ADR VACANCIES FOR 2006 & 2007, CLEARED

No.37-15/2008-SPB.I Dated : 28th July, 2009 requirements of the Circle, it is requested that Head Subject: Optimization of direct recruitment to of the Circle should personally ensure that no deviation is made in the matter and only such posts are filled civilian posts. I am directed to refer to respective Circle's up by direct recruitment which have been allocated to communications on the above subject and this the Circles. While filling up the vacancies the Department's endorsement of even number dated instructions contained in the Department of Personnel 14.07.2009 regarding revival and filling up of 2712 and & Training's OM No. 2/8/2001-PIC dated 16.05.2001, 2478 vacancies in various Groups of posts in this DOP&T OM No. 14014/3/2005-Est (D) dated Department by direct recruitment pertaining to the 14.06.2006 circulated vide Department of Posts letter years 2006 and 2007 respectively, under Annual Direct No. 24-162/2006-SPB.I dated 4.8.2006 and other Recruitment Plan in accordance with instructions instructions issued by the said Department, Ministry contained in Department of Personnel & Training OM of Finance, etc. from time to time relating to recruitment No. 2/8/2001-PIC dated 16.5.2001 and to say that should be strictly followed. The Circles may recall that as intimated vide keeping in view the requirements of the Circles, 4. computerization/modernization already done/being this Departments letter No No. 60-9/2009-SPB-II dt. 8.5.2009 at present we are in the process of revising done, quantum of work load, existing manpower, etc. in the various Circles and above all to ensure smooth the existing pattern of examination for filling up of the Postal operations, the competent authority in the posts of Postal Assistant and Sorting Assistant by Department of Posts has allocated the number of direct recruitment. The same is likely to be finalized vacancies to the various Circles to be filled up by direct shortly. Therefore you are requested to take necessary recruitment in various cadres as per the enclosed action to fill up the vacancies of PA/SA after receipt of statements. You are requested to reallocate the further communication in this regard from this vacancies allotted to the Circle to the various recruiting Directorate. The Circles may however initiate Divisions/Units in the circle. The vacancies so cleared recruitment process immediately to fill up the for filling up in the Civil Wing have been communicated remaining direct recruitment vacancies allocated to to Chief Engineer (Civil) separately, who in turn will them. For the said purpose the Heads of the Circle allocate the vacancies to the various Divisions/Circles. should draw up an action plan under intimation to 2. Under no circumstances the Circles shall fill Department and closely monitor the same so that the up the remaining direct recruitment vacancies posts are filled up at the earliest. The Department may pertaining to the years 2006 and 2007 falling under be kept informed about the progress so made by the the purview of Optimization Scheme. Further Circles from time to time. 5. The receipt of this communication may please instructions in this regard may be awaited. 3. Since the allocation of vacancies to the various be acknowledged. Circles has been done keeping in view the overall DEPARTMENT OF POSTS ANNUAL DIRECT RECRUITMENT PLAN FOR THE YEAR 2006 STATEMENT OF VACANCIES APPROVED FOR BEING FILLED UP FOR THE YEAR 2006
SI. No 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Name of the Circle. 2 Andhra Pradesh Assam Bihar Chhatisgarh Delhi Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu & IPO PA (Postal) 4 88 50 49 13 30 76 23 15 08 SA (RMS) 5 10 06 10 03 10 09 03 01 01 Postman PA (CO) 7 02 00 02 02 06 05 02 00 01 Jr. Accountant (DAP) 8 02 18 01 00 01 00 00 00 00 Total

3 11 03 03 02 00 03 00 04 02

6 70 22 56 11 28 00 19 11 04

9 183 99 121 31 75 93 47 31 16

BHARTIYA POST

SEPTEMBER, 2009

SI. No 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

No.37-15/2008-SPB.I DEPARTMENT OF POSTS ANNUAL DIRECT RECRUITMENT PLAN FOR THE YEAR 2007 STATEMENT OF VACANCIES APPROVED FOR BEING FILLED UP FOR THE YEAR 2007 Name of the IPO PA SA Postman PA Jr. Total Circle. (Postal) (RMS) (CO) Accountant (DAP) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Andhra 10 88 18 53 07 01 177 Pradesh Assam 04 49 09 00 03 11 76 Bihar 06 32 10 37 01 01 87 Chhatisgarh 03 11 03 09 02 00 28 115 Delhi 00 64 11 40 00 00 79 Gujarat 02 62 10 00 05 00 40 Haryana 00 19 04 15 02 00 Himachal 02 10 00 09 01 00 22 Pradesh 14 Jammu & 01 10 00 03 00 00 Kashmir 44 Jharkhand 02 21 06 15 00 00 163 Karnataka 02 157 00 00 00 04 176 Kerala 00 94 17 64 01 00 102 Madhya 07 95 00 00 00 00 Pradesh 296 Maharashtra 00 155 13 128 00 00 20 North-East 00 12 00 08 00 00 102 Orissa 02 99 00 00 01 00 68 Punjab 01 40 00 20 00 07 Rajasthan 08 55 06 36 03 04 112 Tamil Nadu 22 164 18 109 03 04 320 229 Uttar 15 108 13 84 04 05 Pradesh Uttranchal 02 16 00 14 01 00 33 West 02 59 11 68 04 00 144 Bengal Total 91 1420 149 712 38 37 2447

