CONFER GAZETTED STATUS TO ALL SUB DIVISIONAL HEADS - REMINDER FOR POSTCARD CAMPAIGN

Dear friends,

I reproduce my email dated 03.8.09.

In the CWC held at Pushkar, Rajasthan on 01st & 2nd August 2009, it was decided to organise postcard campaign requesting the DG, Posts to confer gazetted status to all sub divisional heads with adequate adminsitrative and financial powers.

Accordingly, all IPs and ASPs are requested to write the following text in a postcard addressed to DG Posts and send it in one cover by each division to the Circle Secretary for onward despatch to Postal Directorate in one lot.

.................................................................

To:

Director General Posts Dak Bhawan, New Delhi -110116.

" We all IPs & ASPs demand Gazetted status to all Sub Divsional Heads with Adequate Administrative and Fianancial Powers"

Signature Name: Designation:

.............................................................

The deadline for depatching postcards is 31.8.09.All Circle Secretaries and officer bearers are requested to collect the postcards and despatch to DG(Posts) in one lot.

Sincerely yours,

S.Samuel, General Secretary

Payment of second instalment of arrears on account of Sixth Central Pay Commission Recommendataions.

Copy of Government of India Ministry of Finance Department of Expenditure Implementation Cell Memo No F.No.l/l/2008-IC

Sub : Payment of second instalment of arrears on account of Sixth Central Pay Commission Recommendataions.

As communicated vide this Department's Resolution No.l/l/2008-IC dated 29th August, 2008, the Government had decided that the arrears on account of implementation of Sixth Central Pay Commission's recommendations will be paid in cash in two instalments - first instalment of 40% during the year 2008-09 and the remaining 60% in the financial year 2009-10. The first instalment bas already been paid in 2008-09. It has now been decided that the remaining 60% of arrears may now be paid to the concerned Government servants.

2. Further, as already stipulated vide this Department's O.M. No 1 (2)/ EV/2008 dated 17th August, 2009, in the case of post-Ol.01.2004 entrants into the Central Government, the second instalment of arrears may be released only after individual application forms for registration to the New Pension Scheme have been obtained by the DDO/PAO from the concerned Government servant.

3. As in the case of the first instalment of arrears, Government servants will be permitted to deposit their arrears in their GPF Accounts. Though not mandated, Government servants are encouraged to deposit their arrears in their GPF accounts.

Source : Ministry of Finance, Pay Commission implementation cell memo dated 25.8.2009

DOCUMENTS FOR DATE OF BIRTH FOR PENSIONERS - CLARIFICATION ISSUED BY DEPT OF PENSION

Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare, OM No 38/37/08-P&PW(A) dated 11.8.2009

Sub : Implementation of Government's decision on the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission - Revision of Pension of pre-2006 pensioners/family pensioners etc

The undersigned is directed to say that in this Departments' OM of even Number dated 21.5.2009, it was provided that the following documents would be accepted as proof of date of birth/age for payment of additional pension/family pension on completion of 80 years and above:

(i) Pan Card

(ii) Matriculation certificate (containing the information regarding date of birth )

(iii) Passport

(iv) CGHS Card

(v) Driving licence (if contains date of birth)

2. The matter has been examined further. Considering the difficulay in producting any of the above mentioned documents as proof of age by the old pensioners, particularly those in the rural areas, it has been decided that the Voters' ID may also be accepted as proof of date of birth/age for payment of additonal pension/family pension on completion of 80 years and above subject to the following conditions:

3. The other conditions for acceptance of the documents,as mentioned in the OM dated 21.5.2009, will remain the same.

4. Some doubts have been expressed regarding the date from which the additional pension is to be made effective. In this connection, attention is invited to the clarifications issued vide this Department's OM of even No dated 3.10.2008. It is re-iterated that the additional quantum of pension/family pension, would be admissible from the 1st day of the month in which the date of birth falls, only on completion of the age of 80 years, 85 years, etc (and not in the beginning of the 80th year, 85th year, etc). All references/representations received in this respect stand disposed off accordingly.

Illustration : If a pensioner/family pensioner's date of birth is 26.1.1930, then he/she will be entitled to the additional quantum of pension on completion of 80 years of age w.e.f. 1.1.2010.

