Successful conductance of Circle Working Committee-Cum-Council Meeting of AIPEU, Group-C, Odisha Circle

Discussion on all common issues

Constructive suggestions by delegates

Adoption of as many as 40 resolutions

Decision for agitational programme before Circle Office

The Circle Working Committee-Cum-Council Meeting of AIPEU, Group-C, Odisha Circle branch was conducted successfully at the Recreation Club of Cuttack GPO from 12.07.2013 to 14.07.2013 in a very enthusiastic and constructive manner with participation of all Circle Union Office bearers, Divisional Secretaries, Circle Councilors from all the 18 Divisions except Phulbani. The arrangements made for accommodation and meeting and hospitality extended to all the participants by the Divisional Secretary, Cuttack City Division and his team members are praise worthy. The Circle Union could be able to conduct such a programme very nicely in a disciplined manner only due to the sincere efforts and devotion of Com. Bishnu Prasad Das, Com. Pravakar Pati, Com. Ajaya Kumar Nayak, Com, Bimal Kumar Mohanty , Com Rashmi Ranjan Das and other staff members of Cuttack GPO in particular and the Division as a whole in general. We also thank Sri Ratikanta Swain, Senior Postmaster , Cuttack GPO for his kind cooperation in smooth conductance of the meeting.

The first day i.e.12.07.2013 was started with homage to the departed souls during the period under review. At the outset the Work Report on various activities of the Circle Union pertaining to the period of review ( from last biennial circle conference held at Sambalpur till date) was placed by Com. R C Mishra, Circle Secretary before the CWC. The meeting was presided by Com. R N Mohakud, Vice-President of the Circle Union in the absence of the President. As per the agenda , the Divisional Secretaries were allowed to discuss on various issues starting from Organizational Review, problems faced by the staff members at grass root level especially the P As, SPMs and Postmasters due to computerization, modernization, settlement of minus balance, introduction of new premium products, fixation of unachievable targets and such other issues in addition to review of the last two strike programmes conducted on 12.12.2012 and on 20^th & 21^st February, 2013. The problems of Postmaster Cadre, Accountants and APM (Accounts), System Administrators, Business Executives and LSG/HSG-II/HSG-I cadre were also discussed in addition to National Postal Policy, Corporate Plan of India Post, I T Modernization Project, 2012, Cadre Restructuring, MACP / 6^th CPC anomalies etc. Excessive resentments were seen to be recorded on non-supply of quality computer paper, MPCM sticker, computer furniture & accessories and required forms, dequaterization and non-maintenance of P O buildings / staff quarters, non-response to grave issues arising out of MGNRES, negative reply of the administration for provision of Police Escort in cash vans, non-sanction of OTA /Speed Post/MIS Incentive bills, acute shortage of staff and problems arising out of deputation orders, the drama of centralization and decentralization of PLI/RPLI works, irregular conductance / non-conductance of monthly union meeting and favouritism to other unions by Divisional heads, delay in sanction of personal claims like TA/Medical bills etc

On the 2^nd day, i.e. on 13.07.2013, the Circle Union Office bearers also discussed the above issues in general under the president-ship of Com. K C Pattnaik. As many as 40 resolutions ( will be published later on ) were recorded with unanimous decision to represent to the Chief Postmaster General, Odisha Circle for brining satisfactory solutions to the long pending problems within a reasonable period failing which a series of agitation programmes will be undertaken by the Circle Union alone and /or in cooperation with P-IV, R-III, R-IV, AIPAOEU and AIPAEU etc.

On the third day, i. e . on 14.07.2013, the Circle Secretary replied the points raised by the Circle Union Office bearers, Divisional Secretaries and Circle Councilors and read out the resolutions for information of the participants. The CWC was concluded with an Open Session which was started at 11 AM and continued up to 3 PM. The Open Session was also participated by the staff members of Cuttack City Division and addressed by the following leaders.

1. Com. Rabinarayan Maiilick, Joint Convener, Odisha Sramik Karmachari Ekata Manch, as Inaugurator.

2. Com. Rabindra Nath Dhal , General Secretary, State CoC of NFPE and Confederation as Chief Speaker.

3. Com. Jagannath Giri, Ex-Divisional Secretary, AIPEU, Group-C, Cuttack City Division as Guest of Honour ( an octogenarian ).

