Supplementary DPC PS Gr. B and repatriation of PS Gr. B Officers ...... updates!!!

Supplementary DPC PS Gr. B and repatriation of PS Gr. B Officers ...... updates!!!

Supplementary DPC have already been convened and 27 officers promoted to PS Gr. B cadre for the vacancy year 2013-14. Directorate is working on allotment and also on repatriation cases. Orders are expected any time in the next week. 

‘Post office cannot be held liable for postal delay’

  

 NEW DELHI, January 3, 2015

THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT STANDS PROTECTED AGAINST CLAIMS OF DEFICIENCY IN SERVICES BY VIRTUE OF A STATUTE

The postal department takes 15 days to deliver a speed post resulting in a woman missing out on her chance of being appointed as a JBT teacher. However, the department stands protected against claims of deficiency in services by virtue of a statute which says a post office is not liable to compensate if damage caused was not wilful or fraudulent.

The post office derives this protection from section 6 of the Indian Post Office Act, 1898 which says no official of the post office shall incur any liability by reason of any loss, mis-delivery, delay or damage, unless he has caused the same fraudulently or by his wilful act or default.

In the instant case, a woman from Gurgaon, was denied any relief by the Gurgaon District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum when she claimed a compensation of Rs. 20 lakh from three post offices after her applications for JBT teacher’s appointment failed to reach the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board’s office in time.

The woman had sent two applications for appointment of JBT teacher by way of speed post registry on December 31, 2009 through post office, Pataudi, Gurgaon with last date for submission as January 15, 2010.

The Speed Post registry failed to reach it in time to DSSS Board at Karkardooma here even as a speed post should have reached within 48 hours.

She moved the District Forum against Post Office, Pataudi, District Gurgaon, the main post office in Gurgaon and the post office at Karkardooma and also the DSSS Board seeking compensation.

In their reply, the post offices at Gurgaon told the Forum that the complainant’s post was dispatched to Speed Post Centre, Delhi on December 31, 2009 for being delivered to its destination. However, the centre in New Delhi inadvertently dispatched both the articles to Krishna Nagar head office due to heavy work in connection with mailing AIEEE admission forms. Her posts were received at Krishna Nagar office on January 15, 2010 and were anyway taken to DSSS Board but they refused to accept the same.

The post offices on their part said it was the fault of the Board that it refused to accept the applications and went on to claim protection under section 6 of the Indian Post Office Act. The Board in turn said it could not accept any application after the advertised date and time.

Accepting the arguments, the District Forum held the post office not liable. Consequently, no case of deficiency of service is made out, it said.

Media reports proposal of LTC to Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal for Central employees

Following Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal for the Saarc summit, the government is mulling a proposal to provide leave travel concession (LTC) for government employees to four countries — Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka — to boost tourism in the neighbourhood. The LTC will be modeled on the schemes for the north-east and J&K which helped increase tourism and fueled economic improvement in the two regions. 

Incidentally, there has been a sharp dip in tourist arrivals from all four countries in the last few years. While Sri Lanka remains one of India's top source countries, tourism arrivals declined by 11% in 2013 while arrivals from Maldives dropped by 10% between 2012 and 2013. 

Similarly, the number of tourists from Nepal came down by 9% while Bhutan, which has a small share of tourists (15,016), saw a drop of 1% in the same period.

Sources in the tourism ministry said, "Introducing LTC for 20 lakh government employees could encourage greater people to people exchange among the Saarc countries. But there will have to be some reciprocal arrangement. We are working on that." Sources said India was in touch with the countries to consider the proposal's viability. 

At the Saarc summit, Modi had highlighted the need for better connectivity in the region. In his speech, he had said, "It is still harder to travel within our region than to Bangkok or Singapore; and, more expensive to speak to each other."

There are a large number of Buddhists in the region and India hopes to capitalize on that. Besides Lumbini in Nepal, other significant spots for Buddhists are in India including Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kapilvastu. Modi also flagged off a Kathmandu-Delhi bus but plans for greater rail and road connectivity were stonewalled after Pakistan blocked two agreements in Nepal.

Source : Times of India