Public Services – COVID-19 – Functioning of Government offices with six day week – Ensuring Social distancing with half the work force at any given point of time – Orders – Issued.
During the period of lock down due to Covid-19 pandemic, the working strength of all Government offices was kept at a maximum of 33% as per Notification dated 03.05.2020 second read above.
2.From 18.05.2020, in order to have regular functioning of Government offices by maintaining social distancing in offices, the Government direct that all Government offices shall function with half the work force in any given day. In addition, in order to compensate the working hours already lost, the Government direct that a system of six-day working week including Saturdays as working days, with present office timings be brought into force.
3. Accordingly, the Government direct to bring in the following system of office functioning in all Government offices with effect from 18.05.2020
i. six-day working week including Saturdays as working days, with present office timings;
ii. all Government offices shall function with half the work force (i.e., 50%);
iii. in the start of a week, first batch shall work for 2 days at a stretch (Monday & Tuesday) and the second batch shall work for the next 2 days (Wednesday & Thursday) followed by the first batch for the next 2 days (Friday & Saturday);
iv. in the subsequent week, second Batch shall work for 2 days at a stretch (Monday & Tuesday) and the first batch shall work for the next 2 days (Wednesday & Thursday) followed by the second batch for the next 2 days (Friday & Saturday).
v. notwithstanding the above alternate working system, the staff on off-duty shall also attend office if called for at any point of time;
vi. All Group ‘A’ Officers i.e., all staff in posts drawing level of pay from Rs.59,300 – 1,87,700 to Rs.1,28,900 – 2,25,000 (levels 25 to 32 in the pay matrix) and all Head of Offices (irrespective of level in the pay matrix) shall attend office on all working days; vii. A system of level-jumping in the submission of files in the reporting hierarchy shall be put in place by the Head of the Department, if necessary;
viii. All officers / staff members shall always be available for official work and accessible through any electronic mode of communication;
ix. this system of office functioning shall be followed in all Government offices from Secretariat to district / field level office including Commissions, Boards, Corporations, Universities, Companies, Institutions, Societies etc., of the State Government;
x. the departments / offices such as Police, Health, District Administration, Treasury, Local Bodies etc., shall continue to function as per the orders issued in G.O. (Ms) No.172, Revenue & Disaster Management Department, dated 25.03.2020.
4. Necessary bus transport arrangements will be made. The above orders shall be followed scrupulously, until further orders.
Kindly refer to our earlier communication dated April 27, 2020 on the above subject matter.
As already explained, the COVID-19 Pandemic has created an unprecedented for situation, not only in our country, but also across the globe. The Central Government Employees, including Railwaymen, are, however, exerting a lot to combat the situation, and the Railwaymen are working hard 24X7 with full devotion and dedication to maintain uninterrupted supply chain of all the essential commodities and goods, viz. Foodgrains, Sugar, Petroleum, Vegetables, Milk, Medical Items etc. throughout the country, by running large-number of timetabled Goods and Parcel Trains.
You may appreciate that, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India as well as Hon’ble Minister for Railways have repeatedly applauded and praised the contribution of the Railwaymen in this COVID-19 crisis, facing the risk of Coronavirus threat.
While addressing the Nation on 12th May, 2020, Hon’ble Prime Minister has announced a Mega Package for all the sections of the society to combat the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis to boost the economy as well as morale of the country.
Since Railwaymen are performing their duties to transport aforementioned goods as well as Migrant Workers and have further started operating “Special Trains” for common rail users w.e.f. 12.04.2020, they can in no way be treated less than “COVID-19 Warriors”. As already submitted vide our letter dated 27.04.2020, freezing of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief, has proved to be extremely de-motivational rather than boosting their morale by sanctioning some Additional Incentive to them.
I would, therefore, request your goodself that, in the wake of Hon’ble Prime Minister’s announcement of Mega Package of Rupees Twenty Lakh Crore, the orders of freezing Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief be withdrawn to boost the morale of the Railway Employees and other Central Government Employees who are fighting day-and-night against the COVID-19 Pandemic.
