Saturday, January 2, 2021

LETTER REGARDING CHANGE OF ROLE OF SBCO TO DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL (FS):

Ref.No.: AIPSBCOEA/CHQ/Change of Role of SBCO/2020                                        Dt-19.12.2020.

 To

Shri.Pawan Kumar Singh,

Deputy Director General (FS),

DakBhawan , New Delhi -110 001.

 

 Subject:- Regarding Change of Role of SBCO…

Reference:-Directorate File No. 116-15/2013-SB(Pt. SBCO) F.S. Division dated 11.12.2020.

 Respected Sir,

                                      On behalf of the All India Postal SBCO Employees Association CHQ, we thank the Administration for the proposal of the Change of Role of SBCO. All technical , software wise progresses of Department of Post is really a welcoming move in this competitive world. The ground reality and practical difficulties are to be known from the concerned before implementing any changes. In this regard we appreciate and thank the Department for its concern about its employees asking for the comments at all levels .The following Suggestions are given with regard to the Change of Role of SBCO vide the reference mentioned above:

 1.       The Changes ordered in connection with Common Long Bonk vide SB Order No. 34/2020 dated 07.10.2020 were implemented from 10.10.2020. The Suggestions given by the AIPSBCOEA CHQ vide letter dated 08.10.2020 (Copy Enclosed) to be done before taking into account the current suggestions regarding Change of Role of SBCO.

 2.       The 100% Voucher Checking given to PA SBCO is practically not possible with the current staff position and also not required because long book consolidation report is tallied with long book detailed report  as per the SB Order 34/2020 dated 07.10.2020. Since the figures are tallied then there is no loss either to the department or to the depositor. Moreover the number of accounts are also increasing day by day. Hence our suggestions as far as voucher checking is concerned are as below:

 The General checking of vouchers may be done 100% and percentage voucher checking to be done like banking sector as we have now opened all the channels of transactions like ATM, Net banking, mobile banking, RTGS/NEFT etc.

 The percentage checks  are as follows:

All Deposit vouchers may be checked for Rs. 5 Lakhs and above as mentioned in SB order 14/2015 (or)  4% of vouchers may be checked.

 During Voucher checking ofSavings account scheme SBCO PA may check all closures, Withdrawals for Rs.50,000/- and above for Selection grade offices  and  for Rs. 20,000/- and above may be checked for all other offices.Withdrawals above Rs. 5000/- may be checked for BOs. (or) all closures and 10% of withdrawals carrying high amount may be checked.

For all the other categories  allclosures may be checked and withdrawals for Rs. 20000/- and above may be checked. (or) all closures and 10% of high amount of withdrawals may be checked.

 As per SB Order 8/2019, the genuineness of unclaimed account is to be confirmed by the Postmaster and he will in turn permit the closure. The role of SBCO  in verifying the unclaimed amount closure is needed. A report menu for identifying the unclaimed account is required to confirm the closure of the account and audit the same.

 3.       Checking of signature by the PA SBCO in case of Closed accounts with reference to the AOF attached with voucher is already done.

 4.       The signing of each long book consolidation reports with the remarks “Voucher checking of all the vouchers is completed” after completion of voucher checking of each office may be done instead of signing each voucher is accepted.The signature of the counter PA and APM/SPM/BPM  to be affixed on the same with the remarks  “all transactions are verified and  genuine”.

 5.       5% checking of Supervisor may be continued as of now for amount above Rs. 50000/- of withdrawals including 10% of closed vouchers.

 6.       Corrections of balances in the accounts due to error in pre-migrated data or otherwise to be done with approval of Divisional head as per SB order 14/2015. DO sanction copy to be attached with the concerned voucher to avoid frauds.

 7.       Checking of manual corrections made for finacle related figures in CSI Daily Account using TCODE ZFI_DOC_LOG in CSI-SAP to be done . But all such corrections need to be done with prior approval of the Divisional head. With this SBCO can check CSI Daily accounts of that particular office having DO Sanction instead of regular checking of all the offices in CSI Daily account . Proper training needed in this regard.

 8.       Checking of unverified and deleted transactions using HAFI menu in Finacle. This involves the non- financial transactions like issue of cheques, passbook print date change, ATM card issue, enabling of mobile banking, e-banking) also. These unverified /deleted transactions may be identified during day end process to settle the same by freezing the day end process. This will enable to settle the unverified /deleted transactions then and there without carrying them over.Moreover Finacle software work on maker-checker phenomenon. Therefore it is the responsibility of supervisor of that post office to check the same. Also the unverified and deleted transactions neither reflects in long book detail report nor in consolidation report. Hence , SBCO may be exempted from this checking.

