Recommendations of the Cadre Restructuring Committee on Central Secretariate Service (CSS)

The gist of recommendations of the Cadre Restructuring Committee on Central Secretariat Service (CSS)

Issue	Recommendation of Committee
i. Increase in the number of posts in the grades of Section Officer (SO), Under Secretary (US) andDeputy Secretary (DS)	Grade Addl. Posts recommended SO 463 US 232 DS 75* * 75 posts each in Central Secretariat Service and Central Staffing Scheme has been recommended.

Salient features of Budget 2014

* Tax proposals on indirect tax front would yield Rs 7,525 crore.

* ​Indian Custom Single Window Project to be taken up for facilitating trade.

* Clean energy cess increased from Rs 50/ tonne to Rs 100/tonne.

* Additional 5% excise tax to be levied on aerated drinks with added sugar (cold drinks). Tobacco products also to get costly as excise duty hiked to 72%

* Government announces reduction in excise duty for specified food package industry from 10% to 6%.

*​ Excise duty on footwear reduced from 12% to 6%

* Government announces measures to encourage manufacture of LCD/LED panels of TVs. 

* Housing loan rebate to raised from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh.

* Net effect of direct tax proposals is revenue loss of Rs 22,200 crore.

* Government proposes to increase investment limit under Section 80C from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh. 

* Tax exemption limit for small and marginal, and senior tax payers changed from Rs 2.0 to Rs 2.5 lakh. For senior citizens, no tax for income up to Rs 3 lakh per annum. 

* No changes in tax rate. 

Highlights of Rail Budget 2014

Union minister Sadananda Gowda is presenting his first Rail Budget in the Lok Sabha. Here are the highlights :

* Indian railways to become the largest freight carrier in the world.

* Social obligation of Railways in 2013-14 was Rs 20,000 crore.

* Gross traffic receipts in 2013-14 was Rs 12,35,558 crore; operating ratio was 94 per cent.

* Focus in past has been on sanctioning projects rather than completing them, Railway minister says.

* Indian Railways spent Rs 41,000 crore on laying of 3,700 km of new lines in last 10 years.
Fare revision will bring in Rs.8,000 crore; need another Rs.9,000 crore for golden quadrilateral project.

Finance ministry is against any merger of D.A.

Finance Ministry once again ruled out any possibility of merger of D.A. with basic pay for central employees. In a  letter addressed to National Council Secretary Shri Shiva Gopal Mishra on 17.6.2014, regarding the main demand of merger of dearness allowance with basic pay, Govt sticked on the resolution taken on 29.08.2008 in respect of definite proposal of sixth pay commission (No merger of D.A.). 
This has been a long standing demand for central employees and it will certainly dishearten them.
View the letter from Dept. of expenditure (Finmin)

PSU IDA to be increased by 2.9% from 1st July, 2014

The IDA for PSU employees (Including BSNL) will be raised from 88.4% to 91.3%, by an increase of 2.9%, with effect from 1st July 2014.
The orders are expected to be issued soon.