An early action in the matter shall be highly appreciated.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(RAILWAY BOARD)
Office Order No. 35 of 2020
(Amendment No. 37 to July
2013 edition of the subject list)
Sub : Concerned Branch to deal with issues of Notional Increment on the day of superannuation.
The issue as to which Directorate will deal with the subject relating to grant of Notional Increment on the day of Superannuation, when the same was due on next day, exclusively for the purpose of fixation of pension was under consideration because of differences between concerned branch regarding processing of such cases
2. It has now have been decided with the approval of the competent authority that all such case for grant of notional increment on the day of retirement which is at variance with 6th/7th CPC and existing provision for grant of increment under RSRP Rule be examined and handled by Pay Commission Directorate (PC-VI/PC-VII as the case may be). Post grant of notional increment the issue of Pension would be handled by F(E)-III unit. In case of any issue not related to 6th/7th CPC warranting grant of notional increment under FR rules would also be handled/coordinated by F(E) Directorate.
2. Henceforth all court cases/RTI reference/Railway reference/representation etc., would accordingly be handled by PC and F(E) Directorate respectively.
3, Accordingly, the subject list of F(E)-III and PC-VI/ PC-VII stands amended.
Personnel and Administrative
Reforms (S) Department
Secretariat, Chennai — 600 009.
சார்வரி – சித்திரை – 30
திருவள்ளூவர் ஆண்டு – 2051
Letter No.11308/S/2020-1, Dated 14.05.2020
From
Thiru. K. Shanmugam, I.A.S., Chief Secretary to Government.
To
All Secretaries to Government, Chennai – 600009.
All Department of Secretariat, Chennai – 600009.
All Heads of Departments.
All District Collectors.
All District Judges / District Magistrates.
The Finance (BPE) Department, Chennai – 600009.
The Secretary, Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, Chennai – 3. The Registrar General, High Court of Madras, Chennai – 600104.
The Registrar, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai – 23. The Accountant General, Chennai – 600018.
The Commissioner of Treasuries and Accounts, Chennai – 600035.
Sir,
Sub: Public Services — Age of Superannuation of Government Servants, Teachers, etc. — Orders —Issued — Clarifications sought for — Regarding.
Ref: G.O. (Ms.) No. 51, Personnel and Administrative Reforms (S) Department, dated 07.05.2020.
In the Government order cited, the Government have issued orders increasing the age of superannuation of Government servants from 58 years to 59 years. Consequent to the issuance of the above Government order, certain points have been raised for clarification. The Government have examined the same and the following clarifications are issued:
Sl.No
Clarification sought
Reply
1
Whetheer the orders issued in
G.O.(Ms.) No.51, Personnel and
Administrative Reforms (S) Department, dated 07.05.2020 are applicable to the Government servants who have attained the age of fifty eight years on or before the first day of May, 2020 and re¬employed.
The orders issued in the said Government Order shall not apply to those Government servants who have attained the age of fifty eight years on or before the first day of May, 2020 and re-employed.
2
Whether the teaching staffs such as Teachers, Lecturers, Professors etc., who retired at the age of 58 years and are re-employed till the completion of the academic year, 2019-2020 are eligible for the retirement age ordered in G.O. (Ms) No. 51, Personnel and Administrative Reforms (S) Department, dated 07.05.2020
The said Government Order is not applicable to those teaching staffs such as Teachers, Lecturers, Professors etc., who have already retired prior to May 2020 but re-employed for the remaining academic year.
3
Whether the retirement age of 60 years need to be increased to 61 to the Government servants whose age of retirement is 60 at present
The orders issued in G.O. (Ms) No.51, Personnel and Administrative Reforms (S) Department, dated 07.05.2020 shall not be applicable to them. They shall retire at the age of 60 years
4
Whether the said Government order is applicable to the Government servants whose services are retained under rule 56(i) (c) of Fundamental Rules and not allowed to retire on or before 30.04.2020 due to disciplinary proceedings pending against them
The said Government order is not applicable to the Government servants whose services are retained under rule 56(i) (c) of Fundamental Rules and not allowed to retire on or before 30.04.2020 due to disciplinary proceedings pending against them.
