NEW TAX CODE Tax deduction limit on savings to be hiked to Rs 3 lakh

NEW TAX CODE TAX DEDUCTION LIMIT ON SAVINGS TO BE HIKED To Rs 3 lakh (Rs 3,00,000).

Proposed Income Tax Rates for Individuals

Up to Rs.1,60,000	Nil
From Rs.1,60,000 to Rs.10,00,000	10 Per cent (Income exceeds Rs.1,60,000)
From Rs.10,00,000 to 25,00,000	20 Per cent (Rs.84,000 + Income exceeds Rs.10,00,000)
Above Rs.25,00,000	30 Per cent (Rs.3,84,000 + Income exceeds Rs.25,00,000)

Proposed Income Tax Rates for Women-below 65 years

Up to Rs.1,90,000	Nil
From Rs.1,90,000 to Rs.10,00,000	10 Per cent (Income exceeds Rs.1,90,000)
From Rs.10,00,000 to 25,00,000	20 Per cent (Rs.81,000 + Income exceeds Rs.10,00,000)
Above Rs.25,00,000	30 Per cent (Rs.3,81,000 + Income exceeds Rs.25,00,000)

Proposed Income Tax Rates for Senior Citizens

Up to Rs.2,40,000	Nil
From Rs.2,40,000 to Rs.10,00,000	10 Per cent (Income exceeds Rs.2,40,000)
From Rs.10,00,000 to 25,00,000	20 Per cent (Rs.76,000 + Income exceeds Rs.10,00,000)
Above Rs.25,00,000	30 Per cent (Rs.3,76,000 + Income exceeds Rs.25,00,000)

More details: DIRECT TAXES CODE BILL, 2009

Clarification regarding Anomaly in fixation for Loco Supervisory Staff in Railways

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(RAILWAY BOARD)

RBE No.236 / 2009
New Delhi, dated 24.07.2009

S.No.PC-VI/131
No.E(P&A)II/2008/RS-37

The General Managers/CAOs,
All Indian Railways and Production Units etc.
(As per Mailing lists No.I & II)

       Subject:Anomaly in fixation of pay of Loco Supervisory staff appointed prior to 01.01.2006 with reference to their juniors appointed after 01.01.2006 and drawing more pay than the seniors.

******

It has come to the notice of the Board that staff appointed prior to 1.1.2006 as Loco Running Supervisors in the pre-revised pay scales, whose pay has been fixed in the replacement pay structure for Loco Running Supervisors under the RS(RP) Rules, 2008, are drawing less pay than their juniors appointed as Loco Running Supervisor after 1.1.2006. The anomaly has arisen due to the fact that the benefit of element of Running allowance granted at the time of promotion of running staff to a stationary post has been granted to the junior in the revised pay structure, whereas, the same benefit granted to the senior is of lesser value as the same has been calculated on pre-revised pay scale.

2. It has been decided that the anomaly may be resolved by granting stepping up of pay in pay band to the seniors at par with the juniors in terms of Note 10 below Rule 7 of RS(RP) Rules, 2008.

3. . The benefit of stepping up of pay in pay band will be subject to the following conditions :-
(a) Both the junior and the senior Railway servants should belong to the same cadre and the posts in which they have been promoted should be identical in the same cadre and other conditions enumerated in Note 10 below Rule 7 of RS(RP) Rules, 2008 should also be fulfilled.
(b) The stepping up of pay will be allowed to running staff only appointed as Loco Supervisors in whose cases 30% of basic pay is taken as pay element in the running allowance. The stepping up of pay will not be admissible to the non- running staff of Mechanical Deptt. appointed as Loco Running Supervisors as in their cases the question of pay element in the running allowance does not arise;
(c) If even in the lower post, revised or pre-revised, the junior was drawing more pay than the senior by virtue of advance increments granted to him or otherwise, stepping up will not be permissible;
(d) Stepping up will be allowed only once, the pay so fixed after stepping up will remain unchanged;
(e) The next increment will be allowed on the following 1st July, if due, on completion of the requisite qualifying service with effect from the date of refixation of pay, as per the provisions of Rule 10 of RS(RP) Rules, 2008.

4. This issues with the concurrence of the Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.

Anomaly and Standing Committee meetings

CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND WORKERS.
Manishinath Bhawan A-2/95 Rajouri Garden
New Delhi. 110 027.
Website: confederationhq.blogspot.com.
E mail. Confederation06@yahoo.co.in

D/11/32/2009.
Dated: 11th August, 2009.

Dear Comrades,

Anomaly and Standing Committee meetings.

