Extension of Grant of Advance – Special Festival Package to all approved category of GDS

Extension of Grant of Advance- Special Festival Package to all approved category of Gramin Dak Sevaks – Department of Posts Order dated 22.01.2021

No. 17-16/2020-GDS
Government of India
Ministry of Communications
Department of Posts
(GDS Section)

Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg
New Delhi-110001

Office Memorandum

Subject : Extension of Grant of Advance- Special Festival Package to all approved category of Gramin Dak Sevaks.

The undersigned is directed to say that with a view to enable Gramin Dak Sevak to meet expenses relating to festivals and to encourage spending thereby giving a boost to economic activities, in pursuance of decision taken by the Department in consultation with AS & FA and Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, it has been decided that a special festival package advance will be accorded to all approved category of Gramin Dak Sevaks for any important festivals upto 31st March, 2021:-

(i) Advance of Special Festival Package may be granted to a Gramin Dak Sevak if she/he fulfils the following conditions.-

(a) GDS should be is on duty and engaged regularly.

(b) The amount of package should not be granted to those GDSs who are going to discharge from engagement within 10 months from the date of sanction of advance.

(c) Provisionally engaged GDSs and substitute engaged against leave vacancy of GDS will not be entitled for this package.

(d) GDS who are under Put Off duty-disciplinary proceeding/cases are pending will not be entitled for this package.

(ii) Head of office may sanction this festival package on the eve of any important festival to GDS under his administration control. The term “important festival: is clarified as such festivals or one of such festivals as Head of Department may declare in respect of establishment under his/her administration control.

(iii) The amount of package is Rs5000/- to be paid as advance to Gramin Dak Sevak. This amount is interest free. The amount would be released through pre-loaded Rupay Card from SBI. DDQs, on receipt of application from GDS for this package may process and acquire the prepaid cards from SBI for issue among the applicants. A detailed SOP issued by Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure vide their OM No. 12/2/2020-E IIA (Pt. dated 13th October, 2020 is enclosed for obtaining these pre-loaded Rupay cards with an amount of Rs.5000/-. The amount paid under this package is recoverable in not more than ten (10) equally instalment.

(iv) GDSs are outside of the Civil service of the Union and shall not claim to be at par with Central Government employees on grant/sanction of this Special Festival package.

(v) These order will take effect from the date of issuance of this Office Memorandum and will be in force during the current financial year till 31st March, 2021.

2. This issues has the concurrence of IFW vide their diary No.86 dated 20.01.2021.

(Dr. Vincent Barla)
Director (GDS/PCC)

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