Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Directorate Clarification on Bench Mark for promotion
Directorate Letter No. 20-45/2016-SPB-II dated 18th Feb 2017 regarding clarification on Benchmark for Promotion.
7th Pay Commission: Committee on Allowances to submit report today and allowance hike from April 1, says NJCA chief
7th Pay Commission: Committee on Allowances to submit report today and allowance hike from April 1, says NJCA chief
NJCA chief Shiv Gopal Mishra confirmed that the allowances report would be submitted on Wednesday.
New Delhi, Feb 21: Committee on allowances, headed by Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa, will submit its report tomorrow, claims National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) convenor Shiv Gopal Mishra. Central government employees were expecting the report to be tabled by Monday. However, the committee delayed the submission due to unspecified reasons. The report would pave the way for the implementation of hiked allowances as per the revised 7th Pay Commission recommendations.
“Government has made no announcement yet. But the report by Committee on allowances would be tabled tomorrow,” Shiv Gopal Mishra said, while speaking exclusively to India.com. On being asked whether the government would make an announcement in relation to the arrears on allowances, he replied, “Let us see what comes out of the report. We are expecting the hike in allowances, as per our demands. We have to wait and see whether the government makes an announcement on arrears as well.”
The committee on allowances was formed in July 2016, after central government employees raised several anomalies related to the 7th Pay Commission report submitted by Justice (retd) AK Mathur. The 7CPC report had recommended the abolition of 51 existing allowances, and subsumption of 37 others of the total 191 allowances.
The major point of grievance was the reduction in Housing Rent Allowance (HRA) offered to central government employees. As per the 6th Pay Commission report, the HRAs provided were 30 per cent, 20 per cent, 10 per cent for employees living in ‘X’, ‘Y’, ‘Z’ category towns/cities. However, the 7th Pay Commission report decreased the allowances to 24, 16 and 8 per cent of the basic pay.
Reduction in HRA has irked a major section of central government employees, who reside in rented accommodations. A section of the aggrieved employees have blamed the top bureaucracy for the delay in HRA hike. “Naturally, the common central government employees are more affected by the delay in allowance hike. The top bureacrats don’t take higher allowances, therefore, they are not interested in the hike,” Mishra said.
Apart from the hike in allowances, central government employees have also demanded Centre to provide arrears on the allowances. Since the date of implementation of 7th Pay Commission was fixed as January 1, 2016, employees have demanded the release of arrears on allowances as well.
Although the government provided arrears on basic pay while hiking the salaries on July 1, indications have been made that no arrears would be released on allowances. NJCA has confirmed that the employee unions would launch protest across the nation if the allowances are hiked, without the arrears. “Arrears are unlikely, but protests would be launched if they fail to release (the arrears),” Mishra said.
The date of allowances hike is reported to be April 1. NJCA claims, through its sources, that the government would be implementing the allowance hike from April 1. “It is most likely that the government announces the hike by April 1,” Mishra confirmed.
Read at: India.com
Monday, 20 February 2017
New list of CGHS Eye Hospitals in Chennai as on 8.2.2017
EXCLUSIVE EYE CENTRES – CHENNAI
UPDATED ON 8TH FEBRUARY 2017
Sl. /Name of the Hospital Address and Telephone No. Facilities Empanelled for
1. DR.AGARWAL’S EYE HOSPITAL LTD. GOPALAPURAM19, CATHERDRAL ROAD, CHENNAI-86044-28772877044-28115871
NON NABH
NON NABL
Notified on 17.11.2014
Extended upto 16.02.2017
EYE CARE AND ALL OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE HOSPITAL.
Reinstated w.e.f.16.02.2016
2. DR.AGARWAL’S EYE HOSPITAL LTD. GOPALAPURAM
B-63,SIVA ELANGO SALAI, 70 FEET ROAD PERIYAR NAGAR, CHENNAI-82.
044-25507755
044-43515787
NON NABH
NON NABL
Notified on 17.11.2014
Extended upto 16.02.2017
EYE CARE AND ALL OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE HOSPITAL
3. DR.AGARWAL’S HEALTH CARE LTD. – TAMBARAM
TDK TOWER, 6, DURAISWAMY REDDY STREET WEST TAMBARAM, CHENNAI-45
044-39916500
044-22264845
NON NABH
NON NABL
Notified on 17.11.2014
Extended upto 16.02.2017
EYE CARE AND ALL OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE HOSPITAL
4. VASAN EYE CARE HOSPITAL ANNANAGAR
M-77, 3RD AVENUE, ANNANAGAR EAST, CHENNAI- 102
044-33724800
044-33724899
NON NABH
NON NABL
Notified on 17.11.2014
Extended upto 16.02.2017
EYE CARE AND ALL OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE HOSPITAL.