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SEPTEMBER, 2009

RELAX, REFRESH RULING KNOWLEDGE

This is an area, we desires to publish with the motive to educate our readers on Staff rulings. The gist of selective orders on each topic will be published regularly 1. Disciplinary Rules When disciplinary proceedings have been initiated and it is found that punishment is to be given, at least censure should be awarded. (Min. of Home Affairs OM NO. 22011/1/79-Estt (A) dt. 30.01.82) Disciplinary proceedings should be closed immediately on the death of the alleged employee during the pendency of the inquiry. (DOPT OM No. 11012/7/99 & Estt. (A) dt. 20.10.99) In vineet Narain VS UOI, the Supreme Court has directed that the time limits of three months for grant of sanction for prosecution must be strictly adhered to. However additional one month may be allowed where consultation with the Attorney General, or any Law officer is required. (DOPT OM No. 399/33/2006-AVD III dt. 6.11.06 & 20.12.06) Censure kept in the C.R. Dossieur is considered as an adverse entry (MHA OM No: 39/21/56-Estts (A) dt. 13.12.56) If an employee is found ineligible or not qualified, after he is appointed, (i) His service shall be terminated if he is temporary/probationer. (ii) If he is a permanent employee, disciplinary action should be started and if found guilty, penalty of dismissal/removal only should be imposed. (DOPT OM No. 11012/7/91-Estt (A) dt. 19.05.93) Two penalties should not be imposed for the same offence. But recovery can be ordered alongwith any other penalty. (D.G P&T No. 105/26/81-Vig III dt. 30.3.81) If two punishments, one of lower order and another of higher order are given, the later order should normally state whether the two punishments will run concurrently or separately. If nothing is stated, the two punishment will run concurrently. (DG P&T No. 154/5/78-Disc II dt. 30.07.81) When disciplinary proceedings are initiated against a person officiating in higher post on adhoc basis, he shall be reverted if the period of adhoc appointment is less than one year. (DOPT OM No. 11012/9/86-Estt (A) dt. 24.12.86) Even in minor penalty proceedings, an accused employee may be permitted to inspect the document, if he so requests. (Rule 77 P&T Manual vol. III) The number of cases a retired employee can handle as Defence Assistants at any point of time is restricted to seven. (DOPT OM No. 11012/11/2002-Estt (A) dt. 05.02.2003) The charged officer may be allowed 3 or 4 days absence, counting it as duty, for preparing reply to charge sheet issued for imposing major penalty. In such cases, no extension of time will be allowed. (DOPT OM No. 142/5/2003-AVD dt. 06.04.2004) A final decision on Inquiry Report should normally be taken by the disciplinary authority with in three months. (DOPT OM No. 11012/2/98 dt. 11.11.98) All Ministries/Departments should adhere to the prescribed time limits and cut down abnormal delays in finalizing the disciplinary cases to avoid harassment to the concerned officials. (DOPT OM No. 11012/6/2001-Estt (A) dt. 20.04.2001) Appeal shall be made to the appellate authority with in 45 days of the date of communication of the orders. Appellete Authority can condone the delay if satisfied with reasons. (Rules 24 & 25 of CCS (CCA) Rules 1965) Specific accountability should be fixed on the officer (s) responsible for framing the charges for ensuring issuance of charge sheet within a set time frame. Responsibility shall also be fixed for in ordinate delay in framing charges in cases where there are no valid reasons such as stay of the proceedings by court. (DOPT OM No. 142/5/2003-AVD I. dt. 06.04.2004) In case of bribery, corruption, other criminal misconduct resulting in loss of substantial pubic funds, prosecution should precede departmental action. In other cases of less serious offences, departmental action only should be taken. (MHA OM No. F39/30/54-Estt dt. 07.06.55 read with OM No. F 39/8/64-Estt (D) dt. 04.09.64) In a case where disciplinary proceedings have been held under the relevant disciplinary rules, Warning should not be issued as a result of such proceedings. If it is found, that some blame is attached to the Government employees, atleast penalty of ensure should be proposed. (DOPT No. 11012/5/2003-Estt (A) dt. 23.08.04) The entire loss substained is to be recovered from the delinquent official but the recovery may be spread over till entire loss is recovered. (DOPT OM No. 11012/1/2000-Estt (A) dt. 06.09.2000) An employee cannot be reduced to a lower grade or post which he had never held earlier. (DOPT OM No. 11012/2/8-Estt (A) dt. 02.02.89) Failure on the part of CGHS card holder to get a name of a child deleted from the CGHS token card when the child is no more dependent on him will attract action under CCS (CCA) rules, 1965 . (OM NO. D 12011/2/78-Desk II dt. 07.04.78) Subletting a Government residence allotted to a Government official or any portion there of in contravention of the allotment rules will merit action for imposing one of the major penalties. (Dte. of Estates OM No. 12032/2/83-POL II dt. 26.08.99) (To be continued)

BHARTIYA POST

SEPTEMBER, 2009

LETTERS TO DEPARTMENT
Letter No.: P/4-3/Recruitment Dated - 10.08.2009 addressed to the Secretary, Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 Postal Asst. Recruitment rules 2002. Request change in the recruitment condition - reg. A kind attention is invited to this union letter of even no. dt. 11.12.2008 in which have explained the need for the change in the recruitment conditions. According to the existing recruitment rules for Postal Assistants, the candidates who are possessing plus Two Qualification in the state language shall alone be eligible for the recruitment of P.A. Posts in the department. Many candidates studied in Kendriya Vidyalaya possessing higher marks & other qualifications and also knowing very well of the regional language are deprived and denied of their dues due to the condition stated in Para Supra. This is discriminative, unjust and against to the canon of natural justice. This recruitment condition should be removed and the candidates possessing higher marks should be considered for the posting so that several creamy candidates may get their due chances. Since the Department is now initiating the process for finalization of revised recruitment rules for Postal Assistants, this may also please be considered. A line in reply about the consideration is highly solicited. Letter No.: P/4-5/Operations Dated - 10.08.2009 addressed to the Secretary, Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 Enhancement of Financial powers of HSG-I, HSG -II & LSG Postmaster. Ref: - This union letter of even no. dt. 14.10.08 Anent reference, it is constrained to note than neither the letter is acknowledged nor the issue is settled so far. According to Directorate letter No. 18-7/92 CI dt. 2.07.93, the Financial Powers given to HSG & LSG Postmaster on each occasion has been revised to Rs.60/- & Rs.40/- respectively. The amount has been fixed prior to installation of computers and mostly the amount was prescribed to meet any urgent requirements for the office. After the computerization, due to the shooting of many problems, the urgent needs could not be purchased with these financial powers and the Postmasters are facing problems in attending any computer related problems and also during the power shut down periods. Even minor electrical repairs could not be carried out with the present financial limit. It is therefore requested to consider revision of financial powers to the Postmasters working in the operative office considering the present day requirements in attending all the problems. A line in reply about the action taken is highly solicited. Letter No.: P/4-4/Advances Dated - 10.08.2009 addressed to the Secretary, Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 Allotment of more budgetary allotment for computer advance - reg. During the last two years, the budget allotment made under the head of computer advance was too in sufficient which could not meet the requirement of atleast 5% of the officials applied for the same. After the total computerization of the PO, many officials desire to purchase computers for their own and this should be encouraged in order to motivate them further in the computer operations. It is therefore requested to take appropriate action to allot sufficent funds under this head and enable the officials to avail the advance for the purchase of personal computers. A line in reply about the action taken is highly appreciated. Letter No.: P/4-2/Pension Dated - 10.08.2009 addressed to Shri R. K. Singh, Member (P), Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 Non Supply of statement of Balance to the officials brought under New Pension scheme 2004. Ref: - This Union letter of even no. dt. 21.06.08 Apropos reference, it is constrained to state that neither the issue has been settled nor replied. Since the year of implementation (2004), the balance statement as on 31st March since 2005 to 2009 has not been furnished to the employees who are brought under the new pension scheme. The officials do not aware of the balance and also the contribution made by the Government in the absence of non supply of these statements by the respective DAPs every year. It is therefore requested to cause appropriate instructions to the concerned to compile and circulate the balance sheet as on 31.03.2009 immediately to the concerned officials without any further delay. Letter No.: P/4-5 /Postal Operations Dated 10.08.2009 addressed to the Secretary, Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 Minus balances in SB & harassing

