MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS

INDIA POST LAUNCHES FIVE STAR VILLAGES SCHEME TO ENSURE 100% RURAL COVERAGE OF POSTAL SCHEMES

GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS TO LEAD PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN ON POSTAL SERVICES

SCHEME TO BE IMPLEMENTED NATION-WIDE, BASED ON MAHARASHTRA EXPERIENCE: SANJAY DHOTRE

Posted On: 10 SEP 2020 4:18PM by PIB Mumbai

Mumbai, 10 September 2020

 

The Department of Posts has launched a scheme called Five Star Villages, to ensure universal coverage of flagship postal schemes in rural areas of the country. The scheme seeks to bridge the gaps in public awareness and reach of postal products and services, especially in interior villages. All postal products and services will be made available and marketed and publicized at village level, under the Five Star Villages scheme. Branch offices will function as one-stop shop to cater all post office - related needs of villagers. The schemes covered under the Five Star scheme include: i) Savings Bank accounts, Recurrent Deposit Accounts, NSC / KVP certificates, ii) Sukanya Samridhi Accounts/ PPF Accounts, iii) Funded Post Office Savings Account linked India Post Payments Bank Accounts, iv) Postal Life Insurance Policy/Rural Postal Life Insurance Policy and v) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana Account / Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana Account.

If a village attains universal coverage for four schemes from the above list, then that village gets four-star status; if a village completes three schemes, then that village get three-star status and so on.

Launching the scheme, the Union Minister of State for Communications, Shri Sanjay Dhotre said that the scheme is being launched on pilot basis in Maharashtra; based on the experience here, it will be implemented nation-wide. “Postman and Postal Department are a vital part of the ordinary citizen's life. India Post has been serving the people in an extraordinary way in the difficult situation which has emerged due to COVID-19, by bringing them medicines and financial assistance. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi not only brought schemes, but has been ensuring their effective implementation as well. The Postal Department has been playing a major role in the implementation of Government schemes, leveraging the immense strength of its vast network. Postal schemes are known for providing highly secured deposits, they provide higher return of interest with low risk.” The Minister said that the way to realize the goal of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat is through collaborative efforts such as this, wherein various schemes have been brought together under one umbrella, with the goal of providing financial inclusion.

The entire state of Maharashtra will be covered under the scheme. To begin with, two rural districts / areas for each region have been identified: Akola and Washim in Nagpur Region; Parbhani and Hingoli in Aurangabad Region; Solapur and Pandharpur in Pune Region; Kolhapur and Sangli in Goa Region; and Malegaon and Palghar in Navi Mumbai Region. A total of 50 villages in each district will be covered during the current financial year 2020-2021. Regional offices will identify the villages to be covered.

Scheme Implementation Team

The scheme will be implemented by a team of five Gramin Dak Sevaks who will be assigned a village for marketing of all products, savings and insurance schemes of the Department of Posts. This team will be headed by the Branch Post Master of the concerned Branch Office. Mail overseer will keep personal watch on progress of team on daily basis. The teams will be led and monitored by concerned Divisional Head, Assistant Superintendents Posts and Inspector Posts.

Campaign

The team of Gramin Dak Sevaks will conduct door-to-door awareness campaign on all schemes, covering all eligible villagers. Wide publicity will be given by displaying the information on notice board of Branch Office. Prominent places of targeted villages like Panchayat Offices, schools, village dispensaries, bus depots, markets will also be used for advertising and pamphlets will be distributed. Small melas will be organized, considering COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Training and Monitoring

Required training and infrastructure, covering all schemes, would be provided to all branch offices in identified villages. The scheme progress and target achievement will be closely monitored at Circle, Regional and Divisional levels. Monthly progress will be reviewed by the Chief Post Master General.

The Chief Post Master General of Maharashtra Circle and Goa State, Shri Harish Chandra Agrawal assured the Minister that Maharashtra will provide a fine example in successful implementation of Five Star Villages Scheme, paving the way for the national roll-out of the scheme later. Director General (Posts), Shri Vineet Pandey; and Postmaster General, Mumbai Region, Ms Swati Pandey also attended the online launch.       DJM/RT/DR (Release ID: 1653010) 

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National Federation of Postal Employees endorse the call of Confederation and Central Trade Unions to organize protest demonstration on 23rd September 2020 against anti worker, anti people destructive policies of the government of India.

           Please go through the Circulars of Confederation and Central Trade Unions and publicize among all classes of workers and employees to conduct protest demonstrations at all work places during lunch hours on 23rd September-2020 after observing all Covid-19 related norms.

                R N Parashar

               Secretary General NFPE

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 No. Confd./Circular-2020                                                  Dated : 11^th September,2020

CIRCULAR

To

            All National Secretariat Members,

            All General Secretaries of COCs,

            All Chief Executives of All Constituent Organizations

Dear Comrades,

We send herewith the circular letter from the Central Trade Unions dated 9^th September  2020, which is self- explanatory.   As could be seen there-form, the Central Trade Unions have decided to organise a demonstration on 23^rd September, 2020 against the anti worker destructive polices of the Government of India. 

Over the very many incidents that have taken place in the country, it appears that the Government has decided to take advantage of the corona Covid 19 pandemic in the country to push through some of the objectionable policies which affects the working class in general and the Central Government employees in particular. 

(a)  The dearness allowance due from 1.1.2020 to 1.07.2021 has not only been freezed but has been decided to be denied to the employees and pensioners.

(b)  The restructuring of the Banking sector reducing the presence of the PSU banks in the country

(c)  Closure of defence production establishments

(d)  Privatisation of coal mines; air ports;

(e)  Privatisation of the oldest governmental establishment of Railways; its production units and maintenance.

(f)   Direction giving unfettered powers to the bureaucracy to enforce the provisions of FR 56-J to retrench the services of senior employees;

(g)  The enlargement of NPS;

(h)  The new recruiting procedures as against the regional recruitment demanded by the employees organisations etc.

Besides all these, the Government has now chosen the two organisations  affiliated to the Confederation, i.e. NFPE and ITEF for selected attack.  In both the cases, the recognition granted to these federation are sought to be withdrawn on flimsy, untenable grounds.  The ITEF apprehends that the new scheme is bound to result in large scale redundancy and consequent retrenchment or redeployment.  In the case of NFPE,  the re-recognition is stated to be possible only if they amend certain provisions of the constitution of its affiliated Associations.  Similarly the Government had been sitting on the proposal of recognition submitted by many unions and Federation of Central Government employees, giving room for the bureaucracy to do whatever they like in administering these departmental organisations. 

Apart from the above attacks, the Government has not been responding to innumerable representations the Confederation had been making in respect of providing treatment to the Central Government employees who are afflicted with the deadly virus corona covid 19.  While the private hospitals are allowed to charge exorbitantly  the government reimburses only a paltry amount to these unfortunate employees. 

It is, therefore, highly necessary that we form part of the struggle of the working people in the country against these policies.  We request all affiliates, cocs, and State Committees to take steps to ensure the maximum participation of  the members in the programme slated for 23^rd September, 2020.  The affiliates may kindly prepare pamphlets encompassing all the above issues and enlisting the specific matters concerning their organisation and members.   The State Committees may please prepare leaflets in vernacular and try to reach out as many members as possible. 

 

With greetings,

                                                                               Yours fraternally,

                                                           

R.N. Parashar

                                                            Secretary General

                                               Confederation of CGE & Workers

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