INDIA POST CELEBERATES 25 YEARS OF SPEED POST SERVICE

Shri Kapil Sibal gives away Awards to Top Postal Circles

            Shri Kapil Sibal ,Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology today inaugurated the two day annual conference of Heads of Circle of the Department of Posts. A special cover to mark 25 years of Speed Post was also released by the Minister on the occasion. The Minister gave away prizes to top three Postal Circles for generating highest rate of revenue growth in Speed Post during 2010-11, on the occasion.

            While Karnataka Circle walked away with the first prize and DG Post’s Rolling Trophy, Jammu and Kashmir Circle and Jharkhand Circle secured the second and third position respectively. Speed Post is the premium Express Mail Service of India Post. It was launched in August, 1986 to meet the “felt-need” of the developing Indian economy. It offers a time-bound and assured delivery of letters, documents and parcels up to 35kg across the nation and around the world.

            The Speed Post network is the largest Express Service Network in India. It covers all major towns & cities. Web-based Track and Trace service is provided for Speed Post articles on the India Post website (www.indiapost.gov.in). Insurance facility is also available for sending valuable items under Speed Post, Regular customers enjoy free pick up, credit facility under Book Now Pay Later Scheme and attractive volume based discounts.

            Over the past 25 years, Speed Post has steadily continued to grow in terms of volumes with monthly volumes exceeding 2.5 crore articles in 2011-12. The Department of Posts set-up a Business Development Directorate in 1996 which was re-organized as Business Development & Marketing Directorate in 2005, to provide impetus to business activitie4s concerning Speed Post and a number of other business products.

            The last 25 years have been a journey of success for Speed Post with economical rates, safety and reliability as the hallmarks of the service.

TWO DAY CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF POSTAL CIRCLES BEGINS

            Shri Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology(C&IT) has said that India Post is in an enviable position due to its reach and has the potential to transform rural economy and life. Shri Sibal said this while inaugurating the two day annual conference of Heads of Circle of the Department of Posts.

            During the 2-day event, discussions will focus around the challenges being faced by India Post in the 21sth Century. India Post is faced with the twin challenges of induction of various modes of technology in communication and also the proliferation of couriers on the other.

            The organization has geared itself to assimilate technology in its operations in a big way. It has also embarked upon the path of providing quality postal services to its customers. The Speed Post is already a brand to reckon with. Other initiatives like introduction of Core Banking Solutions in the Post Office Savings Bank, expansion of Postal Life Insurance and streamlining of the parcel service area also on the anvil. Apart from this, India Post is preparing itself to have a vast technological network to connect all the rural Post Offices. The organization hopes to be a reliable partner for various Government Departments for delivery of their services in the villages where no other network has the kind of reach which India Post has got.

            Training of the Postal Staff to adapt itself to the use of technology in a big way is also a major challenge. Plans are being worked out by India Post to provide adequate training to all its personnel in use of technology. This is going to be the thrust area in the next couple of years.

            India Post has a vast network of 1,54,866 post offices in the country. It handles over six billion articles of mail every year with the help of nearly half a million employees. India Post also runs Post Offices Savings Bank (POSB). Apart from offering various saving scheme, to the common man, POSB also disburses Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme ( MGNREGS) wages. It has 5.4 crore accounts which disbursed Rs. 7430 crore as MGNREGS wages during 2011-12.

Clarification in filling up of HSG-I and Postmaster Grade-III Post - No way, it is useful

NOTICE FOR FEDERAL SECRETARIAT

No. PF-01(c)/2012                Dated 09^th May, 2012

NOTICE

          It is hereby notified that the Federal Secretariat of NFPE will be held at NFPE Office, 1^st Floor North Avenue Post Office Building, New Delhi 110001 on 21.05.2012 at 05.00 P.M.

          All General Secretaries and All India Office Bearers of NFPE available at Delhi HQ are requested to attend the same as per schedule.

         The Agenda of the Federal Secretariat is mentioned below:

AGENDA

1.      Implementation of Confederation decisions.-26^thJuly, 2012 Parliament March.

2.    Consideration of the application for the grant of Associate membership to newly   

       formed GDS Union.-AIPEU GDS(NFPE).

3.    Review of JCA agitation – regarding.

4.    Any other item with the permission of Chair.

Yours Comradely,

Sd/-

{M. Krishnan}

Secretary General

NFPE CIRCULAR

No. PF-1(e)/02/2012                             Dated: 09^th May 2012

CIRCULAR

To

            All General Secretaries/NFPE Office Bearers.

            All Circle Secretaries of NFPE Unions.

Sub:    ONE DAY HUNGER FAST ON 21^st MAY, 2012.