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SEPTEMBER, 2009

officials later under contributory factors regarding. Due to the voluminous work in SB branches of Head Post offices and the prevalence of shortage of staff, there is an increasing trend of minus balances in SB branches. The following factors are contributing much for the minus balances. i. Non agreement of Ledgers for years together by control organization. Whenever, this work is being completed, there are minus balances. The timely agreement has to be ensured at first. ii. In the absence of adequate staff, the work related to data entry is being entrusted to outsiders on outsourcing basis; in such cases, there is a probality of misquotation of accounts numbers by the raw hands and improper handling of vouchers by such unqualified hands, deposits are being posted as withdrawals and vice versa. iii. The major problem in creating minus balance is due to the tie up with financial institutions without providing required man power and making the work as time bound, which led to many minus balances in computerized offices. iv. Proper supervising staffs are not provided in the SB branch to check the data entry made by the ledger assistants and outsiders. Apart from the above, there are several other factors leading to the creation of minus balances, detected at later years for which the innocent officials are being made as scapegoats and the minus balance is being recovered from them under the contributory factors. It is therefore requested to take appropriate action to ensure the agreement in time and also to provide adequate supervisory officials to check the data entries made by the ledger assistants and outsiders. A line in reply about the action taken is highly solicited. Letter No.: P/4-1/Staff Dated - 10.08.2009 addressed to the Secretary, Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan New Delhi - 110001 Ensuring the standard of residential accommodation to the SPMs provided with attached Quarters. Many post attached quarters provided to the SPMs are either sub standard or lack of basic amenities. The schedule of accommodation as prescribed by the Department has not been observed while fixing PO building particularly for the post attached quarters. In rural areas, the total rent payable to the

landlord for the post office and quarters does not exceed even to the entitled HRA of the Sub Postmasters. In many cases a token of Rs.50/likewise in being charged for the post office and in all such cases, the Postmasters are compelled to stay in the accommodation which is unfit for inhabitation and also far below to the standards. There are many post attached quarters lacking the basis amenities of lavatories. If the Department could not provide adequate accommodation for the Quarters as prescribed in the SOA, and arrange basic amenities, it should provide option to the SPMs to secure his own accommodation and in such cases the due HRA may be paid to him. The policy of providing post attached accommodation requires reconsideration after the services of Telegraph has totally been with drawn from Post offices. Suitable decision may please be taken at the earliest and a line in reply about the action taken is highly solicited. Letter No.: P/2-5/New Delhi South West Dated 11.08.2009 addressed to the Secretary, Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 Irregular application of Bench Mark in TBOP Promotion - case of New Delhi South West Division. Ref: This union letter of even no. dated 07.07.09 Apropos reference, it is constrained to say that the issue has not yet been settled and the left out two officials who got average grading are still denied of their due promotions. The Directorate in its letter No. 4-1/97-SPB II dt 09.09.07 clarified that the 'Average" grading need not disqualify an official from promotion under the BCR scheme if he has been otherwise found fit by the DPC. The similar should be applied mutadis mundatis in case of TBOP promotions also and thus the denial of TBOP promotion by applying bench mark is arbitrary, unjust and against to the canon of all orders on the subject. It is therefore requested to cause immediate orders to consider the two left out cases and cause orders for TBOP promotions at the earliest and render justice to the aggrieved officials. Letter No.: P/2-1/Hanamkonda Dated - 11.08.2009 addressed to the Secretary, Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 Arbitary denial of BCR Promotion by application of bench mark - case of Hanamkonda division, A. P. Circle. Ref: This union letter of even no. dt. 24.04.09 Apropos reference, it is learnt that the Chief PMG A.P. Circle has sent his report to Directorate on 22.07.09.

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SEPTEMBER, 2009

It is pertinent to mention that the Directorate vide its letter No. 44-1/97-SPB II dt. 09.09.97, has clarified that the 'Average' grading need not disqualify an official from promotion under the BCR scheme if he has been otherwise found fit by DPC. In the light of the above said clarification, it is requested to consider the case and render justice to the aggrieved official. Letter No.: P/4-2/HRA Dated- 11.08.2009 addressed to the Secretary, Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan New Delhi- 110001 Non Drawal of HRA to the officiating SPMs working at offices having attached quarters. It is brought to our notice that despite clear instructions issued by the department in its letter no. 24/3/76/PAP dt. 20.8.79 also appeared in FR, SR Part IV in chapter X that HRA may be grated for the maximum period of three months when the official is posted to officiate in a post to which rent free accommodation is attached but not provided, the due HRA for three months has not been drawn & paid to the officiating SPMs in many places. For the period above three months, earlier the power for suspension of Quarters has been vested with the Directorate and proposals were forwarded to the Directorate. Now, the same has been vested with the Circle heads. Despite the fact that the power of dequarterisation of a post attached Quarters is now delegated to Heads of Circle vide Directorate letter no. 10-4/2003 - Bldg. dt. 06.05.03 the Circle heads are not according proper sanction for dequarterisation/ suspension of Quarters for the periods of such officiating periods exceeding 90 days. The officiating officials should not suffer a financial loss due to the administrative problem of nonposting of a regular incumbent to the vacant post with in the stipulated period. Prolonged officiating arrangements like in HSG II & HSG I posts are resulting to ultimate loss to the officiating officials for no fault on his side. It is therefore requested to issue clarity instructions to all Circle heads to settle the pending issues accordingly and the copy of the same may be forwarded to union. Letter No.: P/2-16/Orissa Circle Dated - 11.08.2009 addressed to Sri. R. K. Singh, Member (P), Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 Recasting of LSG Notional promotions case of Orissa Circle A kind attention is invited to the frequent discussions we had on the subject and it is constrained to note that the Chief PMG Orissa Circle, instead of reviving the LSG Posts arbitrarily abolished at the time

