1. Give assets details for two years by October 15: Central government to employees
All central government employees were today asked to file the details of their assets and liabilities for two years by October 15, as part of a mandatory obligation under the Lokpal Act.
The first return, giving details of assets and liabilities as on August 1, 2014, and second one, as on March 31, 2015, can now be filed by October 15, this year, the Department of Personnel and Training said in a communique sent to secretaries of all central government ministries.
They have been asked to ensure compliance of all officers working under their charge and those in PSUs and other organisations under the control of their ministries.
As per rules, notified under the Lokpal Act, every public servant shall file declaration, information and annual returns pertaining to his assets and liabilities as on March 31 every year or on or before July 31 of that year.
For 2014, the last date for filing returns was September 15, which was later extended to December-end, then till April 30, and now up to October 15. Employees also have to file the details of their assets for 2015 by the extended date.
The declarations under the Lokpal Act are in addition to similar ones filed by the employees under various services rules. All Group A, B and C employees are supposed to file these declarations.
Employees need to give details like cash in hand, bank deposits, investment in bonds, debentures, shares and units in companies or mutual funds, insurance policies, provident fund, personal loans and advance given to any person or entity, among others.
There are about 48 lakh central government employees.
DA-- 6%.
The first return, giving details of assets and liabilities as on August 1, 2014, and second one, as on March 31, 2015, can now be filed by October 15, this year, the Department of Personnel and Training said in a communique sent to secretaries of all central government ministries.
They have been asked to ensure compliance of all officers working under their charge and those in PSUs and other organisations under the control of their ministries.
As per rules, notified under the Lokpal Act, every public servant shall file declaration, information and annual returns pertaining to his assets and liabilities as on March 31 every year or on or before July 31 of that year.
For 2014, the last date for filing returns was September 15, which was later extended to December-end, then till April 30, and now up to October 15. Employees also have to file the details of their assets for 2015 by the extended date.
The declarations under the Lokpal Act are in addition to similar ones filed by the employees under various services rules. All Group A, B and C employees are supposed to file these declarations.
Employees need to give details like cash in hand, bank deposits, investment in bonds, debentures, shares and units in companies or mutual funds, insurance policies, provident fund, personal loans and advance given to any person or entity, among others.
There are about 48 lakh central government employees.
DA-- 6%.
2. The government is likely to approve a hike in dearness allowance (DA) to 119 per cent from the existing 113 per cent, benefiting the around 30 lakh central government employees and 50 lakh pensioners including dependents. “The average rate of retail inflation for industrial workers from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 works out to be 6.77 per cent. Thus the Central government will hike dearness allowance for it employees by 6 per cent,” an official said. He further said the Finance Ministry will put a Cabinet proposal in September for approval of 6 per cent dearness allowance hike from July 1 this year as the revised Consumer Price Index number for Industrial Workers for June was released by Labour Ministry on Friday. With increase in DA, the pensioners will also gain as the benefit provided to them as dearness relief will be hiked to 119 per cent of pension. The government had increased DA to 113 per cent from 107 per cent with effect from January 1, 2015, on April 7 on the basis of agreed formula for revision of the allowance. However, the central government employees’ union is not very enthused by the 6 per cent hike in the dearness allowance as their long pending demand of merger of DA with basic pay has not been given heed by Seventh Pay Commission and the government. “The erosion of value of wages is unbearable at 50 per cent dearness allowance. Now it will be 119 per cent. It is high time to merge DA with basic pay to provide relief to employees,” a leader of a central government employees’ union said. “We had submitted our memorandum in this regard to Seventh Pay Commission. They forwarded it to Central Government. We have so many times apprised about the issue to the government. But no decision has been taken so far,” he said.
