TCS will manage data migration, infrastructure, SLA, call centre and centralised 24x7 service desk operation for Department of Posts

Tata Consultancy ServicesBSE -1.15 % (TCS) on Wednesday said it has bagged a six-year contract from the Department of Posts (DoP) worth over Rs 1,100 crore. 

The end-to-end IT modernisation programme to be implemented by TCSBSE -1.15 % will equip India Post with modern technologies and systems to enable it to provide services to customers in an effective manner, TCS said in a statement. 

The scope of the project, dubbed India Post 2012, includes developing and supporting mail, finance and accounts, HR, and customer interaction management solutions for all channels including Rural ICT platform. 

Under the deal, TCS will also manage data migration, infrastructure, Service Level Agreement (SLA), call centre and centralised 24x7 service desk operation for DoP, it said. 

The end-to-end security solutions, Enterprise Management System (EMS) and over all integration for entire system is the responsibility of core system integrator ( CSI), the statement said. 

"India Post has a vision of being a technology-enabled self-reliant market leader and is looking to move from a government service provider to a customer-enabled service provider where the customer will be the focus of multifarious service delivery platforms," DoP Secretary P Gopinath said. 

Increased urbanisation, demand for financial services, increased funding by the government for the weaker sections and the rural sector have opened up new opportunities for India Post, which has necessitated development of new processes and supporting technology. 

"The core system integrator project is about service delivery transformation through a technology-led, service- oriented approach to offer world class delivery of postal services to Indian citizens," TCS Vice President and Global Head (Government Industry Solutions Unit) Tanmoy Chakrabarty said.

Source:-The Economic Times

Revision of income criteria to exclude socially advanced persons/sections (Creamy Layer)from the purview of reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs)-reg.

To view DoPT OM No. 36033/1/2013-Estt. (Res.) dated 27th May,2013 please Click Here.

Voluntary retirement tendered by Ms Suneeta Trivedi (IPoS-1978) Member (Planning)

To view the order please Click Here.

Filling up the posts of Postmaster Grade-III in Post Offices in Postal Circles-Corrigendum

To view please Click Here.

Transfer and posting of regular SAG Officer of Indian Postal Service Group-A

Shri Suvendu Ku. Swain (IPoS-1990), DPS(HQ), Odisha Circle, Bhubaneswar who was earlier posted as PMG(BD,Tech & Mktg), Maharastra Circle vide Order No.1-2/2009-SPG dated 26.12.2012 is now posted as PMG, North Region, Muzaffarpur, Bihar Circle vide Order No.1-3/2013-SPG dated 28th May,2013.

To view the order please Click Here.

Introduction of "Basic Savings Account" under the Post office Savings Account Rule 1981 to facilitate opening of Zero Balance Accounts

To view SB Order No.9/2013 please Click Here.

Nominations for various training programmes to be conducted at RAKNPA, Ghaziabad for the year 2013-14

The following Officers of Odisha Circle have been nominated for various trainings as noted below vide CO No. ST/2-28(2)/2012  dated 23/5/2013 to be conducted by RAKNPA for the year 2013-14(July 13  to Mar 14) subject to acceptance of the same by RAKNPA. 

Sl No	Programme	Period	Name of nominated officer
1	Technology Management Programme for Divnl Heads(Batch-I)	22-26 July 13	Sh. S C Barik, SSPOs, Sundargarh
2	Workshop on PLI	12-13 Aug 13	Sh. B D Padhan, ADPS -II, RO, Sambalpur
3	International Project Arrow appreciation Programme for quality Management	16-27 Sept 13	Sh. M K Naik, Senior Postmaster, Berhampur HO
4	International programme on Mail accounting (ITEC Prog)	21-Oct-01 Nov 13	Sh. B N Purohit, ASRM, RMS K Divn Jharsuguda
5	Workshop on PLI	25-26 Nov 13	Sh. S K Mohapatra, DDM(PLI) Circle Office
6	Technology Management programme for Accounts Officers(Batch-II)	25-29 Nov 13	Sh. Abhimanyu Nayak, ACAO O/o DA(P), Cuttack-4
7	Development Programme PS Gr-B officers	16-27 Dec 13	Sh. Muralidhar Sethi, SSPOs, Puri  Divn
8	Technology Management Programme for Divnl Heads	23-27 Dec 13	Sh. Krutarth Behera, SPOs, Keonjhar Divn

CS writes to Principal Chief Postmaster General, Odisha Circle on " Visits to Delivery Post Offices by visiting Officers for checking delivery performance"

No.AIAIPASP/Corr-1/13/2013

28/5/2013

To

          Shri S.K. Chakrabarti

Principal Chief Postmaster General

          Odisha Circle

          Bhubaneswar-751001

Sub:- Visits to Delivery Post Offices by Divisional Heads and IPs/ASPs for checking delivery performance.        