4. Com. D B Mohanty, Circle Secy., P – IV, Odisha Circle

5. Com. Nirmal Singh, Circle Secy., AIPEU GDS(NFPE), Odisha Circle

Lastly the vote of thanks was given by Com. Bishnu Prasad Das, Divisional Secretary, Cuttack City Division and the meeting was concluded with the positive, strong promising attitude of the Circle Union to bring a roaring success to all the agitation programmes awaiting finalization jointly by the Confederation, AIRF and DEFI to achieve the following demands.

a. Set up the 7^th CPC and frame its terms of reference after consultation with Staff Side.

b. Merge DA with pay for all purposes.

c. Scrap the New Contributory Pension Scheme.

d. Regularize (a) Gramin Dak Sevaks of Postal Department.(b)Daily rated workers , Contract Labourers:

e. Remove 5% Ceiling on Compassionate appointments.

f. Settle all 6^th CPC anomalies raised in the National Anomaly Committee and implement the Arbitration Awards.

g. Remove Ceiling of Rs. 3500 on computation of Bonus.

           Keonjhar Division attended the CWC with a three member team - Com. A.K.Mishra , Divisional Secretary, Com. S.C.Patra, Divisional President and, Com. K.C.Das, Ex-Divisional Secy. as Circle Councilors. 
           Com. B Samal, Asst. Circle Secretary-1 & Divisional Secy., Bhubaneswar Division delivered an eloquent speech on the national issues especially on I T modernization Project, 2012 and problems there on with some constructive suggestions to the Circle Union for necessary resolution and action.

Special Meeting on AIPEU GDS (NFPE) issues:

A special meeting was also conducted to solve the problems arising in formation of AIPEU GDS(NFPE) in the afternoon on 14.07.2013 in the presence of Com. R N Dhal, General Secy, State CoC, NFPE and Com. Nirmal Singh, Circle Secy., AIPEU GDS(NFPE), Odisha Circle. Taking active participation in the discussion, many Circle Union Office bearers and Divisional Secretaries registered their helplessness in strengthening the newly formed AIPEU GDS (NFPE) due to lack of proper cooperation and active participation of its Circle Secretary and suggested Com. Singh to issue necessary guide lines to his Divisional Secretaries to cooperate with their P-III counterparts. Since committed as per the direction of NFPE, the CWC assured Com. Singh to extend full cooperation provided he reciprocates accordingly. Com. R N Dhal also appealed all the Divisional Secretaries to take every possible step in mitigating the gaps and enrolling more members as soon as possible.

Circle Working Committee - Cum - Council Meeting held at PRC, Cuttack GPO from 12.07.2013 to 14.07.2013

PHOTO NEWS OF THE 2ND DAY ( 13.07.2013 )

Circle Working Committee Meeting of AIPEU, Group-C, Odisha Circle started on 12.07.2013 at PRC, Cuttack GPO.

PHOTO NEWS

HAPPY RATHA YATRA

Introduction

Ratha Jatra, the Festival of Chariots of Lord Jagannatha is celebrated every year at Puri, the temple town in Orissa, on the east coast of India. The presiding deities of the main temple, Sri Mandira, Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, with the celestial wheel Sudarshana are taken out from the temple precincts in an elaborate ritual procession to their respective chariots. The huge, colourfully decorated chariots, are drawn by hundreds and thousands of devotees on the bada danda, the grand avenue to the Gundicha temple, some two miles away to the North. After a stay for seven days, the deities return to their abode in Srimandira.

Ratha Jatra is perhaps the grandest festival on earth. Everything is on a scale befitting the great Lord. Full of spectacle, drama and colour, the festival is a typical Indian fair of huge proportions. It is also the living embodiment of the synthesis of the tribal, the folk, and the autochthonous with the classical, the elaborately formal and the sophisticated elements of the socio-cultural-religious ethos of the Indian civilization.