5
Whether the orders issued in G.O. (Ms) No. 51, Personnel and Administrative Reforms (S) Department, dated 07.05.2020 is applicable from the date of issue of orders or it takes retrospective effect.
As ordered in the said Government Order, it is clarified that it is applicable to all those who are in regular service as on 07.05.2020 and due to retire on superannuation from 31.05.2020.
Yours faithfully
for Chief Secretary to Government
F. No. A-2301 1/25/2015-Ad.HA
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
New Delhi, 13th May, 2020.
To,
All Pr. Chief Commissioner/Pr. Director General under CBIC
All Chief Commissioner/Director General under CBIC
All Pr. Commissioner/Commissioner under CBIC
Subject : Filing Transfer Petitions before the Hon’ble CAT, PB, New Delhi for transferring all cases to the Hon’ble CAT, PB, New Delhi pending before the different Tribunal filed by Superintendents/Assistant Commissioner for grant of 3rd MACP in the grade pay of Rs.6600/-(pre-revised) -reg.
Sir,
I am directed to say that the Board have been receiving a number of cases filed in the different Benches of the Hon’ble Tribunal on the issue of grant of 3 financial upgradation under MACP Scheme to Superintendents, who were granted Non-Functional Grade Pay in GP of Rs. 5400/- in PB-2.
2. Briefly, a number of Superintendents were wrongly granted 3rd financial upgradation under MACP Scheme in the grade pay of Rs. 6600/- by many Commissionerates without counting NFG granted to them as one financial upgradation under MACP Scheme despite CBIC/DOPT’s earlier clarifications in the matter. This was an administrative error by field offices and the up-gradation wrongly granted needed to be withdrawn. Consequent upon the direction of the Hon’ble High Court of Madras vide Order dated 08.12.2014 in Writ Petition No. 19024 of 2014(Sh. R. Chandrasekaran Vs. UOI & Ors), the matter of counting of Non-Functional Grade Pay as one financial upgradation was again examined in the Board in consultation with DOPT and it was clarified vide Board’s letter F.No.A-2301 1/25/2015-Ad.IIA dated 20.06.2016 that Non-Functional Grade Pay of Rs. 5400/- granted to Superintendents needs to be counted as one financial upgradation for the purpose of MACP Scheme. After issuance of CBIC’s clarification dated F.No.A-23011/25/2015-Ad.IIA dated 20.06.2016, Commissionerates have been withdrawing grade pay of Rs. 6600/- erroneously granted to them. Aggrieved by this action, many Superintendents have filed cases in various Tribunals.
3. As the subject matter of litigation on each of above such cases are same and in order to have a uniform decision in the matter, the proposal for filing Transfer Petitions before the Hon’ble CAT, PB, New for transferring all such cases to the Hon’ble CAT, PB, New Delhi is under consideration of the Board. In order to file transfer Petitions, all field formations under CBIC are requested to furnish the latest status of such cases to the Board which pending throughout different Zones in following formats:
Sl. No.
Bench of Tribunal
OA No.
Petitioners/ Respondents
Relief sought
in OA
Whether Reply filed
Interim order if any
Present status
Concerned Commissionerate
4. The above requisite information in the prescribed format as indicated above may be forwarded to the Board latest by 31 May, 2020 positively.
5. This issues with the approval of Chairman, CBIC.
Yours faithfully,
(Gaurav Shukla)
Under Secretary to the Government of India
Government of West Bengal
Finance (Audit) Department
‘NABANNA’, HOWRAH-711102
No. 1722–F(P2)
Dated, the 13th May, 2020
MEMORANDUM
Subject : Grant of Ad-hoc Bonus to the State Government Employees and some other categories of Employees for the year 2019-2020.
The undersigned is directed by order of the Governor to say that the Governor is pleased to decide that the State Government employees who are not covered by any of the productivity linked Bonus Scheme and whose revised emoluments did not exceed Rs.34250/- per month as on 31st March, 2020 will be entitled to ad-hoc bonus for the accounting year 2019-2020 at the rate of Rs. 4,200/- per head. The upper eligibility ceiling of Rs. 34250/- p.m. as on 31st March, 2020 will be applicable irrespective of whether the emoluments are drawn in the pre-revised or revised structure of pay or on fixed/consolidated contract pay.