of TBOP promotion as per the Directorate instructions and grant notional promotion to the said posts with retrospective effect duly recasting the LSG seniority list, has convened DPC now for promotion to HSG II with the available LSG officials. This will lead to denial of fair chances to the eligible senior officials who will due for notional promotion in LSG retrospectively for further promotions in HSG II & HSG I and the juniors will occupy the posts. The issues that we are discussing over three years about the arbitrary denial of LSG promotion to senior officials and the decision of the Directorate after the perusal of records will be defeated if the DPC for HSG II is convened for the available LSG officials. It is therefore requested to cause necessary instructions to the Chief PMG not to proceed the DPC for HSG II further but to first finalise the LSG notional promotions and recast the seniority in LSG cadre of Orissa Circle. Immediate action as if fire on the house is solicited. Letter No.: P/2-18/Ajmer Dated 11.08.2009 addressed to the Secretary, Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 Arbitary & forcible allotment of Staff Quarters - Case of Ajmer postal division in Rajasthan Circle. Ref: - This union letter of even no. dated 04.03.2009 Apropos reference, it is constrained to note that neither the letter is replied nor the issue is settled yet. The officials posted as Sub Postmasters in town sub offices of Ajmer are being forced to occupy the staff Quarters in the Postal colony despite they are having their own houses and other arrangements besides their unwillingness to occupy the quarters. The Quarters are not post attached and the officials are loosing the HRA due to non occupation of Quarters. The SPMs can be compelled only if they have been provided with the post attached Quarters as a service condition and they should not be compelled to occupy the quarters which were not occupied by any officials. It is therefore requested to cause instructions

OBITUARY
Com. Subhas Chakrabarti, trade union leader and the Minister in the left front Government passed away on 03.8.09. He was a popular leader of the CPI (M) party and the working class movement in West Bengal. We convey our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members.

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SEPTEMBER, 2009

to the concerned to withdraw the arbitrary procedure prevailing in allotment of Quarters to the SPMs posted in town sub offices in the Postal Colony. Letter No.: P/4-3/DE Dated - 11.08.2009 addressed to Sri. R. K. Singh, Member (P), Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 Abnormal delay in declaration of Inspector Posts exam result. It is constrained to note that though the exam for the promotion to Inspector Posts was held from 05.11.08 to 07.11.08, the results have not been announced so far even after the lapse of nine months. The delay in declaration of results over nine months is causing concern. This would have been announced much earlier. Further, the calendar for Departmental Exam has not been released this year. It is therefore requested to cause immediate action to declare the IP results besides circulating the Calendar of Examination for the remaining months of this year. Letter No.: P/2-22/West Bengal Dated - 11.08.2009 addressed to Sri. R. K. Singh, Member (P), Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 Abnormal delay in filling up of Residual vacancies - case of West Bengal Circle - reg. It is brought to our notice that the Circle administration of West Bengal Circle has not taken any efforts to fill up the vacancies kept under residual vacancies since 2000. The repeated requests of the Circle union to expedite the process of filling up of all residual vacancies yielded with futile results. This causes a concern. It is therefore requested to cause appropriate orders to West Bengal Circle administrtion to fill up all the vacant posts kept under residual vacancies within in a time from and alienate the sufferings of the officials prevailing due to unbearable shortage of staff. A line in reply about the action taken is highly solicited. Letter No.: P/4-4/Honorarium Dated - 11.08.2009 addressed to the Secretary, Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 Upward revision in the rates of honorarium for the invigilation work in departmental exam - reg. According to the existing orders which was laid down vide Department letter No. 18/16/98-E dt. 31.12.93, the officials brought for invigilation work in the departmental exam are being paid Rs.20/- per session which is very meager. Group Ds are being paid Rs.15/- per day. The officials brought for invigilation work during the departmental examination have to perform duty

for the minimum of 6 hours and the present rate did not commensurate even for a single work hour. There is no revision in the rates over sixteen years. This is nothing but unjust labour practice which requires to be modified. It is therefore requested to kindly cause action to revise the rates according to the current requirement. A line in reply about the action taken is highly appreciated. Letter No.: P/4-5/NREG Scheme Dated - 11.08.2009 addressed to the Secretary, Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001 NREG Scheme Engagement of outsider to manage the excess work load - reg. The Chief PMG, Rajasthan Circle vide his letter no. SB/37-8/NREGA /08-09/41 dt. 30.06.09 has caused instructions to the concerned BPM/SPMs to engage one outsider of his confidence to assist him in the above work at the risk and responsibility of the concerned GDS BPM/SPM in case of payment of NREGA accounts exceed one hundred on any day. The Chief PMG has stated that such outsider will be paid only at the wages at the rate equal to the rate of payment admissible to GDS. The above said local orders has caused certain relief to the toiling Postmasters in the existence of shortage of staff and over work. If the same provision is extended to other circles, it will provide certain relief to the officials. It is requested to consider the same and cause instructions to apply similar provision uniformly in all circle and arrange relief to the officials from overwork due to this new scheme.

OBITUARY
u Com. Homi Daji, Ex-Member Parliament and Ex-All India President of Telecom union under NFPTE expired on 14.05.09 at Bombay. He was holding the position as General Secretary, AITUC during 1990s. We dip our banner in respect of the departed leader and convey our condolences to breaved family members and comrades. u Com. R. P. Chatterjee, one of the vetern of UPTW and the first General Secretary of RMS Union under NFPTE has lost his breath on 18.05.09. He was 87 years old and his service to this movement is ever remembered. We record our deep condolences to the breaved family members and comrades. We dip our banner in memory of the departed lamented leader. u Com V. S. Joshi, Former President, R3 CHQ expired on 14.06.09. He was the Circle Secretary, Karnataka Circle over 10 years. His loss is an irrepairable loss to the movement. We convey our heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family members and comrades.

