Wednesday 15 May 2013

Postal inspectors train in latest technologies


ALLAHABAD: A daylong workshop was organized at the Post Master General's office to make postal inspectors aware of new technologies and methods to be introduced soon in post offices. The workshop also aimed that their understanding of changes in Department of Posts. The workshop was inaugurated by director, Postal Services of Allahabad Region, Krishna Kumar Yadav on Tuesday.
The workshop was attended by 40 assistant superintendents of posts offices/ inspector of post offices, who were updated about the latest and upcoming changes and new postal services through power point presentation.

Speaking on the occasion, Yadav said that changes being made in postal services, and the department would be extended to rural level. In the era of information and communication technology, the department of posts has decided to ensure that the benefit of these technological advancements reached the villages, he said.

Interacting with the postal inspectors/ superintendents, Yadav asked them to work as a bridge between employees and officers and said that it would enable postal services earn higher revenues.

He also suggested that every postal division should adopt one major organization and 15 villages for implementation of 'Sampoorna Bima Gram' scheme. He said that we should aim at covering maximum number of households under Post Office Savings Bank Scheme.

Under IT Modernization Project-2012, Branch Post Offices located in rural areas would be made high-tech and netbooks and hand-held devices would be provided to these offices. Not only this, branch post offices would get mobile thermal printer, smartcard reader, finger-print scanner, digital camera etc for signature/ document scanning and making transactions. Very soon Post offices would be linked under core banking solution, which would bring revolutionary changes in banking at rural level.

After implementation of CBS, customers of post offices would be able to avail services like net banking, mobile banking and ATMs. Regular monitoring of postal services is being undertaken under the 'Project Arrow', and the overall outlook of post offices was being changed under 'look and feel' scheme. In near future, all post offices would be brought under the Project Arrowscheme and would be made more high-tech through implementation of Core Banking Solutions.

On this occasion top performing assistant superintendents and postal inspectors were felicitated by Yadav. Employees who received awards for their outstanding performance include B K Sharma, B P Singh, assistant superintendent P C Yadav, P K Pathak, Marut Nandan and Vipin Yadav.
Source :  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Govt ratifies 8.5% interest on PF deposits for 2012-13


NEW DELHI: The Finance Ministry has approved payment of 8.5 per cent rate interest for 2012-13, up from 8.25 per cent in the previous fiscal, benefiting over 5 crore EPFO subscribers.

"Finance Ministry has notified 8.5 per cent interest rate for 2012-13. It will be implemented with immediate effect," EPFO's Central Provident Fund Commissioner Anil Swarup told PTI.

The notification, he further said, "will enable EPFO to settle claims at 8.5 per cent and also credit interest into the accounts of subscribers for 2012-13."

The Employees Provident Fund Organisation's (EPFO) apex decision making body, the Central Board of Trustee (CBT), on February 25 had decided to pay 8.5 per cent rate of interest to subscribers for 2012-13.

The CBT's decision on interest rate is required to be notified by the Finance Ministry. Only after notification, the interest is credited into the accounts of subscribers.

As per the norms, EPFO is expected to announce rate of interest on PF deposits before the beginning of a financial year. However, for the past few years, there has been delay in announcement of the rates. This time, the rate of interest is being notified after the end of the financial year.

In the absence of the notification, the claims are settled at the interest rate approved for the previous fiscal and subscribers can claim the differential after the notification of rates by the Finance Ministry.
Source :  http://economictimes.indiatimes.com