2. The benefit will be admissible subject to the following terms and conditions:-
i) Ad-hoc Bonus admissible under this order will be worked out on the basis of emoluments as admissible on 31.03.2020. For the employees drawing pay and allowances in terms of the West Bengal Services (Revision of Pay and Allowance) Rules, 2019 the terms ‘revised emoluments’ in this order will mean the pay drawn in the applicable Level in the Pay Matrix in the revised pay structure and includes the non-practising allowance, if any, but will not include any other pay and other allowance such as house rent allowance, medical allowance, compensatory allowance, etc.
For those who are drawing pay and allowances in the un-revised pay structure under WBS (ROPA) Rules, 2009 the term ‘emoluments’ will mean and include basic pay (pay in the Pay Band plus Grade Pay), personal pay, special pay (additional remuneration), dearness allowance, deputation (duty) allowance, Steno allowance but will not include specialist pay and other allowances such as house rent allowance,, medical allowance, compensatory allowance, etc. For those who are drawing remuneration on contract basis, the term ‘revised emoluments’ will mean the consolidated contract pay drawn by them.
i ) The employees whose revised emoluments on 31.03.2020 exceeded Rs. 34250/- p.m. but during the year 2019-2020 their emoluments at least for six months were less than Rs. 34250/- p.m. i.e., the said emoluments exceeded the eligibility ceiling of Rs.34250/- p.m. on account of promotion, drawal of increment, implementation of C.A. Scheme, enhancement of dearness allowance and revision of pay etc. after remaining less than Rs.34250/- p.m. for at least six months, will be entitled to ad-hoc bonus of Rs. 4,200/- per head under this order.
iii) The employees who were in service on 31.03.2020 and rendered at least six months continuous service during the year 2019-2020 will be eligible for payment of ad-hoc bonus under this order.
Pro-rata payment will be admissible in such cases to the eligible employees for periods of continuous service during the year ranging from six months to full year, the eligibility period being taken in terms of number of months of service (rounded off to the nearest number of months). A fraction of 15 days or more should be counted as one month.
iv) The amount of ad-hoc bonus on pro-rata payment as admissible under 2 (iii) above will have to be calculated according to the following formula:-
Emoluments as on 31st March, 2020
X
Eligibility period in number of months
12
= The amount of ad-hoc bonus, subject to maximum amount of Rs. 4,200/– only.
v) The casual workers who have put in work at least for 120 days and the employees on consolidated pay in the year 2019-2020 will also be entitled to ad-hoc bonus under this order according to the following formula :-
Total amount of salary/wages earned during the year 2019-2020
12
= The amount of ad-hoc bonus, subject to maximum amount of Rs. 4,200/– only.
The salary /wages in these cases should have the same meaning as ‘revised emoluments’ as defined in Para 2(i) above.
3. The disbursement of Ad-hoc Bonus sanctioned hereinabove should be made in case of Muslim State Government employees before the Festival of Id-Ul-fitre and in case of other State Government employees (other than Muslim State Government employees) such disbursement should be made between 9th October, 2020 to 16th October, 2020.
In case of failure, the disbursement should be made as early as possible before the Festival of Id-Ul-Fitre/ Durga Puja.
4. The charge in respect of payment of ad-hoc bonus under this order will be debitable to the detailed head viz., “Ad-hoc Bonus” the opening of which was sanctioned under the ‘Salary’ head sub-ordinate to all Major, Minor and sub-heads in the Revenue Expenditure section of the State Budget in terms of Para 9 of this Department’s Order No-4611-F dt. 22.04.1988 and necessary fund for this purpose have been provided under the above detailed heads in the budget grant available for 2020-2021.
5. The Governor is further pleased to direct that the benefit of ad-hoc bonus sanctioned under this order will also be available to the different categories of employees who had been allowed the same in the last year in accordance with Finance Department’s Memo. No-2999-F(P2) dt. 28.05.2019 by issue of Government Orders by various Departments in this connection. As done in the last year, orders for grant of ad-hoc bonus in respect of the employees of Statutory Bodies/Local Bodies/State aided Non-Government Educational Institutions and such other categories of employees of various establishments, who were allowed ad-hoc bonus/ex-gratia at par with the State Government employees or at the rate not more than the rate as approved by the Government in the last year, should be issued by the Departments concerned without referring the file to finance Department, Group ‘P2’.