BHARTIYA POST

SEPTEMBER, 2009

POSTAL NEWS - AROUND THE WORLD

1. French postal reform move set to stir more protest PARIS, July 29 (Reuters) - France took the first step towards reforming its state-owned postal service on Wednesday, a move that unions and opposition parties fear may lead to the popular operator's privatisation. France's cabinet signed off on the proposal at its last meeting before the summer break, saying the change of status to a public limited company was necessary to prepare for the sector's liberalisation in 2011, under European Union rules. "In this context, La Poste will need big investments in the next years in order to modernise and develop and guarantee a high quality of service," Economy Minister Christine Lagarde and Industry Minister Christian Estrosi said in a statement. A heated parliamentary debate over the change, part of President Nicolas Sarkozy's reform agenda, is expected for the autumn. The government has promised La Poste will remain 100 percent publicly owned and that its key functions -- providing a postal service across the country, six days a week, at steady prices -- will be guaranteed. But thousands of postal workers have taken to the streets in protest over the past year, calling the plan a sell-out of an institution that most French want to remain public. La Poste said last year it was considering opening up its capital to outside investors to raise funds needed to compete with rivals like United Parcel Service (UPS.N) and privatised German post office operator Deutsche Post (DPWGn.DE). Once considered a somewhat tranquil sector, postal services across Europe have faced an overhaul as the market moves towards liberalisation. Germany has ended Deutsche Post's monopoly status and tax advantages, while Britain was planning to sell up to a third of state-owned Royal Mail until poor market conditions forced it to put the plan on hold earlier this month. But to many in France, the state-owned postal system is an example of tax-funded public service at its best, with La Poste carriers in blue and yellow delivering letters and parcels to even the most remote areas. Any thoughts of privatisation were swept away by the financial crisis that erupted last year. Under European Union rules, however, the sector has to open up in 2011, and La Poste's leadership has said it needs 3 billion euros ($4.24 billion) to make La Poste more competitive, for example adapting to the Internet and other new forms of communication. The operator employs about 300,000 people and runs a savings company where most French hold an account. The government says that if it does not modernise, foreign companies will move in an take over once the sector opens to competition. The opposition Socialist Party has called for a referendum on the future of La Poste, arguing that there has been no debate over the status change and that neither EU rules nor business objectives actually require such a step. 2. U. S Postal Service in Crisis For the fourth time this year, the Government Accountability Office has warned that the U.S. Postal Service must slash its costs*, and each time, it has raised the volume of its warnings. This week it says the very viability of the postal system is at stake. The post office has a fairly simple problem that's not that different from that which plagues the automobile industry: Fewer customers and a lot of stubborn overhead costs. If the postal service is to be able to pay its way, the GAO says, it will have to lose tens of thousands of employees, shrink its network of post offices and distribution centers, and negotiate cheaper pay and benefit packages with its unionized work force. And this is on top of the postal service's proposal to drop one day from its delivery schedule and to underpay its health care benefit obligations this year. In a country beset by recession and struggling to enact sweeping reforms to the health care and energy industries, the postal system is pretty far down the list of fiscal emergencies. But the postal service tipped from profitability three years ago to accelerating losses, estimated to reach $7 billion this year. The country faces a significant choice: Is it going to require the postal service to pay its own way, or is it going to limp along with a heavy government subsidy, much as Amtrak? The right, if painful, course would be to insist that the postal service align its size and capacity with the declining demand for its services. Mail volume has been dropping sharply for the past couple of years, and the GAO reckons it's not coming back. The postal service itself estimates it will handle 175 billion pieces of mail this fiscal year -- a drop of about 28 billion

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SEPTEMBER, 2009

pieces in a single year. Simply put, fewer people send letters each year, and each year more businesses convert customers to online or autopay billing. These are irreversible trends. At the same time, the postal service has 727,000 employees working at 38,000 facilities nationwide. It recently offered early retirement deals to 150,000 of them, but all but 3 percent elected to stay on their jobs. And why wouldn't they? The GAO points out that the postal service pays very well, even by the standards of federal agencies. It shoulders the entire cost of life insurance premiums, for example, although most agencies pay about one-third of the premium costs. Postal employees also have a lighter health care cost burden than most federal agencies. The postal service also has 74 district offices and nine area offices, thousands of acres of real estate with a big backlog of maintenance needs. It's going to have to jettison some of that property, though no community wants to see its post office disappear. But the postal service is the perfect laboratory for the federal government to enact all the big changes it wants for the rest of the country. It can reshape health care benefit packages to give employees an incentive to keep costs down. It can burn less imported gasoline by eliminating vehicles and days of delivery. It can cut its use of electricity by closing facilities. These are things the government wants to encourage all of us to do. The least it can do is to let the postal service show us the way. 3. Postal Service Considering Branch Closings Printer Friendly Version (Washington, DC) -- The U.S. Postal Service is examining a list of nearly 700 post offices that could be closed to cut costs. During testimony in Congress last week, a high-ranking postal official said most of the closings would be in urban areas so it would not be difficult for people to find another branch. Also suggested is ending Saturday delivery, which could save an estimated two- to three-billion dollars a year. In a Gallup Poll, 66-percent of people support the post office stopping Saturday delivery. Mail volume dropped off five-percent last year. The postal service expects a 15-percent slide this year, resulting in a loss of seven-billion dollars. 4. Army moves to consolidate postal services BAMBERG, August 6, 2009. Germany - The Army plans to consolidate mailing centers scattered throughout communities into centralized locations called postal service centers.

The centers will combine unit and community mail rooms, regional post offices, Army post offices and official mail distribution centers all into one facility for each military community, according to Installation Management Command-Europe officials. "We are really looking forward to this," said Douglas Stewart, postmaster for Warner Barracks post office in Bamberg. "Customers will be able to get everything done at once." The Bamberg facility will nearly double in size and add a second floor to its postal service center as part of the consolidation. Several bases have already begun consolidating their mail operations, including Grafenwhr, Baumholder, Wiesbaden, Garmisch, and Stuttgart, in Germany, as well as Brussels and Chievres in Belgium, and Schinnen, Netherlands, according to an IMCOM-Europe news release. Officials also are looking at ways to hasten mail delivery from the main distribution hub in Frankfurt, Germany, to bases around Europe. "We're looking at ideas like reducing the number of regional post offices and delivering all mail directly to the postal service centers,""said Monique Bagby, IMCOM-Europe postal transformation program manager. The transformation is scheduled to be complete throughout Europe by 2014, according to Bagby. 5. 2nd UPDATE: Deutsche Postbank Swings Back To Net Loss 2Q FRANKFURT (Dow Jones)--Deutsche Postbank AG (DPB.XE) Thursday swung to a net loss in the second quarter, taking further hits on structured credits and other fixed-interest securities, higher provisions for loans turning sour and lower revenue. Germany's largest bank by retail customers also didn't benefit as much from a positive tax effect that helped push it into the black in the first quarter. Analysts focused on a weaker-than-forecast revenue figure. At 1037 GMT, the shares were down EUR0.78, or 4.2%, at EUR19.25, in line with other lower bank shares but underperforming the German mid-cap market, which was up 0.5%. (-Courtesy: UNI - APRO)

