January 13, 2016

IndusInd Bank ties up with online payment solution firm PayU India

IndusInd Bank has tied up with online payment solution firm, PayU India. This will help provide customers the full suite of consumer banking products online as well as payment innovations. The partnership is aimed at bridging the gap between conventional banking and new online payment systems.

"While the Indian consumers have accepted online payment systems and seamless modes of online payment like mobile wallet, with open arms, the trust they have in the Indian banking system remains unmatched. With this partnership, we are bringing the cutting edge online payments technology and a bouquet of conventional banking services," said Shailaz Nag, COO and Co-founder, PayU India.

"Through this tie-up, the bank's experience will be leveraged to tap and redefine the rapidly growing digital financial space for both retail and business customers," said Sumant Kathpalia, Head, Consumer Banking, IndusInd Bank.

The partners will make announcements about the new products and services in the next 4-6 months. The collaboration will help create co-branded digital consumer banking products that will revolutionise the way digital banking and payments have shaped up and is expected to attract new customers across demographies.

January 7, 2016

UPDATES ON LEAVE RULES.........

Casual Leave
1. Eligible for 12 days in a year.
2. Shall be earned on a pro-rata basis during
the first year of service - at the rate of one
day for each completed month or part
thereof.
3. Can be taken 4 days at a time. The
holidays and weekly offs prefixing/
suffixing
or falling within the period of Casual Leave
will not be treated as part of casual leave.
(The ceiling of total period of absence of 6
days including holidays was now removed in
10thBPS).
4. CL cannot be combined with any other
kind of leave.
Un availed Casual Leave
Casual leave not availed in a calendar year is
convertible into sick leave with full
substantive pay except during the first year.
It can be availed only on the grounds of
sickness. There is no time limit for availing
UCL accumulated in a year by clerical staff , however for officers UCL can b availed within three years of its accumulation e.g. UCL of 2012 can b availed upto 31.12.2015. After that it lapses. UCL can be
availed without MC for 4 days at a time once
in a year or two days at a time twice in a
year. For one day on any number of
occasions, MC is not necessary.
Privilege Leave
1. Calculated at the rate of one day for every
eleven days of active service. While
calculating PL, all kinds of leave availed
except CL shall be excluded.
2. Can be availed only on completion of 11
months of service.
Generally 4 occasions in a calendar year,
though one occasion may comprise even a
single day.
(known as PL under domestic grounds).
3. However, the reasons for the request by an
employee for leave on more than 4 occasions
in ayear are adequate and genuine and it is
not administratively inconvenient, such
leave may be granted. PL should be applied
before 15 days of the proposed date of
commencement of leave.
4. PL on medical grounds can be granted for
more than 4 days at a time on production of
Medical Certificate which will not be counted
in the above 4 occasions.
5. The restriction with regard to the number
of times of availing PL, mentioned in Para 3
above, does not apply to members of
Executive Committee of a Registered Trade
Union. A member of Executive Committee
can avail PL for any number of times for
organizational work.(of course, within his
eligible leave)
6. PL can be accumulated up to 270 days and
on retirement the encashment is restricted
only to 240 days.
Sick Leave
1. An employee is entitled to sick leave on
half substantive pay, at the rate of one
month for each year of service subject to a
maximum of 18 months (540 days) during his
entire service, provided that where an
employee has put in a service of 24 years, he
shall be eligible to additional sick leave at
the rate of one month for each year of
service in excess of 24 years, subject to 3
months of additional sick leave. For availing
sick leave the employee has to submit MC.
2. An employee can convert the half-pay sick
leave in to full pay sick leave.
But twice the period of leave will be debited.
3. During the first year of service sick leave
will be granted on prorate basis.
4. Sick Leave can be availed for any number
of days.
5. Sick Leave can be availed without Medical
