDAY

10                CHAITRA SUKLADI                           23-03-2015             SATURDAY

11                RAM NAVAMI                                   28-03-2015             SATURDAY

12                EASTER SUNDAY                                        05-04-2015             SUNDAY

13                VAISAKHI/VISHU/MASADI               14-04-2015             TUESDAY

14                VAISAKHADI (BENGAL)/                  15-04-2015             WEDNESDAY

BAHAG BIHU (ASSAM)

15                HAZARAT ALI’S BIRTHDAY            03-05-2015             SUNDAY

16                GURU RABINDRANATH’S BIRTHDAY                  09-05-2015             SATURDAY

17                JAMAT-UL-VIDA                               17-07-2015             FRIDAY

18                RATH YATRA                                    18-07-2015             SATURDAY

19                PARSI NEW YEAR’S DAY/NAUROZ                        18-08-2015             TUESDAY

20                ONAM                                                 28-08-2015             FRIDAY

21                RAKSHA BANDHAN                         29-08-2015             SATURDAY

22                JANMASHTAMI (VAISHNAVI)                    05-09-2015             SATURDAY

23                DUSSEHRA (MAHA SAPTAMI)         20-10-2015             TUESDAY

24                DUSSEHRA (MAHA NAVMI)             22-10-2015             THURSDAY

25                MAHARISHI VALMIKI’S BIRTHDAY               27-10-2015             TUESDAY

26                KARAKA CHATURTHI (KARVA CHOUTH)           30-10-2015             FRIDAY

27                DEEPAVALI (SOUTH INDIA)             10-11-2015             TUESDAY

28                NARAKA CHATURDASI                              10-11-2015             TUESDAY

29                GOVARDHAN PUJA                          12-11-2015             THURSDAY

30                BHAI DUJ                                           13-11-2015             FRIDAY

31                          PRATIHAR SASHTHI/                                 17-11-2015             TUESDAY

                             SURYA SASHTHI (CHHAT PUJA)

32                GURU TEG BAHADUR’S MARTYRDOM DAY     24-11-2015             TUESDAY

33                CHRISTMAS EVE                                         24-12-2015             THURSDAY

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