COM. K. K. SAINI, CIRCLE SECRETARY, HARYANA BEREAVED

Smt. Nanki Devi, Mother of Com. K. K. Saini, Circle Secretary, Haryana Circle aged 93 years lost her breath on 13.07.2009. We convey our heartfelt condolences to Com. K. K. Saini and the bereaved family members.

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E-TECH NEWS-Department of Posts

Rural Technology Update.........

The Committee on IC Technology on Rural Post Office made a presentation before Secretary (Posts) and Member( Technology) at Bangalore. The Committee comprised the following members: Shri M.P. Ranjan, CPMG Karnataka, Shri A.K. Dash, DDG (PMU), Mr. Salim Haque, DDG (Rural Business Division), Shri Kaushal Kishore, GM Finance BD Directorate, Dr. Ashok JhunjunwalaIIT, Chennai, Prof. V. Ranganadaan, Prof V. Sadagopan, IIIT Bangalore, Professor IIM Banglore, Shri Shatrunjay Rawat, Professor IIIT, Hyderabad and Dr. Kushal Pathak, Director PMU. The committee made the presentations on three areas, Rural Connectivity, Hardware option and Public private partnership model. COMMITTEE ON IC TECHNOLOGY ON RURAL POST OFFICE Background: v Thrust of the Government on the social pensions and financial inclusion in the rural areas v The widest physical network of the Post office in the country v Retailing of various services & products v Bill collection v Delivery of Government services v Making Internet accessible to Rural India v Delivery of information through web Objectives v Rural ICT Network design v Power issues-poor power supply situation in many parts of the country v Connectivity issues v Device issues v network security issues v Software integration-multiple services are to be provided on multiple software platforms (keeping the different connectivity and device options in mind) v network maintenance issued Redundancy issues v Remote maintenance v Network implementation issues.

CURRENT STATUS OF TECHNOLOGY INDUCTION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

Approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on the EFC (Ist Phase)-2008-09 &200910: Computerizing and networking of 6915 post of fices, 2222 administrative offices including divisional offices and sub-divisional offices 23 PAOs including the PA Wing in the Directorate, Upgradation of the software centre at PTC, Mysore, Establishment of the project management unit (PMU), Hiring of a IT consultant and annual maintenance contract for the maintenance contract for the existing hardware and software Total outlay of Rs. 628.66 crores for the years 2008-09 and 2009-2010. Funds allocated to DDG (Tech), DDG (PAF) and DDG (Estt) for implementation of the plan project for the year 2008-09 and for the period from April to July 2009 under the vote of accounts amounting to Rs 205.17 crores. In the last financial year 1847 number of Post of fices were supplied with new hardware Computerization and Networking of 6915 Post offices, 2222 administrative offices including division office and sub-division offices

PLANNED PHASES OF IT INDUCTION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

Phase-I Supply of hardware to the offices which have not been supplied by hardware, i.e. remaining departmental post offices down up to double handed Pos, administrative offices and remaining sections of the accounts wings, training facilities, Civil Wing etc. The momentum of computerizing the post offices, administrative offices and accounts offices is continued by completing the supply of hardware on more or less the same lines adopted in the X Plan. This will bring in the benefits accrued from computerization to the remaining offices. It will also enable utilization of funds. It will also prepare the computerized offices to be in readiness for implementation of the integrated software in the next phase. The existing software would be used in these POs with emphasis on consolidation of networking and better training of the manpower. Phase-II Development of integrated modular software which will allow seamless flow of data between the various postal units, with other service providers like Telecom, Railways, Banks, State Governments and other postal administrations and setting up of a National Data Centre and Disaster Recovery Centre. Provision of hardware to the single handed offices and the BOs/GDS offices and connectivity to the rural post offices to enable payment of remittances and social delivery schemes such NREGS, Scholarship etc. -Extracts from July 2009 Issue.

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GLOBAL ECONOMY SHRINK 2.9%

TO

Boosted by the strength of India and China, developing nations would grow 1.2 per cent this year, but without the two these economies would shrink 1.6 per cent, says the World Bank. Warning that the world is entering an era of "slower growth", the multilateral lending agency has projected the global economy to shrink 2.9 per cent this year. The World Bank in its latest report titled 'Global Development Finance 2009: Charting a global recovery' has said that excluding India and China, the developing economies would shrink 1.6 per cent this year. "Developing countries are expected to grow by only 1.2 per cent this year, after 8.1 per cent growth in 2007 and 5.9 per cent growth in 2008. "When China and India are excluded, GDP in the remaining developing countries is projected to fall by 1.6 per cent, causing continued job losses and throwing more people into poverty," the report said. The Bank anticipates the global economy to contract 2.9 per cent this year but to grow in 2010. Earlier, the Bank projected the world GDP to shrink 1.7 per cent. "Global growth is also expected to be negative, with a expected 2.9 per cent contraction of global GDP in 2009," the report noted. Presenting an optimistic outlook, the bank has projected the developing economies to grow at 4.4 per cent and 5.7 per cent in 2010 and 2011, respectively. "Global GDP growth is expected to rebound to two per cent in 2010 and 3.2 per cent by 2011. In developing countries, the growth is expected to be higher, at 4.4 per cent in 2010 and 5.7 per cent in 2011, albeit subdued relative to the robust performance prior to the current crisis," the report said. Battered by the global economics recession and shaky financial markets, the net private capital inflow to developing countries plunged to $707 billion in 2008 from $1.2 trillion in the previous year. "Amidst global economic recession and financial-market fragility, net private capital inflows to developing countries fell to $707 billion in 2008, a sharp drop from a peak of $1.2 trillion in 2007. International capital flows are projected to fall further in 2009, to $363 billion," it noted - PTI -The Hindu - 23.06.09