           

Dear Comrades,

            It has been decided by the JCA of NFPE and FNPO that all the General Secretaries and available All India Office Bearers of both the Federations will sit on hunger fast in front of Dak Bhawan, New Delhi on 21^stMay 2012. (Monday) from 10.00 A.M. to 05.00 P.M. against non-settlement of agreed items of strike charter of demands.

            Similarly all the Circle Secretaries will sit on hunger fast on the same day i.e. 21.05.2012 in front of all Chief PMG Offices. (Copies of both the letters addressed to Secretary Department of Posts in this regard are enclosed.)

            With revolutionary greetings.

A BRANCH POSTMASTER BECOMES AN IAS OFFICER

ONE SELVI S.ARUNADEVI, GDS BPM, URALPATTI BO A/W KOMARALINGAM SO, UDAMALAPET HPO, TAMIL NADU HAS COME OUT SUCCESSFUL IN ALL FORMS OF IAS (INDIAN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE) EXAMINATION (PRELIMINARY, MAIN & INTERVIEW) IN ONE ATTEMPT. SHE DID HER SCHOOL STUDIES IN A RURAL SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDIES IN A PRIVATE COLLEGE AT UDAMALAPET. SHE BROUGHT UP FROM A POOR FAMILY BACKGROUND. SHE PREPARED FOR THE IAS ON HER OWN WITHOUT ANY COACHING. A VERY POOR GDS FROM A RURAL BACKGROUND, STUDIED NOT IN ANY REPUTED CORPORATE INSTITUTIONS AND WITHOUT ANY COACHING, COMING OUT SUCCESSFUL IN IAS, IS A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT.

NFPE   CONGRATULATE HER AND CONVEY GREETINGS.

Mrs. Sayeeda Afthar mother of Comrade S.A. Raheem General Secretary, AIPCWEA expired yesterday (7th May-2012) evening. NFPE convey its heartfelt condolences.

SUBSCRIBERS TO NPS TO NOW HAVE CHOICE OF ANNUITY SERVICE PROVIDERS; PFRDA TAKES IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS PROVIDING AN EXIT ROUTE TO THE SUBSCRIBERS.

           Subscribers to the National Pension System (NPS) will now have a choice of Annuity Service Providers, from whom they can choose their annuity schemes on their exit from NPS on attainment of 60 years of age. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has empanelled the following six IRDA approved life insurance companies for providing annuity services to the subscribers of National Pension System (NPS).

1. Life Insurance Corporation of India

2. SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

3. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

4. Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

5. Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

6. Reliance Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

         Under the provisions of NPS, a maximum of 60% of corpus accumulated at the time of exit, normally on the attainment of 60 years of age, can be withdrawn but a minimum of 40% corpus has to be utilized for purchasing an annuity from one of the empanelled annuity service providers. Subscriber can choose from any of the six above mentioned annuity service providers and can also make their choice of the annuity scheme from amongst the schemes being offered by these providers.

          With the above empanelment, PFRDA has taken an important step towards providing an exit route to the subscribers. Source: PIB

LINKING OF GPF INTEREST RATES WITH EPFO

                The rates of interest on General Provident Fund (GPF) is 8% for the period from 1.4.2011 to 30.11.2011 and 8.6% from 1.12.2011 to 31.3.2012, whereas the rate of interest on EPF for the financial year 2011-12 is 8.25%. Rate of interest on EPF is fixed on the recommendation of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Ministry of Labour and Employment based on the income earned on the accumulated fund during the financial year. However, rate of interest on GPF is generally fixed after taking into consideration the average secondary market yields on government securities of similar maturity.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Finance, Shri Namo Narain Meena in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. Source: PIB

DEPARTMENT CALLED EOI TO CREATE POST BANK OF INDIA

          Postal department invited Expression of Interest from the Bidders to submit detailed Project report to Create Post Bank Of India. The last date for submitting the applications are 24/05/2012 and the bids will be opened on 25/05/2012. In the tender document it is clearly mentioned the objectives for setting up the Post Bank Of India are as follows:

(i) Provide banking which means the accepting, for  the purpose of lending or investment, of deposit of money from the public, repayable on demand or otherwise, and withdrawal by Cheque, draft, order or otherwise. PBI will be engaged in various types of banking as mentioned in Section 6 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

(ii)  Provide banking services with special focus on rural areas.

(iii) Provide means of additional revenue generation for the DoP.

(iv) Ride on the Core Banking Solution which is proposed to be provided in all the post offices.

(v)  Provide a platform for financial inclusion.

(vi) Provide higher order value added services to over 250 Million existing Post Office Savings Bank account holders.

MONTHLY SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF DEPARTMENT OF POSTS FOR MARCH, 2012

Postal Network to be leveraged to Financially Include BPL Households

Given below is a brief summary of significant events pertaining to Dept of Posts for the month March ,2012.

