Sunday, February 19, 2012

letters to Civil Accounts authorities against implementation of e-payment and e-revision of pre 2006 pension cases

India Civil Accounts Employees Association

(RECOGNISED BY GOVT. OF INDIA)

CENTRAL HEADQUARTER

Phone No. 23345070, Mob. No. 9868520926, e-mail:- v.aicaea@gmail.com

 

Central Office: -                                                                                 Address for Communication:-

16-A, Akbar Road Hutments,                                                          17/2 – C, P & T Quarters,

New Delhi: - 110011                                                                         Kali Bari Marg,           

                                                                                                           New Delhi-110001

 SPEED POST

No: AICAEA/HQ/A-3/2012/67-69                                                 Dated: 18th February, 2012

 

To

            Smt. Dharitri Panda,

            Chief Controller of Accounts,

            Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,

            Room No. 147, A-Wing,

            Nirman Bhawan,

            New Delhi – 110011

 

 

Subject: Implementation of e-payment System – discussion regarding.

 

Madam,

            I am directed to inform you that, the Central Working Committee meeting of this Association and the Federal Executive meeting of National Federation of Civil Accounts Associations(NFCAA) held in Delhi from 24th to 26th November 2011 had deliberated on the decision of Civil Accounts authority to introduce e-payment system and observed that, implementation of e-payment system would not only  affect adversely on the working conditions of the employees but on the total payment functions of the Government of India too. The meeting had further noted that the system would bring more workload on the Civil Accounts Organization while the organization has already been functioning with the shortage of nearly 40% employees of original sanctioned strength.

The meeting had therefore, directed me to request the Controller General of Accounts to hold a discussion with the representatives of the NFCAA before implementing the e-payment system. Accordingly, CGA was requested to convene such a meeting under NFCAA letter dated 5/12/2011. In addition to the letter of NFCAA, all unit Associations of All India Civil Accounts Employees Associations have also forwarded resolutions to CGA urging upon him to kindly convene meeting with the representatives of Associations before implementing the e-payment system. But, CGA has ignored all the requests.

In the meantime, it has been brought to our knowledge by the units and Branch Associations from different parts of the country that, your administration at various levels are pressurizing our members to operate e-payment system. It is very unfortunate.

Since the e-payment system is fraught with risk for the employees and it would put extra work burden on them, they shall not attend the work connected with e-payment till the problems are negotiated and resolved by CGA.

I therefore, request you to kindly direct the local Administration of your department not to force our members to operate e-payment in order to avoid creation of unpleasant situations in the offices and request CGA to hold discussion on the issue so that the difference between employees organizations and authorities over the matter is resolved and it is implemented smoothly thereafter.

I hope, you will kindly take the contents of this letter to its true perspective and do the needful accordingly.

     

 Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,

 

 

V.Bhattacharjee)

Secretary General

 

Copy to:-

 

1.      All Heads of the Departments of Civil Accounts Organization with the request to extend their Co-operation in this matter.

2.      All Branch Secretaries of All India Civil Accounts Employees Association for necessary action.

 

 

 

V.Bhattacharjee)

Secretary General


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All India Civil Accounts Employees Association

(RECOGNISED BY GOVT. OF INDIA)

CENTRAL HEADQUARTER

Phone No. 23345070, Mob. No. 9868520926, e-mail:- v.aicaea@gmail.com

 

Central Office: -                                                                                 Address for Communication:-

16-A, Akbar Road Hutments,                                                                       17/2 – C, P & T Quarters,

New Delhi: - 110011                                                                         Kali Bari Marg,           

                                                                                                           New Delhi-110001

 

No: AICAEA/HQ/A-2/2012/                                                           Dated: 18th February2012

 

To

The Controller General of Accounts,

Ministry of Finance,

Department of Expenditure,

Loknayak Bhawan,

Khan Market,

New Delhi – 110003

 

Subject: Problems faced in revision of Pre-2006 cases-(E-REVISION UTILITY)

 

Sir,

            The 14th Central Working Committee meeting of this Association held in Delhi from 24th to 26th November 2011 discussed the problems facing by the employees in doing the e-revision of pre 2006 cases. The observations and views of the Central Working Committee Meeting are discussed below for your information and necessary action.