WERE IN THE SAME BOAT BROTHER Were in the same boat brother, Were in the same boat brother, And if your shake one end, You gonna rock the other Its the same boat brother The lord looked down from his holy place Said Lawd duh me, what a sea of space What a spot to launch the human race So he built him a boat for a mixed-up crew, With eyes of Black and Brown and Blue, So thats hows come that you and I Got just one world and just one sky Oh, it took some time for the crew to learn What is bad for the bow aint good for the stern. If a fire took place in China today Pearl Harbor just gonna blaze away. -Paul Robson
500 POST OFFICES TO BE MODERNIZED
The Government plans to upgrade and modernize 500 post offices across the country with an investment of Rs.65 Crore, a senior official in the Ministry said, "Project Arrow is now being extended to 500 more post offices, under phase - III, to upgrade and modernize these post offices", minister of state for communications and information technology Sachin Pilot said on Tuesday. Project Arrow was launched by the Department of Posts last year as part of efforts to provide world-class service to customers, in phase I of the flagship programme, the postal department identified 50 post offices for upgradation on a pilot basis with an investment of Rs. 12.85 crore. In the second phase, upgradation of 450 post offices have already been completed and the third phase I expected to be completed by August end this year. While reviewing the progress of the implementation of the Project Arrow in post offices of Delhi and NCR, the minister said: "The objective of the project is to make a visible, tangible and a noteworthy difference to the services of the post offices that matter to the common man. (The Economics Times, New Delhi dt.22.07.09)

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OUT SOURCING - THE BEGINNING IN THE POSTAL

No.51-09/2009-BD&MD Dated : 13-07-2009 OFFICE MEMORANDUM Subject: Outsourcing of data entry work related to booking of bulk Speed Post articles. 1.1 SpeedNet software has been designed to track the entire journey of a Speed Post article from booking to delivery. The software provides for entry of name, address and PIN of the addressee at the time of booking of Speed post article. This information is tagged with the bar code number assigned to that particular Speed Post article. At the delivery point, when the bar code of Speed Post article is scanned, the full details of the name, address etc. of the addressee fed into the system at the time of booking, are retrieved and printed on the delivery slip of the postman by the Speed Net. 1.2.Whenever the address data is not fed into the system at the time of booking of the article, the same is not available in Speed Net for printing on the delivery slips of the postmen of the delivery office. In all such cases, it is the postman who is required to fill in the name and address details of the addressee in the delivery slip taking that information from the Speed Post articles of his beat. Due to the rush to take out the delivery, it is very rare that this information is filled up, in full, by the postmen in their delivery slip. Once the Speed Post article is delivered, the Department has no data of the name and address of the addressee on which basis any fruitful enquiries can be made subsequently in case of any complaint received of loss, delay, abstraction etc. of such a Speed Post article. 1.3 The problem of non entry of address data at the time of booking majorly lies with the bulk booking. Bulk booking constitutes a substantial volume of Speed Post articles booked in major Speed Post Centres in India. In a large number of cases, the Speed Post dispatch by bulk customers is not received alongwith soft copy of the address data, instead, it is received with a paper manifest, containing the name and address of the addressees of the articles posted. As most of the bulk mailers do not provide the address data of their postings in soft copy which could be uploaded directly in SpeedNet, such postings enters the Speed Post network without any entry of the corresponding name and address of the addressees. 1.4 This leads to a situation where we find that in most of the delivery offices, majority of the Speed Post articles are delivered without address data of the addressee being captured form the SpeedNet on the delivery slip. 1.1 Most of the bulk bookings are received in late afternoons. As most of the dispatches are in the evening/late evening, there is hardly any time available with these offices to enter the name and address data of the addressee in the bulk booking module of SpeedNet. The articles are therefore dispatched without capturing this information. 1.2.In order to resolve this issue, the matter was taken up with Postal Training Centre, Mysore to make necessary modifications in SpeedNet software that would allow"deferred" entry of name and address of the addressees in the "BulkBooking module" of SpeedNet subsequent to their dispatch. 1.3 PTC. Mysore, has now prepared a suitable patch for the SpeedNet software that is available for download from the PTC, Mysore, ftp site (ftp// ftp.ptcinfo.org/speednet). This will enable deferred data entry. The staff of the booking office will be able to key in the data of name and address of the bulk mail processed by the office during the lean working period of the office subsequent to the dispatch. 1.4 However, in a number of cases, it would not be possible with the limited staff available with the booking office to enter this information into the system well in time so that the same is available through SpeedNet for retrieval at the time of delivery at the delivery point of the article. 1.5 In such cases, it has now been decided to out source the activity of entering the name and address data of the addressee in the bulk booking module of the SpeedNet from the paper manifest in respect of bulk bookings. 2.0 The Scheme of Outsourcing of Data Entry Work related to Bulk Bookings of Speed Post Articles. 2.1 Directorate vide its communication no.43-41/90-D dated 15-11-1995 on the subject of New Discount Scheme for Speed Post Bulk Customers' has defined 'Bulk Customer' on the basis of business in the shape of revenue. In the context of this Scheme "Bulk Booking" is defined as any booking of Speed Post articles by a customer (BNPL customer or otherwise) who provides Speed Post business of Rs. 10,000 or more in a calendar month to the Department. 2.2 BD&M Directorate communication no. 40-10/2000BD dated 29 August, 2001 provided following discount structure to bulk customers:

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Monthly Speed business Upto Rs. 10,000 Rs.10,001-Rs.50,000 Rs.50,001-Rs.1,00,000

Post

Discount NIL Upto 5% of Speed Post Fee Upto 10% of Speed Post Fee Upto 15% of Speed Post Fee Upto 20% of Speed Post Fee