6. Clarifications issued in previous years in respect of various points raised in connection with admissibility and drawal of ad-hoc bonus would continue to apply.
Sd/–
Additional Chief Secretary to the
Government of West Bengal.
Government of West Bengal
Finance (Audit) Department
`NABANNA’, HOWRAH-711102
No. 1723-F(P2)
Dated, the 13th May, 2020
Subject : Grant of Interest Free Festival Advance to the State Government Employees for the year, 2020.
The undersigned is directed by order of the Governor to say that the Governor has been pleased to accord sanction of interest-free festival advance upto a maximum of Rs. 10,000/- only to State Government employees whose revised emoluments on 31st March, 2020 exceeded Rs. 34,250/- p.m. but did not exceed Rs.41,100/- p.m., if applied for the same.
The authorities competent to sanction the interest-free festival advance are those mentioned in Rule 320 of the West Bengal Financial Rules, Volume-I.
2. The undersigned is further directed to say that the benefit of interest-free festival advance may also be allowed to (a) the whole time piece rated workers, either permanent or temporary and (b) the employees belonging to work charged/contingent establishments. Such employees drawing revised emoluments exceeding Rs. 34,250/- p.m. but not exceeding Rs.41,100/- p.m. on 31.03.2020 may be allowed to draw the interest-free festival advance Rs. 10,000/— only, if they apply for the same.
3. In case of the employees falling under Para 2 above, the authority sanctioning the advance shall certify after being satisfied that the employee is likely to continue in service until the recovery in this respect is completed.
4. The advance will be recovered from the salary of the Government employee concerned in not more than 10 monthly instalments. If the amount of advance is exactly divisible by the number of instalments opted for the recovery, then it will be recovered in equal monthly instalments for that number of instalment months. If not, the figure obtained by so dividing should be rounded off to the nearest rupee which will be the recoverable amount for each of the monthly instalments excluding the last instalment and the balance amount will be recovered in the last monthly instalment. The recovery of the advance sanctioned under this order will begin either from the salary for the month of November, 2020 at the latest or from the salary for the month following the month in which the advance is drawn, as the case may be. However, recovery in all cases should be completed by 31st August, 2021 at the latest.
5. The State Government employees who will retire /part with the Government service on a date after the issue of this order but before 1st November, 2020 will not be allowed any festival advance. However, an employee who will retire after 15t November, 2020 will be eligible for interest-free festival advance sanctioned in this order subject to the condition that the recovery should be completed on or before the month of his superannuation.
6 (a) Persons who will enter into State Government service for the first time after 31st March, 2020 but before 1st October, 2020 will be entitled to the benefit of interest-free festival advance as sanctioned in this order subject to fulfilment of the terms and conditions laid down and their emoluments for the purpose of payment of advance will be determined on the basis of their emoluments at the time of entry into Government service.
(b) The benefit of interest-free festival advance sanctioned above will also be admissible to the State Government employees who have been appointed on regular or contract basis provided they are not eligible to draw ad-hoc bonus on pro-rata basis sanctioned for accounting year 2019-2020 and provided their regular or contract emoluments did not exceed Rs. 41,100/- p.m.
7. The benefit of interest-free festival advance sanctioned hereinabove will also be admissible to the personal staff of Chief Minister, Ministers and Minister of State as well as to the personal staff attached to the Chief Government Whip, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on the same terms and conditions as laid down hereinabove provided they are not eligible to draw ad-hoc bonus for the accounting year 2019-2020.
8. The benefit of interest-free festival advance will also be admissible to the personal staff of the Leader of the Opposition of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly provided they are not sanctioned ad-hoc bonus for the accounting year 2019-2020.
9. The benefit of interest-free festival advance will also be admissible to the regular teaching and non-teaching staff of the educational institutions and regular employees of Panchayat & Local Bodies.