Reinstated w.e.f. 31.05.2016
5. UDHI EYE HOSPITALS
9, MURRAYS GATE ROAD, ALWARPET, CHENNAI-18
044-42788844
044-43471111
NABH UPTO 22.11.2018
NON NABL
Notified on 23.01.2015
EYE CARE AND ALL OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE HOSPITAL
6. A.G. EYE CARE HOSPITALS
No.106, R.K.MUTT ROAD, MYLAPORE, CHENNAI-4
044-44437171
90920771111
NON NABH
NON NABL
Notified on 24.02.2015
EYE CARE AND ALL OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE HOSPITAL
7. UMA EYE CLINIC
182 PLOT No.995, ‘O’ BLOCK; 2nd AVENUE, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI – 600 040
NABH UPTO 14.01.2019
NON NABL
Notified on 18.08.2016
EYE CARE AND ALL OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE HOSPITAL
7th Pay Commission: Committee on Allowances likely to present its report today, HRA 30% for metro expected, revised allowances from April 1
The Committee on Allowances, headed by Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa, was given time till February 22 to present its report.
It has been nearly eight months since the Narendra Modi government cleared the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission .
After a long wait, the Committee on Allowances is likely to submit its report to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday.
The committee, headed by Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa, was given time till February 22 to table its report.
The revised allowances are likely to be effective from April 1.
The house rent allowance (HRA), which forms a crucial part of government employees' salary, is expected to be fixed at 30 per cent of the basic pay for employees in metros which have a population of 50 lakh and above.
HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- The Seventh Pay Commission had recommended 24 per cent of the basic pay as HRA against the 30 per cent of basic pay under the Sixth Pay Commission.
- The Committee on Allowances was formed in July last year to review the recommendations of the pay commission after employees protested against the proposed slash in the HRA. The pay commission also recommended doing away with 53 of the 196 allowances and merging a few others.
- The committee was initially given four months to table its report, which was later extended to February 22, 2017. If reports are to be believed, the Central government is likely to move ahead with the committee's report after March 15 when Assembly elections will be over.
- If the government decides to pay a 30 per cent of basic pay as HRA to its employees, the cost estimate comes to Rs 29,300 crore in the first year.
- The hiked salary is given in two parts to government employees, in the form of basic pay and allowances.
- While the increase in basic pay is calculated on a back-date basis, making employees eligible for arrears, the hike in allowances is applicable from the date the government implements it. As a result, employees are not entitled to arrears in this case.
- It is widely believed that the government has effectively saved a lot of money this financial year by not making an announcement on allowances. Government employees, on the other hand, have expressed their disappointment over being denied their full remuneration over a prolonged period.
Source: IndiaToday, Yahoo News
Friday, 17 February 2017
Rajya Sabha Q & A — on GDS designation etc
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.220
TO BE ANSWERED ON 3RD FEBRUARY, 2017
CHANGING THE NAME OF POSTMAN AS POSTMASTER
†220. SHRI MOTILAL VORA:
Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government has changed the designation of Postman distributing letters in villages to Postmaster;
(b) whether this change in designation has been done only in the State of Rajasthan or it has been done at national level;
(c) whether it is a fact that the pay scale of Postmaster ranges from ` 4500 to ` 13,000;
(d) whether this pay scale remains even lower than that a Central fourth class employee; and
(e) if so, the steps being taken by Government to provide proper pay scale to Postmaster distributing mails from one village to another?
TO BE ANSWERED ON 3RD FEBRUARY, 2017
CHANGING THE NAME OF POSTMAN AS POSTMASTER
†220. SHRI MOTILAL VORA:
Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government has changed the designation of Postman distributing letters in villages to Postmaster;
(b) whether this change in designation has been done only in the State of Rajasthan or it has been done at national level;
(c) whether it is a fact that the pay scale of Postmaster ranges from ` 4500 to ` 13,000;
(d) whether this pay scale remains even lower than that a Central fourth class employee; and
(e) if so, the steps being taken by Government to provide proper pay scale to Postmaster distributing mails from one village to another?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS &
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)
(a) No, Sir. Gramin Dak Sevak Branch Postmaster (GDS BPM) or Gramin Dak Sevak Mail Deliverer distribute letters in villages.
(b) Does not arise in view of (a) above.
(c) No, Sir.
