Reimbursement of expenditure on account of acquiring driving license for Motor cars to Dispatch Rider / MTS.

No.35011/1/2014-Estt.(D)

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

Department of Personnel & Training

North Block, New Delhi

Dated the 19th March, 2015

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Reimbursement of expenditure on account of acquiring driving license for Motor cars to Dispatch Rider / MTS.

The undersigned is directed to say that a revised Model Recruitment Rules (RRs) for the post of staff car driver has been issued vide this Department OM No. AB- 14017/10/2014-Estt (RR) dated 4.7.2014. Accordingly Ministries / Departments have been advised to review the existing rules to bring them in conformity with the model RRs. It may be observed from column 10 of the model RRs that the method of recruitment prescribed for filling up the post of staff car driver (ordinary grade) is “Deputation/absorption failing which by direct recruitment”. With regard to Deputation / Absorption following criteria has been prescribed:-

“From amongst the regular Dispatch Rider (Group C) and Group C employees in Pay Band I Rs. 5200-20200 Grade pay Rs. 1800 in the same Ministry / Department who possess valid Driving License for Motor Cars on the basis of a Driving Test to assess the competence to drive Motor Cars failing which from officials holding the post of Dispatch Rider on regular basis or regular Group C employees in Pay Band 1 Rs. 5200-20200 Grade Pay Rs. 1800 in other Ministries / Department of the Central Government who fulfil the necessary qualifications as mentioned in column 7/’

2. To encourage filling up of the post of Staff Car Driver through the method of Deputation/Absorption of Despatch Rider and Group ‘C’ employees in Pay Band I with Grade Pay of Rs.1800/-, it has been decided to reimburse the expenditure incurred on account of acquiring Driving Licence for Motor Cars to Despatch Riders (DR)/MTS subject to the condition that reimbursement is allowed to only such DRs/MTS who otherwise fulfil the criteria laid down in the RRs for appointment as Staff Car Drivers.

3. This issues with the concurrence of Department of Expenditure vide their OM FTS No. 16056/E.Coord-2015 dated 13th February, 2015.

Sd/-

(S. K. Prasad)

Under Secretary to the Govt. of India

source:http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02est/35011_1_2014-Estt.D-19032015.pdf

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Family Identity Cards to retiring/retired railway employees.

RBE No. 19/2015

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

RAILWAY BOARD 

No.E(W) 2003/PS 5-8/1

Date 16.03.2015

The General Manager(P)

        &

The General Manager(Comml.),

All Indian Railways.

Sub: Family Identity Cards to retiring/retired railway employees.

In terms of Board's letter of even number dated 24.08.2006 on the above subject, Family Identity Cards Issued to retiring/retired railway employees are renewed after every 7 years.

2. The issue regarding enhancing the validity of such Family Identity Cards from present 7 years has been under consideration in Board’s Office.  The matter has been considered by Board and it has now been decided that validity of Family Identity Cards issued to retiring/retired railway employees and widows of railway employees will now be for lifetime instead of 7 years.  Other terms and conditions as laid down in Board’s letter of even number dated 04.06.2003 will remain the same.

3. This issues with the concurrence of the Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.

4. Please acknowledge receipt.

Sd/-

(Debasis Mazumdar)

Director Estt.(Welfare)

Railway Board

Source: http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/establishment/E%28W%29/2015/RBE_19_2015.pdf

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Will there be a HIKE in 6% DA this week?

The Union Cabinet is likely to approve hiking dearness allowance (DA) to 113 per cent from existing 107 per cent benefiting 30 lakh central government employees and 50 lakh pensioners in its meeting scheduled in this week.

“The Union Cabinet will take a proposal to hike Dearness allowance for its employees and dearness relief for its pensioners to 113 per cent in next week as per agenda listed for the meeting,” a source said. The hike in DA would be effective from the January 1st this year.

As per practice, the government uses Consumer Price Index- Industrial Workers ( CPI-IW) data of the past 12 months to arrive at a quantum for the purpose of any DA hike.

Thus, the CPI-IW from January 1st to December 31st, 2014 would be used to take a final call on the matter.

The CPI (IW) of the months January, February, March, April, May, June and July were 237, 238, 239, 242, 244, 246 and 252 respectively.

The consumer price index -industrial workers (CPI-IW) remained stationery at 253 for last five months August to December, 2014.

“The average of the consumer price index -industrial workers (CPI-IW) from January 1st, 2014 to December 31st, 2014 works out to be 6.3 per cent. Thus the Central government will hike dearness allowance for it employees by 6 per cent,” the source added.

However, the employees’ bodies are pressing hard to merger of 50 percent DA with basic pay but it has not been given heed by the seventh Pay Commission as well as the government.

The merger of 50 percent DA was discontinued in the Sixth Pay Commission but the Fifth Pay Commission had recommended that if the DA crosses more than 50 percent then it should be clubbed with the basic pay.

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Railways’ Cash-on-Delivery Service for E-Tickets

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Ministry of Railways 

Railways’ Cash-on-Delivery Service for E-Tickets 

     Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC), a public sector undertaking of the Ministry of Railways, has launched Cash on Delivery (CoD) service for e-tickets w.e.f. 01.01.2015 on pilot basis. The salient features of the scheme are as under:

·                Under this scheme, the customer books the tickets online through the following channels and opts for Cash on Delivery service or may make online payment:

                                                        i.            www.bookmytrain.com

                                                      ii.            Bookmytrain App on Android platform.

                                                    iii.            Bookmytrain App on Windows platform.

                                                    iv.            Bookmytrain App on BlackBerry platform.

                                                      v.            Bookmytrain App on iOS platform.

·                The customer can book tickets up to five days prior to commencement of journey.