Certificate by an employee for a maximum
period of 10 days in a calendar year not
exceeding two days at a time after
exhausting the Casual Leave.
6. Sick Leave can be clubbed with PL, ML and
UCL.
Maternity Leave
1. Maternity leave which shall be on
substantive pay shall be granted to a female
employee for a period not exceeding 6
months on any one occasion and 12 months
during the entire period of her service.
2. Within the overall period of 12 months,
leave may also be granted in case of
miscarriage/abortion/MTP.
3. Within the overall period of 12 months,
leave may also be granted in case of
hysterectomy up to a maximum of 60 days.
4. ML is available even in the first year of
service. Probationers are also eligible. But
the probation period will be extended to that
extent.
5. Leave may also be granted once during
service to a childless female employee for
legally adopting a child who is below one
year of age, for a maximum period of six
months, subject to the following terms and
conditions:-
i) Leave will be granted for adoption of only
one child.
ii) The adoption of a child should be through
a proper legal process and the employee
should produce the adoption-deed to the
Bank for sanctioning such leave.
iii) The Permanent Part-time Employees are
also eligible for grant of leave for adoption
of a child.
iv) The Leave shall also be available to
biological mother in cases where the child is
born through surrogacy.
v) The leave shall be availed within overall
entitlement of 12 months
during the entire period of service.
Paternity Leave
With effect from the 1st June 2015, male
employees with less than two surviving
children shall be eligible for 15 days
Paternity Leave during his wife’s
confinement. This leave may be combined
with any other kind of leave except Casual
Leave. The leave may be availed upto 15 days
before or upto 6 months from
the date of delivery of the child.
Extra-ordinary Leave
1. An employee is eligible for extraordinary
leave on loss of pay when no other kind of
leave is due to the employee.
2. This leave is granted not exceeding 3
months on any one occasion with a
maximum of 24 months in the entire period
of service. Can be combined with or in
continuation of any kind of leave except CL.
3. Period of leave on LOP shall not count for
increments and increment date will be
postponed.
Special Casual Leave for Blood Donation
Employees who donate blood to a recognized
blood bank or Bank sponsored blood
donation drive are eligible for special CL for
one day, on the day of blood donation,
subject to the production of satisfactory
documentary proof.
Special Leave for Vasectomy / Sterilization
( 1). 6 days CL for male employees for
undergoing Sterilization.
(2). 14 days special CL for female employees
who undergo non puerperal Tubectomy
operation.
3. 1 day special CL for female employee, who
had IUD insertions.
4. 7 days CL to male employees whose wife
undergoes Non Puerperal Tubectomy
operation subject to the production of MC
from the doctor who performed the
operation to that effect that the presence of
the male employee is essential for the period
of leave to look after his wife during her
convalescence after operation. Leave to
commence on the day of operation.
5. An employee developing post-operative
complication after sterilization may be
granted CL to that extent of the period for
which he or she is hospitalized for such post
operative complication,
subject to production of necessary certificate
from the concerned hospital authorities.
6. An employee is not entitled to special CL
after maternity leave, if the sterilization
operation, recanalisation was done during
the maternity leave.
Special Sick Leave
With effect from the 01.06.2015 special Sick
Leave up to 30 days may be granted to an
employee once during his/her entire period
of service for donation of kidney/organ.
Sabbatical Leave (Govt.Scheme) for Women
Employees
Permanent female employees with minimum
of 5 years of Service are eligible. In
exceptional circumstances, employees with
less than 5 years of service can also apply.
Purpose of leave is
medical grounds, care of family members or
children, higher studies, visit spouse, etc.
Period of leave shall be minimum of 3
months at a time and shall not be taken
more than once in a year, maximum of 2
years during entire career. Total period of
leave including earlier Sabbatical scheme,
EOL and extra-ordinary leave under Bi-
partite shall not exceed 3 years