 9.       Checking of Office Accounts Viz 0322 (PPF transit account), 0408 ( Pension upload account), 0409 (Salary upload account), 0410 ( DBT upload account). The transactions are being performed by the Postmasters of Head Offices who are responsible for the same. The staff of Accounts branch, Accountants ,Postmastersare checking & tallying all  the above office account  transactions. These accounts are checked during the ICO(SB) inspection too. Hence duplication of work may be avoided in this technically advanced scenario. Hence, SBCO not to be assigned the checking of any Office accounts.

 10.   The  monthly reports sent may include Voucher checking position, objections pending along with the staff position of all the SBCO units .

 Other changes proposed:

 1.       Preservation period of Interest/Balance Adjustment Register is proposed to be revised from 5 years to make it a permanent record for inquiry cases. But the interest / Balance Adjustments are to be given only with the prior approval of the Divisional heads and the reports are sent to the Accounts Officer ICO(SB) at the end of the month. Hence a separate file may be maintained at all Divisional offices for taking details during enquiry cases. So, the preservation period of 5 years to be continued.

 Further , the reiteration of the provisions of SBCO Manual relating to maintenance of Objection Register –not manually but in Finacle, Unused Cheque foils, Undelivered / Spoiled Passbooks, Will-follow items, Requisition of Vouchers for inquiry, Safe custody keys, Custody and Preservation of Records to be continued .

 Additional suggestions:

 ·         Raising of objections may be done using the memo pads or an official tool may be supplied for the same to avoid the manual work and time consumption to take copies of the objections , sending them to the concerned offices and settlement of objections manually to maintain the overall figure in this staff shortage scenario. This tool will also enable to view the report of objections pending for any SOL/SOL SET at all levels for prompt settlement of the same. Instead of pressurizing the SBCO officials for pending objections, the Postmastersof the concerned offices to be fixed responsibility  to settle all the objections raised within a stipulated time span as per the Rule 13 of the POSB manual volume I.

 ·         The Menus suitable for SBCO voucher checking detailed enquiry to be made available in a single click so that all the relating datas for each account will be available in a screen with regard to all  the categories of accounts to avoid more time consumption.

 ·         The procedure for the remaining Non CBS offices may be mentioned clearly regarding sending of statistical report and others.

 ·         If OTP (One time Password) is enabled vide the account holder’s mobile during high withdrawals and closures across the counter , then maximum fraudulent transactions can be avoided.

 ·         All SBCO units to be provided with an exclusive record keeper / MTS post to segregate and maintain all the records vizconsolidations, vouchers, registers etc in a systematic manner till the period of preservation gets over.

·         The necessary trainings may be given to all the SBCO officials to perform the work as and when any  new roles assigned to them.

 ·         The FRMU alert accounts are given directly to SBCO in many circles which is a duplication of the same work already completed by SBCO.  All the closures are checked by SBCO on daily basis and objections are raised for the irregularities noticed. But after lapse of few months or even a year the same closures are again given to SBCO through the FRMU . This is an unnecessary duplication of work in this technically advanced scenario and acute staff shortage situation. In the reply given to AIPSBCOEA CHQ  letter dated 25.8.2019 for the above issue Directorate has given clarification regarding FRMU alertsvide letter No. 17-15/2016-Inv (Investigation  Section ) dated 30th October  2019 that “the 1st stage of cross verification is assigned to the Postmasters and in some cases in SOP cross verification to be done in consultation with the SBCO Supervisor  as the relevant vouchers are kept in the custody and this does not mean that the alert work is given to SBCO”. Hence suitable instructions may be given to all circles not to hand over the FRMU alerts to SBCO and to follow the SOP and the above Directorate’s clarification dated 30.10.2019.

 ·         Top priority may be given during recruitment of new officials to fill the SBCO branch up to the sanctioned strength as more /additional works are often assigned to SBCO branch after CBS and the auditing work done by SBCO is very important and inevitable .

 ·         Establishment review of SBCO branches may be taken up with a new time factor according to the current scenario after discussion with the concerned representatives to enhance the posts in SBCO.

 ·         The SBCO Officials may be centralized at RO levels under the control of AO ICO(SB), so that an effective team of Auditing may be formed to manage the current scenario and also to overcome the problem of transfer liability of SBCO officials which is a big issue as of now to the Administration and to the officials also.

 ·         The weeding out of old records to be given priority and orders to be issued as and when the preservation period gets over systematically ; as of now this is a big headache to the SBCO officials to weed out the old records because the permission for the same is not given immediately. This process will enable to make room for the current records received. A separate record room with lock and key may be provided to all the SBCO units to safeguard and arrange the vouchers to avoid any misappropriation.

 ·         As per the suggestions which were already given by the AIPSBCOEA CHQ vide letters dated 9.7.20 & 13.7.20 the Cadre restructuring to be done according to the number of accounts justification :

 All SBCO units to have one LSG Post including ICO(SB)/CPU units.