For details click here to see the memorandum

BIG TAX CUT COMING YOUR WAY

Times of India News Dated 13.8.2009 :

NEW DELHI: Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday unveiled a roadmap for reforms in direct taxes that promises to drastically cut the tax liability of most individuals by considerably raising tax slabs. The new direct taxes code, proposed to be implemented from April 2011, aims to moderate effective tax rates in the hope that this will encourage more people to pay up.

The most significant changes proposed are in personal income tax, which could lead to tax savings of up to Rs 2.67 lakh each year. The 10% tax rate, currently applicable for incomes between Rs 1.6 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, will apply to incomes between Rs 1.6 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, which means those with incomes between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 10 lakh could save up to Rs 1.17 lakh from their annual tax liability.

The next slab of 20% would be applicable for incomes between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 25 lakh instead of — as is currently — between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh and the 30% slab would be for incomes exceeding Rs 25 lakh, which now kicks in at Rs 5 lakh. The benefits to taxpayers with annual incomes of Rs 25 lakh or more as a result of these changes would be about Rs 2.67 lakh per annum.

As the icing on the cake, the new code proposes to allow for exemptions on savings up to Rs 3 lakh rather than the Rs 1 lakh now allowed under Section 80C of the I-T Act. There is a catch, though. There is no mention of any exemption for housing loans, though the exemption for higher educational loans will stay.

The exemption limit at which taxes kick in will continue to be higher for women and senior citizens. For women, their tax meter will start ticking when their income exceeds Rs 1.9 lakh per annum, whereas senior citizens will have to pay tax only if they earn more than Rs 2.4 lakh a year.

A change that could be problematic for many individuals is in the treatment of post-retirement benefits like provident fund. The adoption of the EET (exempt-exempt-tax) method will mean that any withdrawal of money from your PF account, for whatever reason, will attract a tax since the amount withdrawn will be treated as part of your income for that year. This will, however, apply only to amounts that accrue April 2011 onwards.

Like personal taxes, the corporate tax rate too is to be cut from the existing 30% (excluding cesses and surcharges) for domestic firms to 25%. Also, companies can carry forward losses for as long as they like, while earlier, a loss in a year could be set off against profits only within the next eight years.

In the case of foreign companies, however, in addition to this 25% tax, there will be a 15% tax on ``branch profits''. Branch profits, the code explains, are defined as total income minus corporate tax. This seems to suggest that the effective tax rate for foreign firms could actually be slightly higher than the current 35%.

Another big change is inclusion of financial assets — like shares and deposits — in the calculation of wealth tax. The whammy is sought to be offset by a reduction in the wealth tax rate from 1% to 0.25% and an increase in the threshold limit to Rs 50 crore. It's also proposed to do away with the securities transaction tax, and change the manner in which tax holidays for infrastructure industries is given.

Explaining the rationale behind these changes, the FM said: ``The aim of the direct tax code is better compliance and better realization with likely expansion in the tax base.'' He added, ``All direct tax laws have been brought under one umbrella and laid down in a manner that it will eliminate the scope of litigation.

Former FM and union home minister P Chidambaram who had begun the process of rewriting the tax laws after Budget 2005-06 said: ``It underlines the philosophy of the government, that is, a regulated free market system... The new direct tax code will promote economic activity and entrepreneurship.

The code has been put up on the finance ministry's website and the government has invited suggestions. It plans to introduce a draft bill to enact the new code in Parliament in the Winter Session.

Source : Times of India

Postcard Campaign demanding Gazetted status to all sub divsional heads.

Dear friends,

In the CWC held at Pushkar, Rajasthan on 01st & 2nd August 2009, it was decided to organise postcard campaign requesting the DG, Posts to confer gazetted status to all sub divisional heads with adequate adminsitrative and financial powers.

Accordingly, all IPs and ASPs are requested to write the following text in a postcard addressed to DG Posts and send it in one cover by each division to the Circle Secretary for onward despatch to Postal Directorate in one lot.

.................................................................

To:

Director General Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi -110116.

" We all IPs & ASPs demand Gazetted status to all Sub Divsional Heads with Adequate Administrative and Fianancial Powers"

Signature Name: Designation:

.............................................................

Sincerely yours,

S.Samuel General Secretary