CAT CASE UPDATE

Dear Members,

                        The CAT Ernakulam posted the case to 10-3-2014 and fined Rs.2000/- to DOPT for the delay in filing reply and given ultimatum to submit reply by 10-3-2014.



                          Members are also requested  to furnish their names and details while commending.  As anonymous comments will not be published.


SG

CABINET APPROVED MERGER OF 50% DA WITH PAY AND 7TH PAY COMMISSION TERMS OF REFERENCE

CABINET APPROVED MERGER OF 50% DA WITH PAY AND 7TH PAY COMMISSION TERMS OF REFERENCE

New Delhi, Feb 20: Ahead of general election, the Centre today took key decisions to woo minorities and Government employees.

For minorities, the Cabinet has decided to form equal opportunity commission as suggested by Sachhar Committee. This commission will suggest ways to ensure equal opportunities in jobs, education and even finding house on rent for minorities. The commission is expected to be constituted soon.

Terms of reference for 7th pay commission

In order to benefit over 50 lakh employees and over 30 lakh pensioners, the Cabinet alsoapproved terms of reference for seventh pay commission. This includes merging dearness allowance above 50 per cent with basic pay. Currently DA is around 90 per cent of basic pay and another hike of 10 per cent is expected soon. DA is calculated on the basis of change in retail inflation.

Non-statutory coal regulator

In another significant decision, the Cabinet gave its nod for setting up non-statutory coal regulator. This mechanism is expected to resolve the disputes between coal and power companies.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved payment of salary and other dues to HMT. This will entail an expenditure of over Rs. 77 crore.

Nod for Rs. 8,000 cr foreign investment

The CCEA also approved foreign investment of approximately Rs. 8,000 crore. It gave its nod to the proposal for acquisition of 100 per cent equity stake in Prizm Payment Services Pvt Ltd by Hitachi Consulting Software Services India Pvt Ltd and Hitachi Ltd, Japan. The approval would result in foreign investment of approximately Rs. 1,540 crore in the country.

Similarly, the committee approved the proposal of GlaxoSmithKline Pte Ltd, Singapore for the acquisition of 24.33 per cent of shares in the existing Indian subsidiary company of the GSK Group in India by way of a voluntary open offer under SEBI (SAST) Regulations in the pharmaceutical sector. This would result in foreign investment of approximately Rs. 6,390 crore in the country.

Govt likely to increase and merge dearness allowance with basic pay

Feb 20, 2014

Govt likely to increase and merge dearness allowance with basic pay

Government may increase and merge dearness allowance (DA) with basic pay with the Union Cabinet expected to include the proposal as part of the terms of reference of the 7th pay commission. 

The move will facilitate announcement of interim relief to more than 50 lakh government employees and 30 lakh pensioners by the newly-constituted pay commission before the code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls come into force. 

Central government employees unions have been demanding that besides raising DA to 100%, the government should revise the pay and merge DA with basic pay, considering market inflation and price hike of essential commodities.

As per practice, DA is merged with basic pay when it breaches the 50% mark. DA merger helps employees as their other allowances are paid as a proportion of basic pay. 

An official said if merger of 50% DA with basic pay was decided, it could lead to hike in salary by around 30-35%. He added that there were instances of announcing interim relief to employees apart from DA by a newly constituted pay commission prior to their implementation. 

Merger of 50% DA with basic pay was done in the 5th pay commission, but the 6th commission did not recommended it. 

The Centre is expected to announce next month a hike in dearness allowance by 10% which would make it 100% of basic pay. It will be the second double digit DA hike in a row as the government had announced a hike of 10% in September last year, effective from July 1, 2013. 

An official said hike in DA will not be less than 10% and would be effective from January 1 this year. 

Source:-The Times of India

OA 709/2013 - Filed by Confederation of Central Government Stenographers Association, HQ Kerala - Present position.

17 February 2014

OA 709/2013 - Filed by Confederation of Central Government Stenographers Association, HQ Kerala - Present position.

CAT PARITY CASE UPDATE

Dear  Members,

                          Our  parity case will come for next hearing on 20th February 2014.  The CAT  fine DOPT Rs.2000/- as fine for not filing reply statement  and given four weeks time only to reply that is on 20th February 2014.  Let us hope for the best,


Harisuthan
Secretary General

Regulation of pay on imposition of a penalty under CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965.

Regulation of pay on imposition of a penalty under CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965.

To view Department of Personnel & Training OM No.6/3/2013-Estt (Pay-I) dated 06-02-2014 please Click Here.

Recovery of wrongful/excess payments made to Government servants.

To view DoPT OM No. 18/26/ 2011-Estt (Pay-I)  dated 06-02-2014 please Click Here.

08 Feb, 2014 12:37p.m.

The standing committee of Parliament on social justice and empowerment have recommended the government to raise the retirement of the employees age to 65 years. The recommendations is based on the fact that growing lifespan was adding to the need for "productive ageing". 

The recommendation for increase in retirement age comes with a reminder that senior citizens would form 12.4% of the total population in 2026 from 7.5% in 2001. 

"The committee feels that with the increase in life expectancy and relatively better state of health of people, the government needs to look at continuity of employment up to 65 years," said the report.

It also recommended that government look at greater post-retirement opportunities for senior citizens and create greater financial support. 

While suggesting immediate redressal for the ageing population, the panel sought to train the government's focus on the 60-plus group by pointing out that its growing numbers would be a serious challenge in health and social care. 

Specifically, it underlined that as per population projections, the 80-plus bloc, the most-vulnerable group, would see a sharper rise in numbers. 

The urgency of parliamentarians towards senior citizens comes amid growing global realization that increasing lifespan is creating a new demographic bloc requiring state intervention. 

Seeking government attention, the committee noted that senior citizens comprised 7.5% of the total population in 2001 but their share is likely to increase to 12.4% in 2026. Importantly, UN projections say while India's population will rise by 55% by 2050, that of 60-plus would increase by 326% and that of 80-plus would go up by 700%. 

The panel said special focus should be on the octogenarian bloc. "This age group is the most vulnerable and runs the risk of getting dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson disease, depression in their older years," it said, and asked the Centre to constitute an expert group of relevant government departments to devise specialized healthcare programme for them