3.0

Rs.1,00,001-Rs.2,50,000 Rs. 2,50,001 and above

The concerned Chief PMG/PMG were authorized to offer discount to bulk customers keeping in view the business of the client, profile of the business offered etc. The discount was to be offered on "case to case basis" with a speaking order authorizing the exact extent of discount allowed. 2.0 The above referred communication also provided for special rates for VIC-A, VIC-B and VIC-C categories of customers. 2.1 The Scheme of Outsourcing as elaborated in this communication would apply to Bulk Bookings (as defined in clause 2.1) of all Bulk Customers : (i) that provide monthly Speed Post business of more than Rs. 10,000; (ii) that are offered discount as per clause 2.2; and (iii) that make bulk bookings with paper copy manifest and do not provide soft copy in the required format (Annex A). 2.2 This Scheme would not apply to Bulk Bookings of VIC-A, VIC-B, VIC-C customers and National Account Holders as it will now be mandatory for these customers to provide the soft copy of their bulk bookings in the required format with effect from 1 September, 2009 (Annex A). 2.3 In respect of bulk bookings (as defined in para 2.1) that are received with a paper manifest only without soft copy, the amount of discount as offered to the bulk customer (as per clause 2.2), in respect of such bookings, would be reduced to half. This reduction would be enforced with effect from 1 September, 2009. 2.4 The booking office would keep an account of such bookings as per the proforma at Annex D and bill the bulk customer accordingly at the end of the month (Annex E). 2.5 Data entry work related to booking of bulk speed post article would be outsourced in National or State Speed Post Centres or any other booking outlet that handles bulk booking. 2.6 The format at Annex A is expected from the bulk customer who is providing data in soft copy in order to avail the full discount available to it. SpeedNet is already having the provision for

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

uploading of such data (second option under BNPL Menu). The deferred booking data entry as envisaged in this communication assumes that articles received with such bulk bookings are already booked with minimum data viz. article no. date and destination special booking office and dispatched. It is the balance data of name and address of the addressee that is required to be captured subsequent to the dispatch of articles in deferred entry mode either by the staff of the office or by the Data Entry Service Provider. The format of data in respect of deferred entry would be as provided in Annex B. This data structure in excel sheet would be provided by the Data Entry Service Provider for import to SpeedNet 3.1 The data entry work would be outsourced to a Data Entry Service Provider who would be asked to provide the soft copy (in prescribed excel sheet format as required for uploading in SpeedNet Annex B) of the paper booking manifest of the Bulk Booking within a period of 8 to 10 hours of handing over the paper manifest by the concerned Office of the Department of Post. The paper booking manifest of the Bulk Booking would be handed over to the data Entry Service Provider within an hour or receipt in the office. Each and every entry made by the Data Entry Service Provider shall include the name, full address, destination city and PIN Code etc. Such a Data Entry Service Provider would be selected after a due tender proces in consultation with Finance Advice by the Regional office or the Circle office, as the case may be. Data Entry Service Provider that quotes the lowest per Speed Post article address data entry rate would be selected. In no case, this rate, may exceed Rs. 0.50 per Speed Post article address data entry exclusive of taxes. Data Entry Service Provider would engage data entry operators for this work who fulfill the following conditions: (i) Education : 12th standard (ii) Proficiency in data entry and MS Office application. (A certificate from a reputed Computer Training Institute of being trained in this regard would be required). (iii) Ability to feed address data in respect of at least 60 Speed Post articles per hour. The activity would be conducted by the data entry operators provided by the Data Entry Service Provider :

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either on the nodes available in the booking office (ii) or any other suitable office to be identified by the Department. (iii) or alternatively, Data Entry Service Provider may get the data entry work conducted at its own premises/facility within the time period to be indicated by the concerned booking office of the Department. The concerned CPMsG/PMG would take a decision in this regard keeping in view the availability of infrastructure required with the Department at that office/station. 3.9 The incharge/supervisor of the booking office would carry out a random check of 5% of the entries made with reference to the paper manifest. 3.10 Incomplete data entries will not be entitled for any payment. 3.11 At the end of the day, the Data Entry Service Provider shall submit a manifest of work performed by it in the format prescribed at Annex C in duplicate. One copy duly signed by the Postal Official will be kept by the concerned Office of the Department and the second copy would be handed back to the Data Entry Service Provider. 3.12 The booking office would maintain a Daily Account of outsourcing in a Register as per the format prescribed at Annex D on a daily basis. 3.13 The billing branch of the booking office would

(i)

3.14

3.15

3.16

3.17 4.

keep an account of discount made available to the Bulk Customers on a monthly basis (billing cycle) as per the format prescribed at Annex E. The Head of the booking office shall submit a copy of the Daily Account of Outsourcing (Annex D) duly consolidated for the calendar month as well as the Monthly Account of Discount to Bulk Customers (Annex E) to the concerned Regional or Circle Office with recommendation of payment. Head of the booking office would recommend payment to the Data Entry Service Provider only after performing the checks prescribed in this communication and satisfying himself/herself of the number of speed post articles whose data has been fed in the prescribed format and the correctness of the data etc. An officer in Regional Office or Circle Office (as the case may be) authorized for the purpose would check the account and issue necessary sanction of payment to the data Entry Service Provider on a monthly basis. It would be ensured that in no case the amount paid to the Data Entry Service Provider exceeds the amount by which the discount available to the bulk customers was reduced (by half) during the month. The payment made on account of this outsourcing will be debited to 3201 02 101.04 28. This issues with the approval of the competent authority and concurrence of Integrated Finance Adviser.

INDIA POST SET TO GET NEW TECH ADDRESSES

Targeting improved Postal Services in India, the government has proposed setting up 12 automatic mail processing centres (AMPCs) in the country during the ongoing Five-years Plan (2007-12). The AMPCs will have high speed sorting machines that will lead to quicker distribution of mails. "The government has planned to invest Rs.275 crore to set up 12 automatic mail processing centres all over the country," said a government official on condition of anonymity. The AMPCs are likely to come up in Delhi and Kolkata by the end of March 2010, the official said. By the end of the plan period, AMPCs will come up in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Luknow, Ludhiana, Kochi, Patna and Vashi, giving a boost to the efficiency of postal services all over the country, he said. Recently, there were reports that India Post plans to invite consultants to help the loss - making institution acquire technology solutions, including software applications and computer hardware. The institutions also plans to spend around Rs.2300 crore on technology, according to the reports. Two AMPCs are already functional in Mumbai and Chennai, which were established in 1993 and 1996 respectively. "All the AMPCs will have high speed sorting machines that can sort up to 30000 letters in an hour," the government official added. Under automatic mail processing letters are sorted at a faster pace, leading to quicker distribution of mails. All the letters meant for automatic sorting must have a pin code and should be machinable. The steps being planned to develop automatic mail processing centres is a part of the initiative taken by the government to modernize and upgrade the operations of the postal services and give a new corporate image to India Post. (Economics Times, New Delhi dt.30.07.2009)

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