No. P3NFPE-Odisha/05 - 01/2020
Dated at Bhubaneswar the 3rd May, 2020
To
Com. R N Parashar
Secretary General, NFPE
North Avenue P O Building, New Delhi – 110 001
Sub:- Mandatory opening of Salary Account by DoP employees (both Departmental & GDS) with IPPB – Protest regarding.
Respected Comrade,
It has come to our notice that the Secretary (Posts) during V C on 01.05.2020 has directed all HoCs to ensure opening of Salary account by the employee of DoP (both Departmental and GDS staff) with IPPB within a week. Accordingly all the Divisional Heads have been requested by the Chief PMG, Odisha Circle to take such immediate action so that all the employees of Odisha Postal Circle have their salary account with IPPB and linked the same to his POSB account by 7th May, 2020 for adopting all necessary formalities in SAP to credit the salary for the month of May, 2020. Even daily progress of opening and linking of such accounts have been called for by the Divisional Heads for the SPMs/Postmasters in many Divisions so far.
This might be the situation in other Circles also.
One such movement of the Department have been protested earlier when it was proposed for mandatory payment monthly salary through POSB Account. During the initial stage of digital payment of monthly salary, option was remained open for the employees to choose for POSB Account or any Bank Account. And accordingly, monthly salary of the employees is being paid till date as per option exercised by individual employee. As such, Department can’t make it mandatory specifying a particular Bank and hammer the fundamental rights of the employees. Compelling to open Salary Account with IPPB is nothing but the autocratic attitude of the Department to save the loss making IPPB Ltd at the cost of the employees.
On behalf of the entirety of postal employees and workers including GDS of Odisha Circle, we strongly oppose such arbitrary instruction in a VC for opening of Salary Account with IPPB Ltd. since it has so many drawbacks as illustrated below.
1. IPPB Account carries a very low interest rate than the POSB and other Bank Account. The employees are not supposed to be compelled to lose monthly interest without any valid reason.
2. There is no direct internet banking facility for purchase of daily needs and even for DoP financial products. As such, payment of EMI towards personal loans availed by the employees against Salary Accounts in different Nationalized Banks, payment of Credit Card Bills, online shopping facilities etc are not at all possible through IPPB Account. Thus, mandatory opening of salary accounts with IPPB will snatch away such facilities which are being availed by the employees having salary Accounts with Banks and may put the employees into untold sufferings.
3. There is no ATM facility in respect of IPPB Account and money can’t be withdrawn at the sweet will of the depositor.
4. The deposit and withdrawal facilities are limited.
5. Even transfer of money beyond one lakh, the account holder of IPPB has to wait for the next day due to limited swipe in facilities.
6. IPPB is not at all user friendly due to continuous server issues and link failure.
7. There is no facility to link a Joint P O S B Account with IPPB Account.
The list of deficiencies may go on. Further, we are still in doubt, if any official order has been issued from the Directorate in this regard.
As such, it is requested to kindly oppose strongly the move of the Department for mandatory opening of Salary Account with IPPB and appraise suitably so that the employees can choose their own Salary Account either in POSB or Nationalized Banks independently as before but not at all with IPPB Ltd.
With regards.
Comradely yours,
(Bruhaspati Samal)
Circle Secretary
