Recognition of newly formed and revival of recognition of defunct Associations

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Say no to Tobacco

Sarita Brara*

Nearly six million people across the world die because of direct or indirect use of tobacco every year and the figure could go up to eight million by 2030 unless urgent action is taken says WHO.   In India one out of 10 Indian adults dies of tobacco related diseases and Tobacco is cause for 1.5lakh cancers, 4.2 million heart diseases, and 3.7 million lung diseases every year. Our country has one of the highest rates of oral cancer. 

 According to Tobacco Intervention Initiative statistics, 4300 lakh tobacco is consumed in the form bidis, chewing tobacco, gutka and snuff and smoking cigarettes. Fourteen crore men and 4 crore women are addicted to tobacco in India according to official figures.  Over half of the male population around 57 per cent in the age group 15-49 years uses tobacco in some form and over one tenth of women in this age group also use tobacco. More than 5,000 youth in our country take to tobacco use every day.

The health ministry estimates that by 2020, tobacco will be responsible for 13% of all deaths in India and says that without any intervention, more than 38.4 million bidi smokers and 13.2 million cigarette smokers are likely to die prematurely. Second-hand smoke also remains a big problem. The misconception about certain tobacco products being safe also encourages many to consume tobacco in one or another form.

India launched the National Tobacco Control Programme in the 11th five year plan. It has ratified the WHO convention on tobacco control which recommends several strategies to reduce the demand and supply of tobacco.  India was among the first few counties to set up a chain of tobacco cessation clinics at the district level. Several legislations are also in place for reducing tobacco usage and manufacture. These include Regulations of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations of 2011, made under the Food Safety and Standards Act and Cigarette and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2012. 

As  per  the Regulations of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations of 2011, made under the Food Safety and Standards Act, gutka, zarda, pan masala, gul, bajjar and such other toxic and addictive forms of chewing tobacco are mandated to be banned by various states.

Although 24 states and five union territories have so far banned gutka and paan masala containing tobacco, there is a question mark over the implementation of the ban. Whether it is the capital Delhi or other town   where the ban is in place, gutka is being either sold openly or clandestinely in different names and pouches which is the people addicted to are even willing to pay a higher price.

            The Supreme Court had last month sought compliance reports from all state governments that have banned the sale and manufacture of gutka and paan masala containing tobacco.

 According to the new Cigarette and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2012, notified on September 27, 2012, all tobacco product packs in the country are to carry new pictorial warnings which focussed in detail the portion of the human body affected by tobacco use.

The health ministry had also for the first time inserted the word 'Warning' in the new pictorial warnings and mandated that this word be printed in 'red' colour along with the messages - 'Smoking kills' and 'Tobacco kills'.

The new notification makes it mandatory for all tobacco makers both smoking forms and smokeless to maintain pictorial warnings in the states format and also to place the health warning in at least 40 per cent of the principal display area of the tobacco package.

At recent consultations several government and non-governmental organisations called for a complete ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products in the country. The consultation was by HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth) and Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) in collaboration with the Health and Family Welfare ministry and the WHO Country Office for India. It was felt that despite the regulations, tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is very rampant and youth-centric. The urgent need to strengthen the existing provisions of COTPA and a multi-sect oral and inter-governmental synergy was stressed to effectively implement a complete ban.

Advertising of tobacco products is restricted under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, (COTPA).

It is also established that a majority of smokers as many as 70 per cent  desire to quit, but only 30 per cent of them actually try each year, and only 3 to 5 percent actually succeed in quitting, states WHO. 

The theme of this year World No Tobacco Day is: Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

A comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is required under the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) for all Parties to this treaty within five years of the entry into force of the Convention. Evidence shows that comprehensive advertising bans lead to reductions in the numbers of people starting and continuing smoking. Statistics show that banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce tobacco demand and thus control its usage.

The objective of 2013 campaign is also drive local, national and international efforts to counteract tobacco industry efforts to undermine tobacco control, specifically industry efforts to stall or stop comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

Of the six million people who die of tobacco related diseases every year globally more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke.

The ultimate goal is to contribute to protect present and future generations not only from these devastating health consequences, but also against the social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.

So until all forms of consumption of tobacco cease through regulations and laws the goal of tobacco free India cannot be fulfilled. There is therefore a need for all stake holders in public health to coordinate their effort for everyone to emphatically say No To Tobacco. 

 (PIB Features.)

****

31^st May – World No Tobacco Day

*The author is a Freelance Writer.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author in this article are her own.

Retirement of Superannuation

Shri Krupasindhu Giri, SPOs, Aska Division, Aska has retired from Govt. Service today  the 31.05.2013(A/N) on superannuation.

On the occasion of his retirement from Govt. Service, All India Association of Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts , Odisha Circle Branch bids him a respectful farewell and wishes him a good-health and peaceful life in his post-retirement days.