Department of Posts have disbursed wages amounting to Rs. 540 crores to 5.45 crores MGNREGS account holders across the country (except in Bihar Circle) during February this year.

An MoU was signed with UIDAI for enrolment and dispatch/ delivery of Aadhaar letters. As per the UIDAI portal, 53.31 lakhs enrolments have been done till 26.03.2012 at post offices. And approx. 9.01 crore Aadhaar letters have been booked till 03.04.2012.

Under the IT modernization project of the Department approved by the CCEA, 8 RFPs have been issued for selection of vendors. 5 LOI (Letter of Intent) have been issued and in 2 RFPs the financial evaluation is in progress.

MoU signed between Kerala water Authority and Kerala Postal Circle for acceptance of water charges through Post Offices.

Preliminary discussions were held with Idea Cellular Pvt. Ltd. for accepting payment for recharge of pre and post paid connections through e-payment.

Training for Savottam Certification of officials of five selected Head Post Offices was arranged by PTC Vadodara .

Project Arrow initiated to improve the “core activities” of the Department and “Look and Feel” aspect of post offices has been implemented in 15597 post offices and 1759 post offices, respectively.

The Department of Posts ( DoP) has decided to leverage its extensive network in rural as well as in urban areas to financially include BPL households by opening their savings accounts at their nearest Post Offices. These accounts will not only serve the purpose of financial inclusion but also constitute critical infrastructural support to transfer cash benefits to the BPL households. This will go a long way in reducing their poverty and furthering the mandate of Government of India and the State Governments. More than 1.2 crore such accounts have already been opened so far across the country. Various Ministries and Departments of Government of India have been addressed to consider delivering cash components of their social security and welfare schemes targeting the BPL households through these accounts.

Stamps were issued on Vasant Dada Patil ( 1st March), Shyama Charan Shukla (9th March) and 100 years of Civil Aviation (14th March).

FROM FOREIGN PRESS ON THE INDIA POST BANK Banking on ways to save postal service

            Talk about killing two birds with one stone; here’s an idea that can take down a whole flock.

            It’s called postal banking, and it could help rescue the Postal Service, make banks nicer to the little guy, raise the national savings rate and cut the cost of financing the national deficit.

            This is not a new idea. A vast array of nations from Germany to India offer their citizens financial services through the post office. We do too, a little, by selling money orders and package insurance. But we used to do much more.

            From 1910 to 1967 Uncle Sam ran the Postal Savings System. It paid 2 percent on deposits (which peaked at $3.4 billion in 1947) and reaped 2.5 percent by putting the money into local banks, thus covering the cost of operations. Customers could save as little as 10 cents at a time by filling a postal savings card with stamps and then turning it in for credit.

            Consider the possibilities. The Postal Service is in financial trouble partly due to meddling by Congress, but also because the digital revolution is driving down mail volume. Congress wants the place run like a business, but won’t let the service set prices, close money-losing outlets or otherwise be businesslike. The government, meanwhile, backstops the for-profit banking system without charging for this valuable service. These same banks treat low-income customers like pinatas, beating fees out of them at every turn.

            The postal banking alternative is old, established and could easily work here. There are post offices all over America, and they already handle lots of cash. Postal deposits could be invested in Treasury securities for ironclad safety, and these new funds would likely reduce Uncle Sam’s cost of borrowing, saving money for taxpayers. Instead of the certificates used by the old Postal Savings System, depositors would get debit cards.

            A postal bank could make money in several ways. Users could pay modest fees for checking and other services, and the system could pay out less in interest than it earns on the Treasuries it would buy.

            Since the goal isn’t to drive banks out of business, individual accounts could be capped at some appropriately modest sum, and there would be no loans except to Washington. Even so, this new postal competition should force banks to treat their smaller customers a little better — while rescuing many poor Americans from the teeth of costly check-cashing outlets and payday lenders.

            Could postal banking be big enough to make a dent in Postal Service deficits? Well, the Japanese postal bank has more than $2 trillion in deposits, and the United States is nearly three times as populous. It’s not inconceivable to imagine an American postal bank throwing off an annual profit of $5 billion, which is what the Postal Service lost in its last fiscal year (although losses seem to be accelerating).

            Besides, aiding the Postal Service is the least of the plan’s virtues — and postal banking by itself can’t save the system, which needs to change regardless. More important is that postal banking would put the government once again on the side of encouraging thrift. People with savings don’t need payday lenders, after all. Accumulating capital can help them weather emergencies, start businesses and buy homes.

            A postal savings system would give people a trusted place to save right in their own communities, without outrageous fees or sales pitches for tricky products. Postal banking could take its place alongside other cherished non-market institutions, such as Social Security and public libraries, that help Americans help themselves. People love their libraries. Why not let them bank on their Postal Service?

• Daniel Akst is a columnist for Newsday.