10. The Central Government employees on deputation to the State Government may be granted festival advance as may sanctioned by the Government of India for Central Government Employees subject to the terms and conditions as may be laid down by the Government of India in this regard.
11. For the purpose of this order, member of All India Services serving in connection with the affairs of the State will be regarded as State Government employees.
12. For the employees drawing pay in the revised pay structure, the term ’emoluments’ will mean basic pay drawn in the applicable Level in the Pay Matrix and non-practising allowance, if any.
13. The term ’emoluments’ in the case of employees drawing pay and allowances in the un-revised pay structure, will include basic pay (pay in the Pay Band plus Grade Pay), personal pay, special pay, specialist pay, dearness allowance, deputation (duty) allowance and special allowance (Additional remuneration).
In case of retired Government employees on re-employment, the term ’emoluments’ will mean remuneration drawn by them in terms of Finance Department Memo. No-6472-F(P2) dt. 02.12.2019 plus basic pension.
14. Application for interest-free festival advance on the strength of this order by all employees shall be made as early as possible.
DISBURSEMENT OF INTEREST-FREE FESTIVAL ADVANCE (WHEREVER APPLIED FOR) ON THE STRENGTH OF THIS ORDER SHOULD BE MADE IN CASE OF MUSLIM EMPLOYEES BEFORE THE FESTIVAL OF ID-UL-FITRE AND IN CASE OF PAYMENT TO OTHER EMPLOYEES (OTHER THAN MUSLIM EMPLOYEES) SHOULD BE MADE BETWEEN 9TH OCTOBER, 2020 TO 16TH OCTOBER, 2020.
In case of failure, such disbursement should be completed before 1st December, 2020 in case of all employees at the latest. The Drawing and Disbursing Officers in order to minimize the number of bills should, as far as possible, prepare one bill for advance in such cases in respect of the establishment/office for which they act as Drawing and Disbursing Officers.
15. The advance excluding the advance to the employees borne on work-charged establishment will be debited to the standard detailed head ‘Salaries-Pay’ under all major, minor and sub-heads in the budget grant available for the financial year 2020-2021 the recoveries thereof being automatically adjusted by monthly deduction of instalments of advance paid to an employee from his pay. No new detailed head is required to be opened for this purpose as per new classification in accounts. The advance to persons borne on work-charged establishments will be debited to the same head from which their wage is met.
Sd/-
Additional Chief Secretary to the
Government of West Bengal.
Government of West Bengal
Finance (Audit) Department
‘NABANNA’, HOWRAH-711102
No. 1724(65)–F(P2)
Dated, the 13th May, 2020
From :
H.K. Dwivedi
Additional Chief Secretary to the
Government of West Bengal.
To : The Addl. Chief Secretary/ Principal Secretary/ Secretary
Sub : Payment of Bonus/Ex-gratia grant to the employees of Public Undertakings for the year 2019-2020.
Sir,
You are aware that the payment of Bonus/Ex-gratia/recoverable festival advance is made every year to the employees of different Public Undertakings and that such payment are generally made before the autumnal festivals.
2. I am directed by the order of the Governor to say that the Governor has been pleased to take the following decisions :-
(a) Where the payment of Bonus Act,1965 as amended up to date is applicable, bonus for the year 2019-2020 will be payable according to the statutory provisions of the said Act as amended up to date. The employees who drew salary or wages up to Rs.10000/- p.m. will be entitled to the bonus in the current year, subject to the condition that the maximum amount payable to an employee in such case will be restricted to the amount admissible to those drawing emoluments upto Rs.3500/- p.m. Similarly, where ex-gratia is paid in lieu of bonus under the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 the same provisions will have to be followed for the purpose of payment of ex-gratia.
(b) (i) The employees of the Public Undertakings who are guided by the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, as amended up to date, but are not eligible to get Bonus/Ex-gratia in lieu of bonus under the said Act on account of their revised emoluments having been exceeded Rs.10000/- p.m. as on 31.03.2020 may be allowed to draw an ex-gratia grant of Rs. 4200/– per head provided their revised emoluments as on 31.03.2020 did not exceed Rs.34250/- p.m.
