Pranab may dole out tax sops to salaried class, farmers

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to give tax concessions to the salaried class and offer incentives to farmers in his Budget 2011-12 Monday to give relief from high prices and keeping an eye on elections in five states.

It is widely expected that the Budget will raise the income tax exemption limit to Rs 1.80 lakh from the current Rs 1.60 lakh per annum.

The Finance Ministry is already committed to raising the exemption limit to Rs 2 lakh per annum in the Direct Taxes Code (DTC) which is to be implemented from April 2012.

Mukherjee may also consider raising the limit for investment in tax-free infrastructure bonds to give a boost to the fund-starved sector. Investments up to Rs 20,000 in infrastructure bonds enjoy tax exemption now.

Experts said with fiscal deficit projected to come down sharply to 4.8 per cent, the Finance Minister would have some leeway to provide these tax concessions.

The Economic Survey 2010-11 presented in Parliament projected fiscal deficit at 4.8 per cent, down from the budget estimate of 5.5 per cent for the current fiscal.

With five states -- Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal-- heading for polls, it is unlikely that Mukherjee would completely roll back the stimulus and come out with harsh measures to increase government revenues and bring down fiscal deficit, experts said.

Mukherjee's third consecutive budget is also expected to increase the credit flow to the farm sector.

On tax rationalisation, Mukherjee had said, "The sustained growth has been possible due to rationalisation of tax structure, improvement in tax administration and persistent efforts of the employees of Income Tax department."

Inflation has remained above the comfort level for most part of the current fiscal and will be another focus area for Mukherjee.

The overall inflation at 8.23 per cent is higher than the comfort level of the Reserve Bank at 5-6 per cent. Food inflation had also touched at a high of 18.23 per cent in December, but moderated to 11.49 per cent in mid-February.

Industry fears that Mukherjee may roll back some of the stimulus to fight inflation. Moreover, the Survey had also projected the economy is recovering fast and is expected to return to the pre-crisis growth rate of 9 per cent in 2011-12.

Stimulus package provided by the government at the time financial meltdown helped India grew by 6.8 per cent in 200809, and by 8 per cent in 2009-10.

The economy grew by 8.9 per cent in the first half of 2010-11.

But the tax incentives and higher public expenditure also pushed up the fiscal deficit to 6.3 per cent in 2009-10.
 
In the Budget 2010-11, Mukherjee had estimated fiscal deficit to be Rs 3,81,408 crore.

Even as there could be some decline in government revenue due to higher exemption limits, Mukherjee would pin hopes on increased economic activity with a high growth rate of 9 per cent to bring in money to Centre's kitty.

source-ddnews

National Anomaly Committee meeting discussion points...

As indicated in our circular letter No.3, we give hereunder the decisions taken on each of the items discussed at the National Anomaly Committee meeting held on 15th Feb. 2011.

With greetings,
Yours fraternally,
K.K.N. Kutty
Secretary General.

Item No.11.
The Staff side has agreed to specify the items of allowance which requires to be given effect to from 1.1.2006.

Item No.12. & 13.
Revision of Transport allowance:
The Staff side is to give a comparative statement indicating the rate of Transport allowance given to various categories to substantiate their demand for having a uniform rate for all Govt. officials.

Item No.14.
Risk and Patient Care allowance to be doubled.
The Government will bring about the Insurance scheme in consultation with the Staff Side within six months. If the scheme is not implemented by that time, these allowances will be doubled.

Item No. 20.
Quantification of daily allowance in case not able to present the bill The Department of Expenditure will examine the issue further in the light of the discussion and will convey their final decision in the next neeting.

Item No. 28.
Assigning grade pay in PB 3 for Accounts officers.
This will be discussed with the Staff Side separately.

Item No. 31.
Child Care leave:
Revised orders have been issued. The demand of the Staff Side that the discretionary powers to grant or otherwise or restrict the number of days presently given to the authorities must be dispensed with will be discussed at the next meeting of the Committee.

Item No. 37.
Waiver of recovery of higher DA drawing between 1.1.2006 and 1.08.2008.
Not agreed to.

Item No. 38 and 39.
Anomaly in fixation of Grade Pay and Pay Bands: will be further discussed at the next meeting.

Item No. 40.
Grant of Notional increment for those who retire in June. Not accepted.

Item No.41.
Grant of promotional increment for those promoted in the same PB and Grade Pay.
The Official side stated that to decide whether the two grades have distinct functions is the prerogative of the concerned Ministry/Department. If they so decide, the promotional increment would be granted. But in that case, the same will be treated as a promotion and will count as such for the purpose of MACP.

Item No. 42.
MACP issue.
The same will be discussed in the sub committee once again.

Item No.43.
Anomaly in HAG scale of pay:
Not discussed being a Group A issue. But the issue has been reported to have been settled and orders issued.