Sanctity and Significance of Ratha Jatra

The festival is also known as Gundicha Jatra, Ghosa Jatra, Navadina Jatra, Dasavatara Jatra and by a variety of other names. For the devoted and believers, it is considered the most auspicious occasion. Rathe tu vamanam drishtwa punarjanmam na vidyate A glimpse of the Vamana, the dwarf form, an incarnation of Lord Jagannatha, is sure to ensure emancipation, release from the cycle of birth and death.
Jatra is an essential part of the ritual of the Hindu system of worship. Jatra literally means travel or journey. Normally, it is the representative deities of temples more popularly known as Utsava Murti in south and Chalanti Pratima or Bije Pratima in Orissa, partake in these journeys. It is rarely that the presiding deities come out of the sanctum for such ritual journeys. The Jatra for the Ritual Journey take two forms – one involving the short circumbulation around the temple and other involving a longer journey from the temple to some other destination. The Jatra is considered as an important part of festivities and ceremonies of each temple and is considered as a special and sacred occasion.
Rath Jatra being unique among all Jatras is the grandest festival of the supreme divinity who has manifested himself in the Kali Yuga to emancipate humanity and to relieve them from their sufferings. Lord Jagannatha is identified fully with Vishnu and Krishna. In his original manifestation as Nilamadhaba, he was worshipped in a sacred Nyagrodha Briksha or banyan tree. The branches of the tree had spread for several miles and any one entering this area was instantly emancipated and was relieved of the travails of the birth and re-birth. In fact, the influence of Yama, the God of Death, is supposed to have been curtailed in the sacred city of Puri – Srikshetra on account of the presence of Lord Jagannatha and therefore it is also called the Yamanika Tirtha.

A glimpse of Lord Jagannatha on the chariot is considered to be very auspicious and saints, poets and scriptures have repeatedly glorified the sanctity of this special festival.
The sanctity of the festival is such that even a touch of the chariot or even the ropes with which these are pulled is considered enough to confer the results of several pious deeds or penance for ages. In fact, there is a famous Oriya song which says that on this occasion, the chariot, the wheels, the grand avenue all become one with Lord Jagannatha himself.

The concept of the chariot has been explained in the Kathopanishada in the following words-

Atmanam rathinam viddhi sareeram rathamevatu
Buddhim tu saarathim viddhi marah pragrahameva cha.
The body is the Chariot and the soul is the deity installed in the chariot. The wisdom acts as the charioteer to control the mind and thoughts.

The Skanda Purana glorifies the sanctity of the Rath Jatra in the following words-

Gundicha mandapam namam yatrahamajanam pura
Ashwamedha sahasrasya mahabedi tadadvabat.

Those who are fortunate to see the deities of the Srimandira in the Gundicha Temple, the final destination of the procession of the chariots, derive the benefits of a thousand horse sacrifices, an immensely pious deed. Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja in his famous Vaidehisa Vilasa mentions that the Lord comes out from his sanctum for participating in the Gundicha Jatra, another name of the Festival of Chariots, only for redeeming the fallen, the patita jana who get the opportunity to behold their dearest god at close quarters on this occasion. Similarly, saint poet Salabega waxes eloquent in praise of his dearest dark darling and says that the Lord swaying and moving like a wild elephant arrives at the Grand Avenue and rides his chariot and destroys in a flash all the sins of his devotees, even if these may be grave or unpardonable.

The Chariots

The three chariots of Balabhadra, Subhadra and Jagannatha are newly constructed every year with wood of specified trees like phassi, dhausa, etc. customarily brought from the ex-princely state of Dasapalla, by a specialist team of carpenters who have hereditary rights and privilege for the same. The logs are traditionally set afloat as rafts in the river Mahanadi. These are collected near Puri and then transported by road.

The three chariots, newly constructed every year and decorated as per the unique scheme prescribed and followed for centuries stand on the Bada Danda, the Grand Avenue. Covered with a bright canopies made of stripes of red cloth combined with those of black, yellow and blue colours, the huge chariots are lined across the wide avenue right in front of the majestic temple close to its eastern entrance, also known as the Sinhadwara or the Lion’s Gate.

Lord Jagannatha’s Chariot is called Nandighosa. It is forty-five feet high and forty-five feet square at the wheel level. It has sixteen wheels, each of seven feet diameters, and is decked with a cover made of red and yellow cloth. Lord Jagannatha is identified with Krishna who is also known as Pitambara, the one attired in golden yellow robes and hence the distinguishing yellow stripes on the canopy of this chariot.