          Introduction of the scheme for facilitating the passengers and its proliferation based on feedback is a continuous and ongoing process.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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Clarification Regarding Fake Advertisements for Mass Recruitment of Constables in Railways

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Ministry of Railways 

Clarification Regarding Fake Advertisements for Mass Recruitment of Constables in Railways 

 It has been noticed by Railways that some websites are showing advertisement regarding recruitment of 17000 Constables in Railway Protection Force/Railway Protection Special Force (RPF/RPSF). The Ministry of Railways here issues following clarification in this regard:-

“Some websites are advertising regarding mass recruitment of constables in Railway Protection Force.  In this connection, it is clarified that neither such an advertisement has been issued nor being processed from the Railways. Therefore, it is advised that such advertisements are fictitious and must be ignored.

The only advertisement under process is for recruitment of 1599 lady constables in RPF/RPSF which will be notified in employment news, national dailies and in official website of Railways i.e www.indianrailways.gov.in in due course.”

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CGHS Order 2015: Clarification regarding issue of medicines under CGHS

No.2-2/2014/CGHS(HQ)/PPTY/CGHS(P)

Government Of India

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Nirman Bhawan,Maulana Azad Road

New Delhi 110 108

Dated: the 13th March,2015

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Clarification regarding issue of medicines under CGHS

With reference to the above mentioned subject, the undersigned is directed to state that the situation arising out of issue of Office Memorandum No 2-2/2-14/CGHS(HQ)/PPTY/CGHS(P) dated the 25th August, 2014 has been engagine the attention of Government for quite some time. Although the guidelines were modified subsequentlyvide Office Memorandum of even number dated 01.10.2014 and 23.12.2014, this Ministry is in recepit of representaions seeking clarifications. The matter has been reviewed and it has now been decided to withdraw the OM of even no. dated 25.08.2014.

Sd/-

(Sumil Kumar)

Under Secretary to the Govt. of India

Source:http://msotransparent.nic.in/writereaddata/cghsdata/mainlinkfile/File953.pdf

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One Rank One Pension Scheme

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Ministry of Defence 

One Rank One Pension Scheme 

The principle of One Rank One Pension for the Armed Forces has been accepted by the Government. The modalities for implementation have been discussed with various stakeholders and are presently under consideration of the Government. Financial implication could be calculated, once the modalities are finalized and approved by the Government. 

Possible amendments to the pension policies are being examined with a view to reduce litigation for removing disparities in pension of various ex-servicemen. 

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri Mullappally Ramachandran and others in Lok Sabha today. 

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Recruitment of Soldiers

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Ministry of Defence 

Recruitment of Soldiers 

From time to time Defence Civilian employees have been raising the demands that they should be granted Field Area allowance and Modified Field Area allowance as applicable to the service Personnel and for providing other allowances like Aeronautical Technical Allowance, Airworthiness Certificate Allowance, Flight Charge Certificate Allowance etc. at par with technical defence personnel. It has not been found feasible to accept these demands as the job requirements and service conditions of Service Personnel and Defence Civilian employees are totally different. 

Complaints relating to alleged irregularities / malpractices in recruitment of soldiers have been received from time to time. In cases of complaints of involvement of touts, FIRs, where applicable, have been lodged. During the last three years (2012 to till date), three cases of involvement of Service Personnel were found. Court of Inquiry has been instituted in one case; preliminary investigation has been ordered in another case and in third, the CBI has registered a case. 

Proactive measures have been taken on a continuous basis to streamline the recruitment process. These include deployment of vigilance teams, involving police and Government intelligence sources, introducing additional checks and balances in documentation procedure, online verification of documents where feasible, conducting awareness campaigns against falling prey to touts, in-house printing of Question Papers to obviate leakage. 

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri P Karunakaran in Lok Sabha today. 

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Women Personnel in Defence Services

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Ministry of Defence 

Women Personnel in Defence Services 

Women personnel in the Armed Forces are not being deployed for combat operations and on naval warships. Induction of women in combat duties has not been recommended by the studies carried out by the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQIDS) in 2006 and High Level Tri-Services Committee in 2011. 

In the Armed Forces, Women are inducted as Short Service Commissioned Officers (SSCOs) alongwith men SSCOs with a tenure of upto 14 years. All officers including SSCOs, irrespective of gender, are eligible to hold substantive rank of Lieutenant Colonel after completion of 13 years of reckonable commissioned service. Further, Women SSCOs are eligible for grant of Permanent Commission in specific branches in the three Services viz. Judge Advocate General (JAG) and Army Education Corps of Army and their corresponding branches in Navy and Air Force; Naval constructor in Navy and Accounts, Technical, Administration, Logistic and Meteorology branches in Air Force in terms of extant Government Policy. 

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Dr Bhola Singh and others in LokSabha today. 

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Ordnance Factories should be corporatized into a single corporation under leadership of a competitive management.

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Ministry of Defence 

Ordnance Factories 

Kelkar Committee had recommended that “Ordnance Factories should be corporatized into a single corporation under leadership of a competitive management. This corporation should be accorded the status of Navratna”. 

The following steps have been taken by the Government on research and development initiative for innovation and import substitution in last one year: 

• To avoid the delay in processing of R&D projects at Ordnance Factory Board Headquarters (OFBHQ), financial powers have been delegated to all levels. 

• Factories have been given target to increase the expenditure on R&D activities to 3% of their turnover by the year 2018-19 in a phased manner. 

• Factories are being encouraged to associate themselves with reputed Academic Institutes for Research Assistance. 

• Core technologies have been identified for 12 Ordnance Factories to put in more focused efforts to cope up with Technology denial regime. 

• Joint working on some of the large projects with Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) from the inception stage and to render manufacturing assistance, wherever required by DRDO is being encouraged. 

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply to Shri Gaurav Gogoi and others in Lok Sabha today. 

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