(ii) In the Public Undertakings/Statutory Bodies where the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, as amended up to date is not applicable but ex-gratia in lieu of bonus is sanctioned to the employees strictly following the provisions of the Payment of Bonus Act,1965, the employees of the said Undertakings/Statutory Bodies may also be granted an ex-gratia grant of Rs. 4,200/– per head provided their revised emoluments as on 31.03.2020 exceeded Rs.10,000/- p.m. but did not exceed revised emoluments of Rs. 34,250/- p.m.
Recoverable advance of maximum limit of Rs. 10,000/– may be sanctioned to the employees of Public Undertakings/Statutory Bodies not coming under the purview of Bonus/Ex-gratia provided their revised emoluments exceeded Rs.34,250/- p.m. but did not exceed Rs.41,100/- p.m. as on 31.03.2020 and also provided that the advance paid last year has been recovered in full.
3. While sanctioning Bonus/Ex-gratia in lieu of Bonus, the following principles shall be observed:-
(i) Bonus at the statutory minimum rate will be paid to the employees of Public undertakings/ Statutory Bodies, who come under the purview of the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, as amended up to date.
(ii) No excess Bonus i.e. over and above the statutory minimum will be paid to the employees of Public Undertakings/Statutory Bodies under any circumstances, if the said Public Undertakings/Statutory Bodies are running under loss.
(iii) For payment of statutory Bonus under the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, as amended up to date and also for payment of Ex-gratia payment in lieu of Bonus, final report of accounts of the previous year in respect of the concerned organization will have to be furnished to the Government.
(iv) For justification of the additional rate of Bonus the previous year’s audited accounts should be furnished and quantum of Bonus should be computed according to the provision of the Payment of Bonus Act.
(v) The rate of Ex-gratia payment in lieu of Bonus shall be 8.33 per cent of the emoluments earned by the employees during the accounting year in question irrespective of allocable surplus (as defined in the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, as amended up to date). If the proposal in any rate above the aforesaid limit, the proposal should be justified on the basis of ” Allocable Surplus ” (as defined in the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, as amended up to date) during the accounting year in question. Here also the calculation will have to be made according to the principles for calculation of Bonus as laid down in the Payment of Bonus Act.
(vi) For conversion of Ex-gratia payment in lieu of Bonus so long paid into bonus under the Payment of Bonus Act, specific views of the Labour Department may be obtained. Labour Department is requested to clearly give their views in such cases in consultation with The Ld. L.R. as to whether the concerned organization would come under the purview of the payment of Bonus Act (Under Section 31 of the said Act).
4. I am, therefore, to request you kindly to take necessary action accordingly and issue orders in respect of the concerned organizations under your administrative control at an early date so that payment of Bonus/ Ex-gratia to the eligible employees is completed by 16th October, 2020.
5. For Payment of Bonus/Ex-gratia under this order and Ex-gratia @ Rs. 4,200/— per head as per this order, no sanction of the Finance Department will be necessary, if there is no requirement of fund for release of the benefit.
Yours’ faithfully,
Additional Chief Secretary to the
Government of West Bengal
Government of West Bengal
Finance Department
Nabanna, Howrah
No. 1725-F(P2)
Dated, the 13th May, 2020
MEMORANDUM
Subject : Grant of ex-gratia payment to the State Government Pensioners for the year 2019 – 2020.
The undersigned is directed by order of the Governor to say that in order to provide some relief to the State Government Pensioners during the ensuing festivals, the Governor has been pleased to decide that all State Government Pensioners including the holders of provisional pension who retired prior to 30.9.2019 and also the pensioners who retired or died after 30.9.2019 but prior to 01.09.2020 and whose basic pension plus Dearness Relief on pension as on 31st March, 2020 did not exceed Rs. 29,700/- (Rupees twenty nine thousand seven hundred) only and are not eligible for ad-hoc bonus shall be paid an ex-gratia grant of Rs. 2,200 (Rupees Two Thousand and Two Hundred) only in lump per head.
2. The charge is debitable to the head “2071- Pensions and other retirement Benefits-800-other Expenditure-NP-001-fund required for meeting other expenditure-V-04-Pension /Gratuities” during the current financial year.