January 6, 2016

Raise income tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh: Central Trade Unions

New Delhi: Trade unions today asked the government to increase the income tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh and the minimum wage to Rs 18,000 besides raising the minimum monthly pension to Rs 3,000 for all.

They also sought a special package for victims of the recent Tamil Nadu floods.

These demands were raised under a 15-point charter submitted by 11 central trade unions to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during pre-Budget consultations held here. The Union Budget for the next financial year, 2016-17, is slated to be presented in Parliament in February end. It will take effect from April 1.

“We have demanded a minimum wage of Rs 18,000 per month which is higher than our earlier demand of Rs 15,000,” Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh Zonal Organisation Secretary Pawan Kumar said after the meeting.

The Seventh Pay Commission has recommended Rs 18,000 as minimum monthly wage for central government employees and it should be the benchmark, he said.

All Indian Trade Union Congress Secretary D L Sachdev said: “We have also demanded Rs 3,000 minimum monthly pension for all and asked for a special package for flood ravaged Tamil Nadu to provide relief to workers as well as industry in the next Budget.”

Sachdev said that in view of price rise “we have also demanded from the government to increase the income tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh per annum”.

The union have also asked that fringe benefits like housing, medical and educational facilities and running allowances in railways should be exempted from Income Tax.

Unions also demanded that PSUs should be strengthened and expanded and the disinvestment of government shares in profit making PSUs should be stopped.

Besides, they said that the budgetary support should be provided for revival of potentially viable sick PSUs.

On the price rise, the charter said: “Take effective measures to arrest the spiralling price rise especially of food and essential items of daily use. Ban speculative forward trading in essential commodities, check on hoarding and universalise and strengthen Public Distribution System.”

Expressing concerns over steel and aluminium sectors, the unions said: “Relentless and increasing flow of import of industrial commodities including capital goods must be contained and regulated to prevent dumping and also to protect and promote domestic industries and prevent loss of employment.”

It also said that “FDI should not be allowed in crucial sectors like defence production, Railways, financial sector, retail trade and other strategic sectors. In other areas, terms and conditions for FDI should be made public.”

December 21, 2015

ATMs being installed in 1.25 lakh post-offices

ATMs being installed in 1.25 lakh post-offices: Jayant Sinha in LS

→ Hitachi keen to partner Postal Department for payments bank: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Work is on to install ATMs and micro ATMs at over 1.25 lakh post offices across the country to help people living in far-flung areas to withdraw money,government said in Lok Sabha.

Responding to some members speaking about difficulties faced by people in distant places, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said that 'bank mitra', people hired temporarily at branches with inadequate staff, will also be of a big help in this regard.

Replying to a question about vacancies in public sector banks, he said during the Question Hour that all the backlog vacancies are being filled and added that over 60,000 people were recruited against the retirement of 38,000 people.

There were 38,254, 38,170 and 21,500 vacancies of officers in public sector banks in 2013-14, 14-15 and 15-16 respectively and the corresponding recruitment numbers were 35,549, 30,359 and 24,133.

Japan-based Hitachi is keen to partner with Postal Department for payments bank solutions, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The President and CEO of IT Systems, Hitachi Ltd, Yutaka Saito,  called on the minister and discussed about the possibility of Hitachi offering its banking solutions in a revenue sharing model to the Postal Department.

"I have heard them, they have already met the Postal Department people. I have asked them to make elaborate presentations. They have come with the idea of revenue sharing model to install the banking solutions in all the post offices in India. We will consider it," Prasad said after the meeting.

"I have asked the Postal Department to work out the details," he added.

Hitachi payment services offer banking solutions related to ATM, point of sale (POS), cash and deposit machines and card management solutions to all leading banks of the country.

"They are very keen to parter with Postal Department for payments bank solutions in the vast network of India's postal operations across the country and in rural areas," Prasad said.

The minister further said what is important is the technical upgradation of rural post offices to make payment bank a success.

"I have assured them that with Digital India opening up in India in a big way, there is enough scope for products, marketing, consumer base and above all innovation," he added.

The Reserve Bank granted in-principle approval to 11 applicants, including Postal Department, in August to set up payments banks.

As per RBI guidelines, payments banks would offer a limited range of products such as demand deposits and remittances. They will not be allowed to undertake lending activities and will initially be restricted to holding a maximum balance of Rs 1 lakh per individual customer.

They will be allowed to issue ATM or debit cards as also other prepaid payment instruments, but not credit cards.

#DepartmentofPost #ATM #PaymentBank #Hitachi  #DigitalIndia

December 20, 2015

Irregularity worth Rs 278 crore found in Mumbai DCC Bank: Minister

Maharashtra government today admitted in the state Legislative Assembly that irregularity to the tune of Rs 278 crore has taken place in transactions of Mumbai District Central Co-Operative Bank (MDCCB).

Replying to a query raised by Prakash Surve of Shiv Sena and others during the Question Hour regarding irregularities within MDCCB, state Minister for Co-operation, Marketing and Textiles and Public works, Chandrakant Patil informed that District Deputy Registrar Co-operative Societies (Mumbai Suburban West) in its internal report filed in December, 2013, found irregularities in large scale in the banking transactions.

The auditor found irregularities to the tune of Rs 278 crore that included giving bank premises on lease, purchase of land worth Rs 1.23 crore, disbursement of loan and its recovery that accounted for Rs 112.94 crore, computer purchase worth Rs 4.53 cr and waiving off loan of Rs 137.27 crore to Madhya Pradesh Industrial Corporation Ltd.

On receipt of final audit report from Divisional Joint Registrar Cooperative Societies, the government has initiated legal action against the Bank, the minister said.

#MaharashtraDistrictCentralCooperativeBank #MDCCB #Irregularity #Audit