CHQ News:-Gradation list of PS Gr. B officers corrected upto 1/7/2013.

To view the draft gradation list of PS Gr. B officers corrected up to 1/7/2013, please Click Here.

Migrants run into an Aadhaar quandary

If you are a migrant staying in Bangalore and enrolling for an Aadhaar card, don't give your home town address as your permanent one. For, you will have to be present at your native place to receive the card. The UIDAI mandates that any person can apply from anywhere, but has to produce the proof of address where he or she wants the card to be delivered. But providing proof of address is a huge problem for lakhs of migrants who have made Bangalore their home. 

But UIDAI rules state that if the applicant has proof for his permanent address in his home town, all he or she has to do is produce electricity bill or water bill of three months of their current address to get the Aadhaar card delivered there. They can also authorize someone to receive the post. 

The rules also say that those without any ID proof need to be introduced by someone who has an Aadhaar card and is willing to take responsibility for verifying that person's identity. 

"We have a system by which any person can apply from anywhere and give the address where he or she wants the card to be delivered . Earlier when we sent the cards through speed post, it would require the applicant to be receiving the card himself but now we are sending them through ordinary post. Authorization through postal department would not be accepted officially but if there is no choice, then one can go for such process also," said Ashok Dalwai, deputy director general (technology centre), UIDAI. 

Migrants can also go back to their native places and enrol for the Aadhaar card. But the problem is the enrolment centre locator tool on the website of UIDAI empanels only 18 out of 31 states and Union territories. 

Arunachal Pradesh , Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram , West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha are not empanelled in the website enrolment locator tool and migrants in Bangalore from these states just can't locate enrolment centres back home. 

Dalwai says other registrars (state government or India Post or Registrar General of India or nationalized banks) have not uploaded their enrolment centres on the website. "In case of some states, either the state government or RGI has not been updating their centre list on the website which is why the tool doesn't show all centres in all states. But we will push them to update the list," he added.

Source:-The Times of India

Revised Result of the Departmental Examination for selection to the posts of Inspectors of Posts Examination for the year 2012 held from 13th and 14th October 2012 of West Bengal Circle

Sl no	Name of Candidates	Name of Division	Presently posted as
1	Prasenjit Mitra	Central Kolkata	PA , Parkstreet HO
2	Niladri Basak	South Kolkata	OA, Divisional Office
3	Sourav Samaddar Chaudhury	East Kolkata	APS
4	Rita Chakraborty	Kolkata RMS	SA , Sarat Bose Road , Kolkata -29
5	Anindita Banerjee	South Kolkata	OA, Circle Trg Cell, Circle Office
6	Koushik Roy	Purulia	OA , Parulia Divisional Office
7	Buddhadeb Goswami	Burdwan	Offtg. IPO, Burdwan 2ndSub Dn
8	Satyabrata Roy Chowdhury	North Presy	Accountant , Belgharia HO
9	Tarak Nath Bhaduri	Murshidabad	Offtg. IPO, Murshidabad North Sub Dn
10	Bhim Bahadur Chetri	Darjeeling	Offtg. IPO, Kalimpong Sub Dn
11	Sushovan Bain	Malda	OA, Malda Divisional Office
12	Avijit Dey	Purulia	PA , Parulia
13	Dhiraj Tamnag	Gangtok	PA (SBCO), Gangtok H.O
14	Anjan Das	Purulia	PA, Parulia
15	Debojyoti Sanyal	Malda	PA, Malda H.O
16	Sunit Debnath	Kol A.P Sorting	SA, Kol A.P Stg
17	Anindya Bhattacharya	North Hooghly	RO , South Bengal Region
18	Chandan Karmakar	Asansol	PA, Dishergarh SO
19	Asis Halder	Murshidabad	Offtg. IPO, Jangipur Sub Dn
20	Rabindranath Murmu	South Presy	Offgt IP , Bishnupur Sdn
21	Saru Yalmo	Gangtok	OA, Divisional Officer, Gangtok

Source:-AIAIPASP, WB Blog

IT Modernisation Project_Core Banking Solution_Brochure

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Supplementory Result of the Departmental Examination for selection to the posts of lnspectors of Posts Examination for the year 2O12 held from l3th and 14th October 2012-- case of Bihar circle.

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Revision of rate for Address Verification Service

Plan Training activities for GDSs under 'Human Resource Development'- Reimbursement of Travelling, Board and lodging expenses etc.

To view Department of Posts (Training Division) Letter No.01-05/2011-Trg dated 16.05.2013 please Click Here.

Total Incidental Charges payable for/to an individual GDS during training, away from his placed of duty / work will be as under:-

S. No	Item	Number of days of Training
		1	2	3	4	5	6
1	Travel (Both, To and Fro)	100	100	100	100	100	100
2	Food ((@ Rs 100/per day)	100	200	300	400	500	600
3	Stay (@ Rs 200/per Night )	Nil	200	400	600	800	1000
4	Stationery Charges (one time)	100	100	100	100	100	100
Total		300	600	900	1200	1500	1800

Transfer and posting of Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) officer of the Indian Postal Service, Group'A'.

