Release of additional instalment of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief.

   The Union Cabinet today gave its approval to release an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to central government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 1.1.2012 representing an increase of 7% over the existing rate of 58% of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate for price rise. The increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission. The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both dearness allowance and dearness relief would be of the order of Rs.7474.53 crore per annum and Rs.8720.32 crore in the financial year 2012-13 (i.e. for a period of 14 months from January, 2012 to February, 2013).

Source: PIB

Government Formulating Policy for Raising Retirement age in Sick & Loss Making CPSEs.

   On the basis of recommendations of Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE), the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) is formulating a policy for enhancement of age of superannuation from 58 to 60 years for employees of such sick and loss making Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) whose revival packages have been approved by the Government and which will continue to be in Public Sector after implementation of revival package. The above policy would be notified after inter-ministerial consultations and approval of competent authority.

   The above information was given by the Minister for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Shri Praful Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

PIB

E-Tickets through Mobile Phone.

   Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Railways, has launched the scheme for booking Railway e-tickets through mobile phone through its website i.e. irctc.co.in/mobile. The broad features of the schemes are as follow:-

    Users can use their existing IRCTC user ID and password.

    After booking tickets through the mobile phones, users receive a reservation message with the ticket details.

    The service charges of IRCTC are similar to e-tickets i.e. Rs. 10/- per ticket for second/sleeper class and Rs. 20/- per ticket for all other classes.

   This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri K. H. Muniyappa in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Source:PIB