Respected Sir,

A kind reference is invited to Circle Office Letter No.ML/2-84/2012 dated 3-5-2013 wherein copy of D.O.No.10-4/2009-D(Pt) dated 23-4-2013 from Member (Operation) has been circulated with instruction to ensure visit delivery Post Offices by the Visiting Officials including Superintendent for checking delivery performance of each Post Office at least once in a month.           

In the said letter the Divisional Heads have been asked to prepare a visit programme showing the names of the offices to be visited with the name of the visiting official and to submit the visiting report in the prescribed proforma by 3^rd of each month.

Accordingly all Divisions have prepared the visit programme, even some Divisions like Dhenkanal and Phulbani have prepared the programme specifying the date on which the IPs/ASPs are to visit.

This matter has been discussed in the Circle Working Committee meeting of the Association held on 26/5/2013. A Sub-Divisional Head has multifarious role and it has also been increased in manifold. This is unquestionably an additional burden on them to visit 7 to 10 delivery Post Offices on each month for checking delivery performance, in deposit articles, uploading of delivery performance, communication of data to central server etc.

          I, on behalf of this Association would like to convey the following suggestions for consideration and favourable decision in the matter.

·         The date of visit to a particular Post Office should not be mentioned in the visit programme. IPs/ASPs particularly those who are working in Sub-Divisions are to prioritize their responsibilities. Therefore, the date of visit to a particular Post Office in a month should be as per the liberty of the visiting officer. 

·         From the second month onwards the visit may be restricted to only bad performing offices.

With warm regards,

Yours sincerely,

(Pitabasa Jena)

Circle Secretary

Copy for kind information to:-

1.   Shri P.K. Bisoi, Postmaster General, Sambapur Region, Sambalpur-768001.

2.   Shri S.P. Rajalingam, PMG, Berhampur Region, Berhampur-760001.

3.   Shri Pawan Kumar Singh, DPS (BD & Tech), C.O, Bhubaneswar-751001.

(Pitabasa Jena)

Circle Secretary

PF set to cover all pay, not jut basic pay

You may end up saving more in the months ahead with the Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) readying to re-notify a new definition of "compensation" that will include all your allowances, amid intense lobbying against the move by industry bodies.

Currently, employers get away by contributing only 12% of the basic salary and dearness allowance, which is not paid by most companies, towards their share of "matching" provident fund and the Employees Pension Scheme contribution. So, for several thousand employees, the basic salary remains constant, while increments are passed by way of enhanced or new allowances. In most cases, the tax liability for the employee goes up due to the salary hike — and companies earn tax credits on salary-related expenses — but the statutory provident fund contribution remains unchanged.

As a result, EPFO notified the changes last year but had to withdraw the circular in the wake of protests from employers and the perception that take-home salaries would come down. Even now, industry is resisting the move but EPFO is expected to go ahead with the plan as a panel set up by the labour ministry to vet the proposal has endorsed it.

The report is currently pending with the labour ministry but sources said the government will go ahead and notify the norms. To ensure that the proposal goes through without facing legal glitches, the EPFO board may also discuss and ratify it.

Industry chambers have, however, not given up the fight against the move. Confederation of India Industry (CII) has already dashed off a four-page letter to labour minister Mallikarjun Kharge arguing that the plan should be deferred, while other industry bodies are expected to step up lobbying against the move.

It has suggested that the matter is pending before the Supreme Court after a series of orders by high courts. When contacted, a CII executive said the move will reduce the investment options before an employee. "Someone may want to invest in a mutual fund scheme or buy shares. Besides, employees are happy getting allowances and if the move goes through, take-home salaries may come down," the executive said. Then, he argued for the corporate sector, saying some of the small and medium enterprises will face a higher financial burden.

The lobby group is, however, backing another proposal that seeks to restrict reopening of cases beyond seven years, as it is meant to reduce harassment.

Government officials, however, countered the industry argument on the new compensation definition, saying EPFO membership was mandatory only for employees earning Rs 6,500 a month. Anyone beyond that level could opt out. Although it may be difficult for several employers to give the opt-out option, reworking of the salary structure to ensure that the wage bill doesn't shoot up can be on the cards. 

Source:-The Economic Times

Government Once Again Urges all Tax Payers to Disclose Their True Income and Pay Appropriate Taxes

As part of its ongoing initiative, the Income Tax Department has sent today i.e. 27^th May, 2013 letters to another batch of 35,000 non-filers.  These persons were part of around 12 lakh non-filers identified as a result of data matching exercise. With this latest batch, the IT Department has now issued letters in 1,75,000 high priority cases.

            The response to this initiative has been very encouraging and a large number of taxpayers have paid taxes and filed Income tax Returns. A compliance management cell has been set-up to monitor return filing and tax payment of the target segment.

                                  The Income Tax Department has also initiated a Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence (DW & BI) Project to develop an integrated platform for effective utilisation of information to promote voluntary compliance and deter non-compliance.

            The Government once again urged all the tax payers to disclose their true income and pay appropriate taxes.

Source:-PIB