Item No. 44.
Anomaly in Library Information Assistant:
Will be further discussed at the next meeting.

Item No. 45.
Anomaly in fixation of pension for those in receipt of stagnation increment/ In the light of the court judgment, the item will be discussed further in the next meeting.

Item No. 46.& 49 & 51
Parity for Stenographers in the filed and Central Sectt.
The demand for grant of grade pay of Rs. 4600 for those in the pay scale of 6500-10,500 has already been settled and orders issues. The question of Grant of Grade pay of Rs. 5400 after completion of three years for those in the pay scale of 7500-12000 will be examined if not already extended.

Item No. 48.
Restoration of commutation value of pension after 12 years.
Not agreed upon. The Staff side has asked for the basis on which the demand has been rejected.

Item No. 50/
Disparity in the pay scale of official language staff.
The Staff side has agreed to provide a copy of the Court order in the matter.

Item No. 52 and 53.
Andaman Nicobar Items:
The Official side will report in the next meeting of the development on these issues.

source-http://confederationhq.blogspot.com/

Issue of pensioner CGHS Cards to Central Government servants before retirement

Government of India
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Department of Health & Family Welfare
Nirman Bhawan, Maulana Azad Road
New Delhi 110 108

No: 37-1/2009-C & P/CGHS (P)                                                                                         Date: February 23, 2011

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Issue of pensioner CGHS Cards to Central Government servants before retirement.

Central Government servants on their retirement from service are entitled to CGHS facility, if they retire from office Ministries I Departments I Offices covered by CGHS. For availing CGHS facility, if eligible, after retirement from service, pensioners are required to fill up the requisite form and deposit the appropriate amount [lump sum amount equivalent to one year’s contribution for availing CGHS facility for one year (which can be extended on an annual basis on payment of the appropriate contribution as applicable at the time of renewal) or pay in lump sum equivalent to ten years’ contribution for availing CGHS facility with life-time validity). The process of issuing of pensioner CGHS cards starts only after the Government servant retires from service and only after the Pension Pay Order (PPO) and Last Pay Certificate (LPC) are issued by the Ministry / Department I Office. The completion of the formalities takes two to three months, which puts pensioners in a problematic condition for getting treatment from the date on which they retire
from service and the time when a pensioner CGHS card is issued to them.

2. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has received representations from retired Central Government servants and from officials due for retirement within the next few months with the request that the policy regarding issue of pensioner CGHS cards be simplified so that they are in a position to get the pensioner CGHS card a day after their retirement from service.

3. The matter has been examined by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in consultation with CGHS and it has been decided that the following course of action will be taken in respect of officials who are entitled to avail CGHS facility after his I her retirement from Government service:

(i) All Ministries I Departments will, alongwith pension papers, give the application for issue of pensioner CGHS cards to the official three months before the due date for retirement of the official;

(ii) The official, if he / she is interested in availing CGHS facility after his I her retirement, will:

a. Fill up the form for issue of pensioner’s card;

b. affix stamp sized photographs of the family members entitled to avail CGHS facility in the proforma for issue of pensioner’s card;

c. enclose Demand Draft I Pay Order for the appropriate amount with reference to his I her decision to get CGHS card with life-time validity (the amount will be equal to ten years’ contribution) or with validity for one year (the amount will be equal to one year’s contribution). For obtaining the card in Delhi, the Demand Draft I Pay Order will have to be made payable to “Pay & Accounts Officer (CGHS), payable at Delhi” and for obtaining card in a CGHS city outside Delhi, the Demand Draft I Pay Order will have to be made payable to “Additional Director or Joint Director (as the
case may be) of the CGHS city, payable in that city”;

(iii) The Ministry I Department will add a certificate of pay, grade pay, etc., drawn by the applicant to the application form and also mention the entitlement of ward (Private ward I Semi-Private Ward / General Ward) at the time of retirement of the official;

(iv) The Ministry I Department will forward the application complete in all respects to the Additional Director in the concerned CGHS city after verifying the particulars furnished by the applicant six weeks before the date of retirement of the official;

(v) CGHS pensioner cell in the concerned CGHS city will initiate action to get the pensioner card prepared;

(vi) The validity of the pensioner card will start from a date after the last day of service of the official;

(vii) If the beneficiary, while in service, has been issued plastic card, then the beneficiary identification number (Ben ID No.) will not be changed at the time of preparation of pensioner card and the same Ben ID number will be carried forward
in the pensioner card;

(viii) The pensioner card will be handed over to the retired official only after the date of superannuation I retirement from service; and

(ix) Before the pensioner CGHS card is issued to the beneficiary, the plastic CGHS cards issued to all the members of the family will be surrendered

4. AIr Ministries / Departments are requested to give wide publicity to the contents of these instructions.

Director
[R Ravi]
[Tel: 2306 3483]

APPLICATION& INSTRUCTION-CLICK HERE