To view  Order No.1-312013-SPG dated 24th May,2013 please Click Here.

Bibek Debroy's Post:-Increase retirement age of government employees to 62

Bibek Debroy 

On 21st March 2013, there was an unstarred question in Rajya Sabha, about whether there was a proposal to increase the retirement age of Central government employees. The relevant MOS answered there was no such proposal. That’s not quite true, because there is such a proposal floating around and it went to Cabinet sub-committee and an in principle decision to implement was taken by Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT). One should not mix up existence of a proposal with a decision about implementing it. Evidently, a decision has now been taken to increase the age from 60 to 62 years, the last time such an increase took place was in 1998, when there was an increase from 58 to 60 years. Whenever such a decision is taken, debates centre on the big picture. What are arguments for? First, life expectancies are increasing. There is a shortage of good people within government. Let’s tap this expertise. Second, in any case there are extensions in “exceptional circumstances”. But that’s arbitrary and can be shot down by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC). Why not formalize the system by allowing extensions to everyone? The trouble with this argument is that there will be no finality about 62 either and there will be “exceptional circumstances” beyond 62.

Third, there should be parity. Professors now retire at 65. High Court judges retire at 62, Supreme Court judges retire at 65. The counter-arguments of the big picture are also obvious. India is a young country, young need employment opportunities. Promotional avenues of existing civil servants get blocked. Often, in the private sector, people retire at 60 and there are extensions, with the qualification that extensions are at consolidated monthly emoluments, with no perks. An increase in retirement age occurs with all perks. Therefore, there are significant fiscal costs. While these big picture arguments and counter-arguments are important, my problem is that such decisions aren’t taken because of logical coherence. They are ad hoc decisions, driven by myopic motives. First, increase in retirement age postpones the one-time superannuation burden of severance payments by around Rs 5000 crores. For a government that has drawn up red lines on deficit numbers, that’s a desirable objective, even though it is myopic because it increases fiscal costs on future governments. Second, there’s a clear political cum electoral motive. Outright, if we include Defence, we are talking about 1.5 million Central government employees.

In a broader sense, we are talking about something like 6 million, excluding State governments and quasi-government, all urban. This is therefore a significant component in that 65 million urban household figure. These two points will also be made when the 62 decision is announced. But the one that bothers me most is a third element, one that is invariably never talked about. Such ad hoc decisions are taken because of specific individuals. There is one particular individual whom government wishes to place in one particular position. Once he is placed there, government wishes him to benefit from increase in retirement age. But to ensure he is placed there, one needs to ensure those who are senior to him get out of the way first. After all, supersession is not desirable. Hence, announce the decision after some people have retired at 60 and exited. This is the way decisions are taken. At one level, there is no point complaining, because we have accepted corruption of institutions and systems as fact of life. But when this 62 decision is announced, as it soon will, let us not pretend there are any big picture considerations involved.

Source:-The Economic Times

LPG subsidy directly in bank accounts from June 1 in 18 districts

 Starting June 1 cooking gas (LPG) consumers in 18 districts will get Rs 435 in their bank accounts when they book an LPG cylinder as the government rolls out its ambitious direct benefit transfer programme to cut its fuel subsidy.

The scheme was to be rolled out in 20 districts initially but the launch in Mysore in Karnataka and Mandi in Himachal Pradesh has been put off by a month due to assembly and parliamentary bypolls, official sources said.

Oil minister M Veerappa Moily will launch the scheme in Tumkur in his home state Karnataka on June 1 while minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Lakshmi Panabaka will simultaneously kickoff the scheme in Hyderabad, the capital of her home state Andhra Pradesh.

Sources said after the launch of the scheme, consumers in 18 districts like North Goa and Pondicherry will get Rs 435 in their bank accounts every time they book for an LPG refill.

These consumers then will have to buy cooking gas at market price which is double the Rs 410.50 rate for a 14.2-kg bottle in Delhi.

The government intends to extend the scheme to rest of the country before end of the year but wants to see results in the 20 districts first. The 20 districts selected have high Aadhaar or unique identification number penetration.

While as many as 89 per cent of the LPG consuming population in these districts have Aadhaar number, government will give a three-month grace period to them to procure the UID number and seed it with their bank accounts where cash subsidy has to be transferred.

After three months, that is from September 1, only consumers having Aadhaar and banks accounts linked to them will get cash subsidy and the rest will have to buy LPG at market price, they said.

The government anticipates a saving of Rs 8,000 to 10,000 crore in LPG subsidy annually after the scheme is rolled out all over the country.

Source:-The Economic Times