Wednesday, February 15, 2012

New Rules To Seize Property Of Corrupt Babus After Retirement
PTI [ Updated 14 Feb 2012, 18:40:57 ]


New Delhi, Feb 14: Corrupt public officials beware!

The Centre has issued new guidelines to seize properties or money of government officials involved in corrupt practices even after their retirement.

According to new norms made in consultation with the Ministry of Law and Justice, a competent authority in concerned department can give authorisation to the Centre to attach properties or wealth of the accused employee acquired through corrupt practises after his retirement.

The guidelines assume significance as most of the departments and investigating agencies like CBI have expressed difficulty in acting against corrupt public servants who have retired pending chargesheet or charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

“Departments have written to us seeking clarification while attaching properties of a corrupt officials. More difficulties were being faced in case of retired government officials. Hence, we decided to get the issue resolved,” a senior official of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

He said a set of guidelines have been issued to all the departments under the Government, including the CBI.

The Section 3 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 1944, authorises the Government to attach properties of a person said to have procured through corrupt means.

However, the clause lacks clarification for seizure of properties in case of pending charge sheet, sanction of prosecution or in case of retirement of a corrupt person.

“In the case of retired public servants, even though the charge sheets are filed without obtaining sanction for prosecution under Section 19 (1) of the PC Act, 1988, the Government or authority which would have been competent to remove the public servant from his office at the time when the offence was alleged to have been committed should be competent to give authorisation...for attachment of money or procured by means of scheduled offences,” the official said.

He said in cases where the competent authority cannot be equated with the central government, the administrative ministries of the concerned competent authorities can file an application seeking attachment of money or properties of a corrupt public servant.

The Section 19 (1) of the PC Act says that “no court shall take cognizance of an offence punishable under Sections 7, 10, 11, 13 and 15 alleged to have been committed by a public servant, except with the previous sanction”.

The sections deals with acts of corruption by a public servants.


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Income Tax deduction for housing loan may increase upto 3 Lakh...

Exempt income up to Rs 3 lakh from I-T: Parliamentary panel

The skewed personal income tax collection pattern of the government has prompted the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance to suggest moderately higher taxes for those who earn more and greater relief for small taxpayers. In fact, it has suggested that the tax should kick in only at annual income levels of Rs 3 lakh and more.

According to latest data collected by the Income Tax department, of the 300 million taxpayers in the country, just 1,85,000 individuals earn over Rs 20 lakh a year. But this small group pays Rs 53,170 crore in personal income tax. The broad categorisation of tax payers shows that individuals in Rs 0-10 lakh comprise almost 92 per cent of the total taxpayer base, but they contribute only Rs 21,094 crore, less than 40 per cent of the amount collected as taxes from the small group earning over Rs 20 lakh a year. The tax payers within the income slab of Rs 10-20 lakh per annum — 3.35 lakh tax payers — paid Rs 10,185 crore to the government, the data showed.

The stark contradiction has prompted the standing committee to suggest that the government should restructure the current tax regime, making it more progressive so that individual tax payers and corporate can be shielded from regressive effects of the present structure. Accordingly, the committee suggests that the tax slab attracting nil rate should be raised from Rs 2 lakh proposed in the Direct Tax Code to Rs 3 lakh so that the department can channelise its resources in minimising the compliance and transaction cost.

“The character of the tax regime should change and it should be made more progressive. This would entail greater relief for small tax payers—both individuals and corporate — and moderately higher rates for tax payers in the higher bracket,” the Parliamentary panel has said.

The panel, currently vetting the proposed DTC has questioned the rationale of the existing tax slabs pointing out that most taxpayers — 2.02 crore of the total 3 crore — fall under the income slab of Rs 0-2 lakh. The number of tax payers further falls to 56.73 lakh in the income slab of Rs 2-4 lakh, making it around 72 per cent in the lowest income bracket for tax purposes. The panel noted that the department should not “diffuse their energies and spread their resources thin over handling such a large number of tax payers with low income potential”.

Another anomaly, the committee has said, lies in the corporate tax structure.