There had been no formal or informal meeting with the Government either to discuss the anomalies or issues emanating from the implementation of the 6th CPC so far. We had placed the items the staff side had sent for the consideration of the National anomaly committee (first instalment) on our website. The second and final set of items is likely tobe submitted in a day or two. As and when the same is finalized we shall place copy thereof on our website. We have received innumerable number of letters from our affiliates requesting us to take up the department specific anomaly items in the National Council. It is difficult to individually respond to these letters. Department specific items are to be pursued at the Departmental Anomaly Committees. Complaints have been received by us that many Ministries have so far not set up anomaly committees. We shall take up this issue with the Department of Personnel.

TUI PAE Conference at Brasilia.

The TUI PAE Conference was held this time at Brasilia in Brazil and Com. Sebastiano Soares has been elected as the General Secretary. We had placed a brief report of the Conference immediately after the inaugural session. We were awaiting for a full report from the newly elected Secretary General along with the resolutions and declarations adopted. But so far we have not been favoured with such a report from him. We therefore place below a brief resume of the deliberations at the Conference along with the declaration here below.

National Council meeting.

The National Council of the Confederation is due to be held in this month as indicated in our last communication. The available members of the National Secretariat of the Confederation met at New Delhi and it has been decided to convene the Council meeting either by the end of November, 2009 or in the first week of December, 2009 as per the availability of the hall etc The Council meeting will be held at New Delhi. The affiliates have been informed by our earlier communication of the subscription dues. However, none has chosen to make remittance. We shall once again request that the due may please be cleared immediately.

All India Convention of workers:
14th September, 2009.

The Sponsoring Committee of Central Trade Unions along with INTUC and BMS has decided to convene a National Convention on14th September, 2009. The main theme of the convention is to harness the support of the entire working class in the country against the neo liberal economic policies and the anti labour attitude of the Government. The extract from the communication we have received in this regard is given hereunder.
The meeting of the Central Trade Unions held on 19th July, 2009 at the INTUC H.qrs. at New Delhi expressed serious concern over;
*rising prices of essential commodities including food grains and vegetable creating severe hardship for the mass of the people
*continuing job losses resulting in loss of livelihood to millions of workers across the sectors owing to recession and economic slowdown
*non implementation of and rampant violation of basic labour laws pertaining to minimum wages, working hours, social security safety in workplace and trade union rights etc. throughout the country adding to the sufferings of the entire toiling people
*extreme inadequacy of the provisions and schemes under the un-organized workers sector workers including the contract workers owing to the restrictive provisions under the schemes and absence of any national fund for the un-organized sector(NAFUS) as recommended by the NCEUS and Parliamentary Standing committee on labour
*move of the Government for disinvestment of shares in profit making central public sector enterprises

The Central Trade Unions call upon the workers and employees and their unions irrespective of affiliation to unitedly highlight the concern over the above mentioned burning issues facing them and at the same time urge upon the Government to take urgent remedial corrective measures to address the aforesaid concerns of working people effectively.

The Central Trade Union decides to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister on the aforesaid issues and hold a National convention of Trade Unions at Delhi in September, 2009 to chalk out common future programme.

Further details of the convention as to the Number of delegates the Confederation would be entitled to depute etc. will be available in our next circular letter.

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

Source: Confederation of CG employees

CAT: cash rewards for IT officers unconstitutional

The cash reward scheme for officers of the Investigating Wing of the Income Tax Department is bad in law and ultra vires the Constitution, the Kolkata Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal has held.

A Bench consisting of K.V. Sachidanandan, Vice-Chairman, and Champak Chatterjee, Administrative Member, quashed the scheme introduced by a Central Board of Direct Taxes Circular, dated November 6, 1985, to the officers per case of detection of tax evasion.

The Tribunal said: “Tax evasion is not a new phenomenon, and the propensity to evade payment or under-payment of tax is common all over the world. It has existed since the taxing system was introduced in our country long long ago. For detection of any unaccounted money which is commonly known as ‘black money,’ the Income Tax Department is equipped with competent officers, who undertake search and seizure operations either on their own initiative or on receipt of information or tip-offs from informers or sources.”

The Bench said: “Such government officials are performing their official duties, for which they are paid an appropriate pay and allowances as prescribed under the rules, and such duties are also conditions of their service. In such circumstances, payment of reward per case of detection of unlawful evasion of tax is wholly unwarranted and uncalled for.

“Payment of reward to outsiders who act as a source or informer can be understood, as they stand on a different pedestal, but it is not understood why payment of reward/commission is to be made to the government officials over and above their monthly salary for performing their prescribed statutory duties? That too without liability to pay income tax, though it is their income. Why this benevolence?” In the instant case, Samir K. Ghosh, who retired as Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, Kolkata, claimed Rs.7,46,320 as a cash reward during 1992-96 with respect to six cases, as against Rs. 2,80,244 paid to him.

The Tribunal rejected the plea, saying it would be open to the government if it so desired to explore an alternative means of recognising commendable work done by officials.
Source: The Hindu