The Chariot of Lord Balabhadra, called the Taladhwaja, the one with the Palm Tree on its flag, has fourteen wheels, each of seven feet diameters and is covered with red and blue cloth. Its height is forty-four feet.

The Chariot of Subhadra, known as Darpadalana, literally trampler of pride, is forty-three feet high with twelve wheels, each of seven feet diameters. This Chariot is decked with a covering of red and black cloth, black being traditionally associated with Shakti and the Mother goddess.

Around each of the chariots are nine Parsva devatas, painted wooden images representing different deities on the chariots’ sides. Each of the chariots is attached with four horses. These are of different colours – white ones for Balabhadra, dark ones for Jagannatha and red ones for Subhadra. Each chariot has a charioteer called Sarathi. The three charioteers attached to the chariots of Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra respectively are Matali, Daruka and Arjuna.

The Festival and The Journey

At last the appointed day for the great Festival of chariots arrives. It is Asadha Shukla Dwitiya, the second day in the bright fortnight of the first monsoon month of the Indian seasonal calendar. It is typically in late June in normal years but every few years, after adjustment of the solar and lunar calendars, with a double Baisakha, this occurs in July. The presiding deities of the temple Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, in a unique reversal of roles of the seeker and the sought, set out from within the sanctum of the temple to mingle with millions of their devotees.

 

Stress at Work-place - A Negative Phenomenon

 

By Nandita Mohanty

eMail:mohantynandita28@gmail.com

“Hey , what’s up?”

“Ohh yaar, don’t ask. I am really stressed out. Life has become hell.”

“Why? What happened ? You are in a government concern in good position. Then what is your problem? One fine morning Varun asked his friend Mitrabhanu.”

That’s right. But now a days there is so much work pressure. Everything is target oriented. Scheduled work has to be finished in scheduled time. If the target will not be achieved then it will count my future. As I am a good worker the expectation of my Boss is also very high. Sometimes I am unable to cope up with this and in stress. It is also hampering my personal life.”

This is not the case of only one Mitrabhanu. There are many such people suffering like this. Similar is the case of Smita working in a corporate house. The organization where Smita works, provide the banking solutions to a western country. As the client is a western country the timing is adjusted accordingly. Smita has to work from 12 o’clock in night to 7 o’clock in the morning. After coming from her duty she wants to take rest. For that her house- hold core will be delayed. Her daughter will miss the school bus. Husband will be deprived of breakfast and lunch box. For which there will be a fight everyday. At last things become so stressed that Smita has to quit the job.

In this modern life style we come across this word ‘stress’ more often. Modern life is full of stress. Stress on individual ranges from personal day to day life to organizational activities. Now life is fast and challenging. Everyone wants to succeed in life. People are becoming more and more ambitious and want to excel in every field. Life is multi-faceted now. Urbanization, industrialization and increase in scale of operation in organizations also add to the increase in stress. In this changing environment, participation, interaction, transaction, planning and regulation become the key issues, each with its own share of frustration , there by attracting stresses. People feel stress as they don’t have full control over what is happening in life. There is no escape from stress in modern life. In today’s context “stress is costly business expense that affects both employees’ health and organizational profit. Therefore it has become customary to understand the concept of stress, its causes and impact and adopting strategies for minimizing the impact.”

Stress is basically the impact of one object on another. There are three terms which are used synonymously to denote this phenomenon; stress , strain and pressure. There are very small differences in these terms. Stress is basically used in physical sciences which mean pressure of one object on another. From physical sciences the term “stress” came to medical sciences and finally to social sciences. As per the medical explanation the term stress is the body’s natural response to environmental situations. Selye, who has done considerable research on this subject has viewed stress as the“non-specifically induced changes within a biological system.”

Job-stress or work-place stress is a condition arising from the interaction of people and their jobs and characterized by the changes within people that force them to deviate from their normal functioning.