3. The ex-gratia grant sanctioned herein will also be admissible to:-
i) The holders of family pension, ex-gratia family pension and adhoc family pension;
ii) Pensioners (including widow pension holders) who draw their pension sanctioned under French Pension Rules;
iii) Holders of extra-ordinary pension; and
iv) Holders of ex-gratia pension.
The benefit will also be admissible to the pensioners of the undivided Government of Bengal and the pensioners of the erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) Government who migrated to West Bengal and are receiving pension under “Provisional Payment of Pension Scheme”.
4. The ex-gratia grant sanctioned herein will not be admissible to the special categories of pensioners, such as:-
i) Pensioners who have migrated from Pakistan;
ii) Political Pensioners;
iii) Special Pensioners;
iv) War Risk Pensioners;
v) Pensioners governed by the All India Services Rules.
5. The benefit will also not be admissible to those who are entitled to ad-hoc bonus sanctioned by the State Government and those who are employed/re-employed under any Public Undertakings/Statutory Bodies under the Government and are in receipt of bonus or ex-gratia payment in lieu thereof during the current financial year.
6. State Government pensioners who draw their pension through Public Sector Banks will get this ex-gratia grant through their respective Bank Accounts. The Principal Accountant General (A&E), West Bengal will issue an authority for this purpose to all such Banks under the Kolkata Payment Scheme immediately on receipt of this order so that the pensioners may draw the ex-gratia grant immediately to make their commitments for their festival. The Treasury/Sub- Treasury Office will take appropriate steps for issue of cheque to the respective paying branches of the Banks and Post Offices, so that the pensioners receiving pension through Banks and Money Order get the payment of ex-gratia immediately to meet their commitments for their festival. No authority of the Principal Accountant General (A&E), West Bengal will be required for this purpose.
7. Subject to para 6 above, this order will also be applicable to those who are eligible for this ex-gratia grant but whose pension/family pension has not yet been sanctioned. In their cases and in the case of persons who are drawing provisional pension, this amount of ex-gratia will be drawn by the authority competent to draw provisional pension in the same manner as the amount of provisional pension is drawn by him. In their cases, the facts of payment of ex-gratia grant should be intimated to the Principal Accountant General (A&E), West Bengal at the time of forwarding their pension papers for final sanction of pension.
This benefit of ex-gratia grant of Rs. 2,200/— per head as has been sanctioned in this memorandum for the State Government Pensioners will also be allowed to the teaching and non-teaching Pensioners of State aided Non-Government Educational Institutions and Pensioners of Panchayats, the Pensioners of Municipal Corporations/Municipalities/Local Bodies and other Organisations for whom pension is authorised either by the Accountant General, West Bengal or the DPPG, West Bengal. In such cases the respective Administrative Department may sanction the benefit of ex-gratia payment @ Rs. 2,200/— per head this year to the pensioners concerned under their control without making any further reference to Pension Branch of this Department.
The payment of ex-gratia as sanctioned hereinabove should be made before the festival of Id-ul-Fitre of 2020 for the Muslim Pensioners / Family Pensioners and other than Muslim Pensioners / Family Pensioners the benefits should be disbursed in between 9th October, 2020 to 16th October, 2020.
Sd/-
Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of West Bengal
Sub:- Procedure for Outdoor medical claim for BSNL Employee (Serving /Retired)
The approval of competent authority is hereby conveyed for the following modifications in the procedure for outdoor medical reimbursement to BSNL employees (Serving/Retired):
The ceiling for outdoor medical claim with voucher in a financial year shall be 15 days (basic pay + DA). Remaining terms and conditions same as mentioned in G.M. No. BSNL/Admn.1/15-12/18 dated 19.07.2018 with Basic Pay +D.A. as on 01.04.2020. The Basic Pay + D.A. as on 01.04.2020 will remain the basis of calculation till further orders.
2. Retired Employees
The following three options are allowed:
a. C.G.H.S
b. 15 days pay with vouchers (Basic Pay + D.A. on date of retirement)
c. Without Vouchers flat Rs. 1000/-(one thousand) per month.
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