  1. The change of address of pensioner/family pensioner has not been intimated either to the Head of Office or the PAO as it is not necessary as per rules. It is enough if the pensioner/family pensioner intimates the disbursing authority (bank) and the CPAO.
  2. The death of the pensioner and/or his spouse who is also authorized family pensioner through the same PPO  is not intimated to the Head of Office or the PAO as this is also necessarily be intimated to the disbursing authority(bank) and the bank will intimate the CPAO. Hence, the PAO or the DDO will not be aware of the death of the pensioner/family pensioner or both.
  3. In most of the cases the address is not traceable as both the pensioner and his spouse are expired and the child/children are settled elsewhere due to which the Head of Office is also not in a position to get the required details.
  4. Due to centralization of the pension processing by the banks, the paying branches do not have the details of very old pensioners/family pensioner and also the cases where the pensioner has closed his account and/or transferred his bank account to some other bank or branch.
  5. The list of Pre-1990 cases provided under each of the PAO is not in order as it is noticed that the cases, which do not pertain to the PAO, are also listed based on the details received from the bank and new PPO Numbers have been allotted under the PAO who has neither finalized the case nor holds the pension file. Further, it is noticed that some of the cases, which are still held by a PAO, are either not listed or listed under a different PAO or AG. Since some of the cases pertaining to a PAO have been listed under AG or some other PAO the banks have sent the Annexure III to the AG or other PAO based on the new PPO No instead of the PAO who has actually finalized the case and is holding the Pension file.
  1. As per the scheme book for Payment of Pension to Civil Pensioners by PSB, it is the duty of the bank to re transmit the PPOs to CPAO once there is no further pension or family pension or both through the PPO after recording the payment details through the link branch (Para 23) and the CPAO after making a note has to re transmit the same to the concerned PAO. This is not done either by the bank or by the CPAO, as the PAOs are not receiving any such PPOs from the CPAO. If this is done as per rules then the pension files can be closed once there is no further pension/family pension or both through the same PPO. In case the CPAO has received the PPOs back from the bank due to stoppage of pension/family pension the cases may be removed from the list under the web report.
  2. Through in some cases the Annexure III has been received from the banks it is not possible to revise the case as the mandatory details of date of birth of spouse is not available in the pension file or the service book and in some cases the pensioner is not traceable due to change of residential address or the pensioner is expired and the family pensioner has changed the residence and sometimes even the bank account which has not been updated in the CPAO web site.

When the PAO is not aware of a pensioner/family pensioners change of address or transfer of bank account or death of pensioner/family pensioner or both which need not be provided by the pensioner/family pensioner or the family members to the PAO or the DDO as per rules the revision of all the pre-2006 cases is not possible.

From the very date of formation of Civil Accounts organization, the All India Civil Accounts Employees had been requesting the authorities to create the posts records keepers in all the offices irrespective of their size and ensure posting of Record keepers against such posts. But it was not done.  Due to this the records in majority of the offices are either not kept systematically or not available at all. Without individual pension files, e- revision of pension cases are not feasible.

90 % of the e-revision work is to be done through computers and through continuous operation of internet. But the persons concerned dealing with the e-revision cases are mostly not provided with quality computers and proper internet facilities which is one of the major interruptions in the progress of the work.

            E-revision Utility version and releases are being updated day by day. Hence the previous day's work, if not uploaded, gets invalid the next day. For instance, on 19/08/2011 version xml file was created for 10 pension cases each (5 xml files) and on the day of upload the new version (01.01.2011) came and while uploading, it prompted that the xml is tampered. After 01/01/2011 patch which was followed by three upgrades viz. 03/11/11, 15/11/11 and 21/11/11 till date (………………). A full-fledged utility should

be provided for early completion of the work. Frequent release of patches/versions leads to confusion/delay/duplication of work. In view of this, the work cannot be completed on or before the target date fixed. In a nutshell the e-revision should be full-fledged application software and basic infrastructure should be provided for completion of the work.

            Further, it appears that the issue of shortage of man power in the organization has not at all been considered as basic requirement before taking the decision for e-revision of pension cases. The Civil Accounts organization is already suffering from the problem of shortage of more than 40% employees against its actual required strength. The work in connection with the e-revision of pre 2006 pension cases is additional workload on the existing employees and officers of the organization. Therefore, only after improvements in the working strength of the organization the work on e-revision cases would make progress in its actual form.

            The Central Working Committee meeting also deliberated on the policy of outsourcing/contractorisation/privatization of works by the authority as an alternative to- (a) shortage of staff or (b) reaction of the employees' organizations against overburdening the existing employees with additional workload. The meeting was of the opinion that, outsourcing of government functions is not only against the interest of the Nation altogether but quality of outsourced/privatized/ contracterised works are much below the bench mark. Examples came before the delegates of the meeting that, retired persons working in the Central Pension Accounting Office as Consultants are not even capable to prepare simple letters or undertake correspondences in proper language.  But they have been drawing handsome amount against the works. Engagement of such type persons is thus nothing but a wasteful expenditure and it would not serve any purpose.  There are lakhs of unemployeds who are well educated and having skills in computers. Therefore, in order to improve the quality of functioning of the government offices, freshers should be recruited on regular basis against the vacant posts by taking extra initiatives by the Civil Accounts Authority. However, the meeting appreciated that, till freshers are recruited, work cannot be kept pending. Therefore, the existing employees, who are highly skilled and efficient in accounting works, may be engaged on voluntary basis for completion of the work within the targeted date and they may be adequately compensated for extra effort they would be taking.

 

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,

 

 

V.Bhattacharjee)

Secretary General

Copy to:-

1.      All Heads of the Departments of Civil Accounts Organization with the request to extend their Co-operation in this matter.

2.      All Branch Secretaries of All India Civil Accounts Employees Association for necessary action.

 

(V.Bhattacharjee)

Secretary General

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