Offices having  1,00,000 to 2,00,000 accounts to have one HSG –II Post.

Offices having  2,00,000  to 3,00,000 accounts to have one HSG – I Post.

Offices having more than 3,00,000 accounts to have one NF HSG – I Post.

 So, all the SBCO units will have one LSG Post including all the ICO(SB)/CPU. Units.

All the HSG – II Posts will have one LSG Post under it.

All the HSG –I Posts will have one HSG – II Post under it,  according to the number of accounts justification.

 ·         As such the SBCO wing is now entrusted with sole work of auditing of day to day transactions of POSB .This work is being done by the SBCO on behalf of Ministry of Finance. Now the Government/Department should take initiative to re-designate the SBCO wing as POSB Audit wing and treat its cadre are Auditors and make it as part of Postal Audit office. The status of the staff of present SBCO should be re-designated as  “Senior Auditors”, “ Chief Auditors” ,”Executive Auditors” and “Chief Executive Auditors”. SBCO is performing all the work on behalf of Postal Accounts having similar nature of work. Hence as both DAP and SBCO were formed from the same P & T Audit , SBCO may be brought under the control of  DAP which is our very important demand.

 ·         The Cadre Restructuring may be done based on the number of accounts justification , Increase in the Sanctioned strength of  PA SBCO Posts due to entrustment of excess work after CBS, Nomenclature change , Change of Controlling authority to GM PA & F , Identity as Auditors which is to be maintained and amalgamation with the Postal Accounts as both the wings were earlier part and parcel of P & T Audit and have similar work nature as given in detail in both letters of AIPSBCOEA-CHQ dated 9.7.20 ,13.7.20 and all our previous letters and memorandum.

            The above suggestions will enable independent functioning of SBCO to perform the work

effectivelyon the spot without any fear of reprisal for pointing out the genuine mistakes and

detection of frauds spontaneously.

 A line of reply is solicited Please.

With Regards,

-Sd-

(SHP. JASMINE JALAL BEGAM)

General Secretary.

 

LETTER TO THE CHIEF POSTMASTER GENERAL ODISHA CIRCLE REGARDING GRANT OF  IMMUNITY FROM TRANSFER TO THE CIRCLE SECRETARY AND TREASURER OF AIPSBCOEA:

Ref.No.: AIPSBCOEA/CHQ/Immunity from transfer/2020                                        Dt-16.12.2020.

To

The Chief Postmaster General,

Odisha Circle,

Bhubaneswar – 751 001.

Subject:- Regarding grant of immunity from transfer to the Circle secretary and Treasurer of

                        AIPSBCOEA …

Reference:-1.Directorate letter Nos.69-18/70-SPB-I Dt. 07.12.1970 and 69-52/72-SPB-IDt.

23.03.1973 and 02.01.1974.

 Respected Sir/Madam,

                                      On behalf of the All India Postal SBCO Employees Association CHQ, it is brought to the kind notice of the honorable Chief Postmaster General, Odisha Circle that the Circle Secretary Shri. ShrikanthMallick and Circle Treasurer  Shri. AlokaMallick of the All India Postal SBCO Employees Association are not yet transferred to the Circle Headquarters under immunity from transfer inspite of repeated representations from the Circle Association. But to the irony the Circle Secretary of the other SBCO union (AISBCEU) was transferred from Bhubaneswar GPO to  ICO(SB) Circle office for two years under immunity grounds, the Treasurer of that union has been transferred to Bhubaneswar for a period of two years and presently another Treasurer of that union has been transferred to ICO (SB) Bhubaneswar on immunity ground, the Vice President Sri. H.K Pani PA SBCO Khurda HO of that union has also been brought to Bhubaneswar on transfer to CPU, who has been working in Bhubaneswar station since twenty five years which is very much shocking.

                              The Association would like to know the reason for the above partiality for favoring the Office Bearers of the other union and a kind intervention is needed immediately on the matter as per the Directorate’s letter cited in the reference above and transfer the Circle Secretary of AIPSBCOEA Shri. ShrikanthMallick SupervisorSBCO Cuttack GPO and the Circle Treasurer  of AIPSBCOEA Shri.AlokaMallick PA SBCO Jajapur HPOto the Circle Headquarters Bhubaneswar under immunity grounds. The activities and functioning  of the Association is very much affected since 2015 due to non availability of the Circle Office Bearers at the Circle Headquarters.  Hence , the respected Chief Postmaster General may kindly look into the matter immediately and issue favorable orders to transfer the Circle Secretary and Treasurer of AIPSBCOEA to the Circle Headquarters under immunity grounds which is the need of the hour for the smooth functioning of the Association.

 A line of reply is solicited Please.

 With Regards,

 -Sd-

(SHP. JASMINE JALAL BEGAM)

General Secretary.

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