(d) Yes Sir. However, there is no comparison in the pay scales of these two cadres since Central fourth class (now termed as Multi Tasking Staff – MTS) are regular employees whereas Gramin Dak Sevaks are part-time sevaks.
(e) The allowances of Gramin Dak Sewaks are revised periodically as in the case of Central Pay Commission.
*****************
How to claim tax benefit on tuition fees under Section 80C
Sending kids to school has an inbuilt tax advantage for the parents as the tuition fee qualifies for tax benefit under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The amount of tax benefit is within the overall limit of the section of Rs 1.5 lakh a year.
For tax purposes, the fee (amount) reduces the total gross income, and thereby the tax liability. Say, you fall in the highest income slab and pay not only a 30.9 per cent tax rate, but also Rs 80,000 a year as schools fees, the tax saved would amount to Rs 24,720 in that year
Here's how to get the maximum benefit out of tuition fees.
Are all institutions eligible?
Tuition fees paid at the time of admission or anytime during the financial year to any university, college, school or educational institution based in India qualifies for tax benefit.
What kind of education?
It has to be a full-time education, including any play school activities, pre-nursery and nursery classes. The institution can be either private or a government sponsored one.
What is not covered?
At times, parents have to make payments, other than tuition fees, to the educational institutions. Payments like development fees or donation or capitation fees, etc., are not covered and do not qualify for tax benefit. Also, if you haven't paid the fees on time, the applicable late fee paid will not be eligible.
Tax benefit for how many children?
The benefit applies for the fees paid for up to two children. So if a couple has four children, both can claim tax benefit as both have a separate limit of two children each.
Which parent gets the tax benefit?
The parent who makes the payment gets the tax advantage. If both parents are working and pay taxes, both can claim individually up to the amount of fees paid.
If both are working and want to take the benefit under Section 80C for the amount paid by them respectively, they can do so. So if the fee paid is Rs 2 lakh, of which the father has paid Rs 50,000, while the mother has paid Rs 1.5 lakh, both can claim the amount individually as per the payment made by them.
Conclusion
As the upper limit for Section 80C tax benefit is Rs 1.5 lakh a year, see how much of that gets exhausted through tuition fees and then decide on further tax savers. While the tax benefit on tuition fees is incidental and helps you to save tax during the early days of your child's education, do not forget to create a long-term investment plan for his higher education.
Estimate the amount needed for higher studies and create a savings plan towards that goal, preferably through SIPs in 3-5 equity diversified mutual funds scheme. To ensure that the goal is met, do buy adequate life cover, preferably through a pure term insurance plan.
For tax purposes, the fee (amount) reduces the total gross income, and thereby the tax liability. Say, you fall in the highest income slab and pay not only a 30.9 per cent tax rate, but also Rs 80,000 a year as schools fees, the tax saved would amount to Rs 24,720 in that year
Here's how to get the maximum benefit out of tuition fees.
Are all institutions eligible?
Tuition fees paid at the time of admission or anytime during the financial year to any university, college, school or educational institution based in India qualifies for tax benefit.
What kind of education?
It has to be a full-time education, including any play school activities, pre-nursery and nursery classes. The institution can be either private or a government sponsored one.
What is not covered?
At times, parents have to make payments, other than tuition fees, to the educational institutions. Payments like development fees or donation or capitation fees, etc., are not covered and do not qualify for tax benefit. Also, if you haven't paid the fees on time, the applicable late fee paid will not be eligible.
Tax benefit for how many children?
The benefit applies for the fees paid for up to two children. So if a couple has four children, both can claim tax benefit as both have a separate limit of two children each.
Which parent gets the tax benefit?
The parent who makes the payment gets the tax advantage. If both parents are working and pay taxes, both can claim individually up to the amount of fees paid.
If both are working and want to take the benefit under Section 80C for the amount paid by them respectively, they can do so. So if the fee paid is Rs 2 lakh, of which the father has paid Rs 50,000, while the mother has paid Rs 1.5 lakh, both can claim the amount individually as per the payment made by them.
Conclusion
As the upper limit for Section 80C tax benefit is Rs 1.5 lakh a year, see how much of that gets exhausted through tuition fees and then decide on further tax savers. While the tax benefit on tuition fees is incidental and helps you to save tax during the early days of your child's education, do not forget to create a long-term investment plan for his higher education.
Estimate the amount needed for higher studies and create a savings plan towards that goal, preferably through SIPs in 3-5 equity diversified mutual funds scheme. To ensure that the goal is met, do buy adequate life cover, preferably through a pure term insurance plan.
Source : The Economic Times
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