REPLY TO THE DIRECTORATE'S LETTER CHARGING SBCO FOR THE DELAYED DETECTION OF FRAUDS REGARDING:
Ref.No.AIPSBCOEA/10/TN/2018 Date: 4.1.2019
To
The Director General,
Department of Posts,
New Delhi.
Respected Sir,
Subject:
Reply to the DG Letters referred below and
difficulties faced by SBCO in CBS Scenerio and some suggestions for
the same reg…
Ref: 1. DG post DO lr no. 25-31/2017-FS-CBS dt 19.11.2018
addressed to all
HOCs
regarding “ preventive checks to avert / unearth and
investigate
frauds in CBS post offices” especially on para 4 of the DO letter.
2. DDG (FS) DO no. 116-22/2018-FS dt 21.12.2018
addressed to all HOCs .
Our
Association invites the kind attention to the para 4 of the DO letter cited 1st
in the reference “Main reason for
delayed detection and facilitation of the fraud was the failure of SBCO to
carry out the prescribed checks and functions. As was discussed during the HOC
meeting on 13th Nov 2018, please ensure to conduct a SBCO Reality
check in Head Post offices in your Circle”.
While our Association expresses thankfulness to the DG post for suggesting
Reality check of SBCO, we took strong exception that failure of SBCO to carry
out the prescribed checks and functions is the main reason for delayed
detection and facilitation of the fraud.
Reality check of SBCO will bring the
issues faced by the SBCO to the DG directly if the check is done honestly by
the HOCs. In the DO letter itself it was said
that fraud has occurred by changing the name of depositor, amount and making
withdrawal. This is self explanatory on the safety of public money in the CBS
Finacle software. The software is
insecure on the following aspects as far as it is come to the notice of SBCO.
1.
The CIF ID of any depositor may be changed / merged to another depositor’s name
which in turn update the basic records such as signature of depositor and
thereby facilitates committing fraud intentionally by the ill minded officials.
2.
There is no report generation option for the changing / merging of CIF ID of
depositor in Finacle.
3.
No security in drawing interest amount from Office accounts. Any amount can be
drawn for an account without mentioning account no / wrong account no / by entering
any number of digits in Finacle.
4.
The procedure for clearing of cheques for opening of new accounts is vogue that
there is no check for the amount drawn from office account for opening of new
account with respect to the amount mentioned in the cheque.
5.
While closing the accounts in r/o all categories and crediting the amount in to
SB account of the depositor concerned which stands open at a Branch Post
office, instead of crediting the amount
directly in to the SB account of depositor, amount first transferred to BO
account and then to the SB account. In such a case, there are chances to credit
the amount in to the SB account of a person other than the depositor and also
any amount can be drawn.
The insufficiency in security
aspects in Finacle software is high and with the present setup highly prone to
committing of fraud by the officials with mollified intention.
Our Association strongly feels that
instead of charging the SBCO units as failure to detect the frauds in time, the
lapses / bugs in the Finacle software shall be ascertained by the technical
team experts and action taken to keep the Finacle software with high security.
The working procedure / guidelines
for SBCO are issued vide SB order 14/2015 and addendums thereon. DOP is going on issuing orders to SBCO
without considering the ground level reality and CBS functioning. After the
issuance of SB order 14/2015, the work nature of SBCO is modified to some
extent but the time taken to complete all the works is very high. The average time
taken for each and every work in the Finacle environment are worked out by our
Association based on the experience of SBCO in various Head offices across the
cross section of all Circles and detailed in the annexure enclosed.
SBCO is constrained to the extent of
raising Objections for the lapses noticed during voucher checking. It is the
responsibility of Postmasters, Divisional Administration to analyze the root
cause of Objections and to ensure proper functioning of SB operations in the
offices avoiding repeating of same objections. But instead of doing this, the
administration is urging SBCO to settle the objections merely on reducing
pending no. of objections.
On
introduction of CSI, uploading total figures of each category in SAP and
provision of changing the figures within the 5th of next month leads
to another confusion. In this regard our
Association invites the kind attention to the DDG (FS) DO letter cited in the
reference 2nd cited and to the para no. 6 “…. The roles / responsibilities
of SBCO are likely to undergo considerable change after GL integration and
revised / updated orders would issue once the GL integration is completed and
made functional. Till such time, scheme wise consolidation of a SOL to be
matched with CSI daily report of the concerned Post office by SBCO”.
As of now, CSI daily report
generated by a SOL may be changed in the further course up to the 5th
date of next month and in such a case matching of scheme wise consolidation of
a SOL with CSI report on daily basis will be only in vain. Action may be taken
to ensure that correction, if any, should be made within the next day in SAP.
Besides all these technical issues,
SBCO is facing so many difficulties and some of them are summarized below.
1.