Stress may result in any kind of deviation- physical, psychological or behavioural in person. This deviation is from usual state of affairs or usual behavior of a person. From this point of view, stress is different from anxiety and more comprehensive than the later. Anxiety is a state of mind which lasts for small period of time and has a less impact on human behavior. But strees has stronger impact which may result in more precise destruction in personal and organizational affairs. Stress may be the result of individual’s interaction with the environmental stimuli .The stimuli may be in the form of interaction with environment, people event and so on the impact of the stimuli produces deviation in the individual.

There are many conditions in which people may feel stress. The conditions that tend to cause stress are known as stressors. The stressors may be individual, group and organizational.

Individual stressors and group stressors are all time present but organizational stressors play a vital role in life of an individual in this changing world. As an organization is composed of individuals and different groups, therefore individual stressors and group stressors may also exist in organizational context. The major organizational stressors are as follows:-

Organizational policy: Organizational policies provide guidelines for action. Unfavourable and ambiguous policies may affect the functioning of the individuals adversely and they may experience stress. Thus unfair and arbitrary performance evaluation, unrealistic job description, frequently reallocation of activities, rotating work shifts, ambiguous procedure, inflexible rules, inequality of incentives etc. work as stressors in work-place.

Organizational structure:- Organisation structure provide formal relationship among individuals in an organization. Any defect in organization structure, lack of participation in decision making, lack of opportunity for advancement, high degree of specialization, excessive inter dependence of various departments, line and staff conflict etc. work as stressors as relationship among individuals and groups do not work effectively.

Organizational process:- Organizational process also affect individual behavior at work –place. Faulty organizational processes like poor communication, poor and inadequate feedback work performance, ambiguous and conflicting roles, unfair control systems, inadequate information flow causes stress for the people in the work-place.

Physical conditions:- Organization’s physical conditions also affect work performance in the work-place. Thus poor physical conditions like crowding and lack of privacy, excessive noise, excessive heat or cold, presence of toxic chemicals and radiations, air pollution, safety hazards, poor lighting etc produce stress in people in the work-place.

Thus stress is an negative phenomenon. Stress management is necessary when stress over-power the physical and mental health of a person. Stressors are destructive by nature. Though total escape from stress is not possible, proper stress management should be adopted to minimize it in the work-place.

( The writer is now working as Postal Assistant, Ashoknagar MDG, Bhubaneswar – 751 009 and is a member of All India Postal Employees Union, Group-C, Bhubaneswar Division )

*****

Registered letters can't be returned without proper reason: Madras high court

The postman should make it clear as to whether the registered letter was served on the addressee or refused by the addressee or no addressee was found in the given address, the judge said.

CHENNAI: The Madras high court has frowned on mechanical return of registered letters as "unclaimed" by postmen, and said that in case they could not be delivered, proper reasons must be given.

 

Justice S Tamilvanan, underscoring the importance of a registered post in litigations and other matters, said that when people pay a fee and affix sufficient postal stamp, the postal authorities or postmen must discharge their duties in a responsible manner. The postman should make it clear as to whether the registered letter was served on the addressee or refused by the addressee or no addressee was found in the given address, the judge said.

 

Passing orders on a matrimonial litigation, wherein a Chennai-based woman wanted her divorce proceedings to be transferred from a Puducherry court to a Chennai court, the judge said the woman's notice sent by registered post had been returned undelivered with a simple endorsement "unclaimed." Slamming the practice, Justice Tamilvanan said the court was of the view that the reason for the non-delivery of the notice had not been properly explained to the person who sent it.

"The endorsement 'not claimed' is required to be made in a responsible manner by the postman or the official of the postal department, so as to convey proper reason and to bring out the fact as to under what circumstances the registered letter could not be served on the addressee by the postman," the judge said.

In case the registered letter is delivered to a person other than the addressee, the postman must obtain clear endorsement and explain the relationship of the signatory who received the letter on behalf of the addressee, Justice Tamilvanan said.

Return of registered letters with a comment "unclaimed" or with some other improper endorsement would cause inconvenience to the general public and the person seeking justice through court of law, the judge said, adding: "Service of notice by registered post plays a vital role in deciding several cases."

He then directed the chief post-master general of Tamil Nadu to give suitable instructions to all postal department officials to follow the guidelines laid down by the court in this case.

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com