The data shows that the tax collected in the income slab of Rs 0-100 crore is Rs 44,016 crore while that in the income slab of Rs 100-500 crore is Rs 23,421 crore, and Rs 54,558 crore in the above Rs 500 crore slab.

Greater relief

* Let those who earn more pay moderately higher taxes, Parliamentary panel tells government on DTC

* Suggests restructuring the current tax regime so that tax payers can be shielded from regressive effects of the present structure

* Committee says that tax slab attracting nil rate should be raised from Rs 2 lakh proposed in the Direct Tax Code to Rs 3 lakh

Source: Indian Express

Thursday, February 9, 2012

COPY OF THE STRIKE NOTICE AND CHARTER OF DEMANDS IS FURNISHED BELOW. ALL ARE REQUESTED TO DOWNLOAD AND SUBMIT TO ALL CIRCLE/REGIONAL /DIVISIONAL HEADS ON 10.02.2012

POSTAL JOINT COUNCIL OF ACTION

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF POSTAL EMPLOYEES

FEDERATION OF NATIONAL POSTAL ORGANISATIONS

ALL INDIA POSTAL EXTRA DEPARTMENTAL EMPLOYEES UNION

NATIONAL UNION OF GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS

JCA/2012 Dated – 10th February, 2012

To,

The Director General

Department of Posts

Dak Bhawan,

New Delhi – 110001

NOTICE

Madam,

In accordance with the provisions of Sub Section (1) of Section 22 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, we hereby notify that all the Postal/RMS/MMS/Administrative & Postal Accounts Employees and the Gramin Dak Sewaks will go on one day strike on 28.02.2012. The demands for acceptance of which the employees embark upon One Day Strike are detailed in the Charter of Demands enclosed.

M. Krishnan D. Theagarajan

Secretary General, NFPE Secretary General, FNPO

K. V. Sridharan D. Kishan Rao

General Secretary, AIPEU Group 'C' General Secretary, NAPE Group 'C'

Ishwar Singh Dabas T. N. Rahate

General Secretary General Secretary

AIPEU Postmen, MTS & Group 'D' NAPE Postmen,

MTS & Group 'D'

Giriraj Singh D. Theagarajan

General Secretary General Secretary

AIRMS & MMS EU Group 'C' R-3, FNPO

P. Suresh A. H. Siddique

General Secretary General Secretary

AIRMS & MMS EU MG & Group 'D' R-4, FNPO

Pranab Bhattacharjee O.P.Khanna
General Secretary General Secretary

AIPAOEU Group C & D Admn. Emp. Association- FNPO

T. Satyanarayana H.L. Ramteke

General Secretary General Secretary

AIPAEA AIPAOA

S. Appanraj S. Sambandam

General Secretary General Secretary

AIPSBCOEA NASBCO

S. A. Raheem Pratha Pratim Ghorai

General Secretary General Secretary

AIPCWEA NUCWE

S. S. Mahadevaiah P.U. Muralidharan

General Secretary General Secretary

AIPEDEU NUGDS

CHARTER OF DEMANDS.

1. Concrete measures to contain price rise

2. Concrete measures for linkage of employment protection with the concession/incentive package offered to the entrepreneurs,

3. Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.

4. Universal social security cover for the unorganized sector workers without any restriction

5. Creation of a National Social Security Fund with adequate resources in line with the recommendation, of NCEUS and Parliamentary Standing Committees on Labour, Stoppage of disinvestment in Central and State PSUs, the Central Trade Unions also demand immediate action by the Govt. of India to en sure:-

6. No Contractorisatlon of work of permanent/perennial nature and payment of wages and benefits to the contract workers at the same rate as available to the regular workers of the Industry/establishment

7. Amendment of Minimum Wages Act to ensure universal coverage irrespective of the schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs 10,000/-,

8. Remove the ceilings on payment and eligibility of Bonus, Provident Fund; Increase the quantum of gratuity.

9. Scrap PFRDA Bill/New Pension Scheme; Ensure pension for all.

10.Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days and immediate ratification of ILO conventions 87 and 98.