SBCO
is directed to submit various reports on daily/ weekly / fortnightly / monthly
/Quarterly/ yearly basis by the Divisional / Regional / Circle Administrations
though there are clear instructions in SB order 14/2015 on the reports to be
submitted by SBCO. This consumes much time. Every Administrative office is
provided with SET Id for generation of reports but instead, SBCO is insisted to
generate such reports.
2.
SBCO
is controlled by Postmaster & Divisional Head and not by its Appointing
authority. This type of controlling ties
the hands of SBCO Units and could not able to function properly.
3.
Day
to day administration on SBCO, writing of APARs etc., are all in the hands of
Postmaster / Divisional Head but SBCO is functionally responsible for
identifying the lapses on the part of officials controlled / appointed by these
authorities. This quite naturally fixes the SBCO as an unwanted evil in the
office by these authorities.
Our Association wishes
to suggest the following to the Department for the effective functioning of
SBCO and to have active role in detection of frauds at an early stage.
1. The Administrative control of
SBCO should be vested with the Regional DPS with the sub ordinate control of
Accounts officer ICO (SB).
2. The powers on posting and transfer
of SBCO officials shall be vested with the Committee headed by the Regional DPS
with Accounts officer ICO SB and Assistant Director (Staff) as members of
committee.
3. SBCO is to send due reports to
General Manager PA & F directly with copy to Regional DPS. Further action
on the reports shall be taken by Accounts officer ICO SB at Regional level
issuing directions to Divisional Head to comply with the directions in a time
bound manner.
4. SBCO should be completely
detached from the control of Postmaster of HO and Divisional Head. All control
over SBCO officials shall be vested with Regional DPS and day to day
administration of SBCO shall be vested with Assistant Accounts officer ICO( SB
) who shall remain in the office of ICO (SB) and not entrusted with Inspection
works.
5. SBCO shall function centrally at one or
two places in a Region. Vouchers and documents need not be sent to these offices but
preserved at the office of transactions itself. A team of SBCO officials shall
visit the offices directly for local audit of vouchers and other connected records in a time bound
manner so that one office comes under local audit once in six months. On
completion of audit, vouchers and documents shall be weeded out after one year.
6. Percentage checking of vouchers
during the course of visit to the offices may be relaxed to the extent of 5% of
total withdrawals of above Rs.50,000/- in r/o all status of offices.
7. If suggestion at para 5 above
could not be accede to , Based on the time factor arrived as in the annexure
enclosed, augmentation of staff of SBCO shall be made and provided. Till such
time providing sufficient manpower to SBCO shall be ensured as per DG Post
orders.
ANNEXURE
SBCO WORK HOUR ASSESSMENT
STATEMENT FOR A SINGLE OFFICE
|
S.No.
|
DAILY ITEMS OF WORK
|
MINUTES
|
|
1.
|
Receipt of Returns – Per office (12 – Schemes)
|
36
|
|
2.
|
Separation of Voucher,
Consolidation and making Office wise Order – Per Office including BO
|
4
|
|
3.
|
Downloading Consolidation from
Finacle Per Office including BO(12 Schemes) subject to enability of JC
server.
|
14
|
|
4.
|
Downloading LOT from Finacle –
Per Office including BO (12 Schemes)
subject to enablility of MIS server.
|
14
|
|
5.
|
Tallying Consolidation received
from SOs with Consolidation generated from Finacle for all categories – Per
Office including BO
|
4
|
|
6.
|
Preparation of Consolidation –
SB 72/SB 86 (Manual Posting Work in Excel) – Per Office including BO
|
10
|
|
7.
|
General Check of Vouchers – 1 Deposit Voucher
1 withdrawal voucher
1 closure voucher
|
1.5
2.5
4
|
|
8.
|
Counting Vouchers w.r.to number
of deposits and withdrawal vouchers written on the consolidations. Per office (12 Schemes) As per SB Order
14/2015 Sub Para 2.7
|
7
|
|
9.
|
Voucher Checking for LSG and
above offices – Per Transaction (12 schemes) (12x 2 min)
|
18
|
|
10
|
Raising Objections and Sending
to office including Miscellaneous work
|
20/OM
|
|
11.
|
Downloading Scheme wise
Consolidation from SAP (12 Schemes)
|
10
|
|
12.
|
Tallying figures downloaded from Finacle and SAP and reconciliation
of difference If any
(12 schemes) ( 12 x 10m)
|
120
|
|
TOTAL time taken
per office
|
265minutes
|
|
|
Particulars
|
Hours / man days
worked out
|
|
No. of
offices :
|
(no. of offices X 265 min)
|
|
Required
man days
|
(Total minutes/450 min
(ie.,) 7.5 hours/one official
|
|
Sanctioned Strength
|
Supervisor
:
PAs (SBCO)
|
|
Required Strength
|
Supervisor
:
PAs (SBCO)
|
With Regards,
SHP. Jasmine Jalal Begam
Circle Secretary,
AIPSBCOEA,TN Circle.
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