Policy Note 2005 - 2006, Stationery Printing Department, Tamil Nadu, India

The Commissionerate of Stationery and Printing is established at Anna Salai, Chennai-2. The following Units are functioning under its administrative control.

After the modernisation of the Government Central Press with new equipments, the facilities were extended to Branch Presses at Madurai, Salem and Pudukkottai.

The Branch Presses at Trichy and Vridhachalam are functioning with the use of letter press machines and planned to be modernised soon.

Procurement of Stationery articles, supply of typewriters and duplicators to all the Govt. departments under the State Government is the prime object of this organisation.

As of now 2631 employees are working in the Stationery and Printing Department, out of which 493 are Women, 37 visually impaired (Men 27, Women 10) 84 Physically Handicapped (Men 68, Women 16) and 9 hearing impaired/dumb (Men 7, Women 2).

The Stationery Stores and Govt. Presses which functioned separately have been amalgamated and started functioning as Stationery and Printing Department. Under the control of an I.A.S. Officer, Joint Director, General Manager, 2 Works Managers, 9 Deputy Works Managers, 27 Assistant Works Managers, 9 Assistant Directors, One Chief Accounts Officer, One Deputy Director, One Cost Accountant and One Labour Welfare Officer are working. The Government Presses, Stationery Stores and Sales Depots are also under the administrative control of the Commissionerate of Stationery and Printing, Chennai.

The Government Central Press which was functioning since 1831 with ten employees for the required printing jobs of Government at Fort St. George was later shifted to Mint in the year 1888. The Government Central Press is now functioning with 1571 employees under the supervision of two Works Managers. The employees in the Press are working in three shifts.

In the Stationery and Printing Department, letter press machines were used. In view of the worldwide technological developments and introduction of modernised machines in 1992, six units of multi-colour Super Speed Web-Offset machines, offset machines and computers in lieu of lead manufacturing machines have been installed for the first time. Moreover, the modernised printing related plate exposures, plate processors, etc. were also installed in the Government Central Press.

The Government Stationery Stores is now functioning with 159 employees under the control of an Assistant Director. This office is the centralised agency for the procurement of stationery articles, Tamil and English typewriters, duplicators, calculators and Press made articles. These are distributed to all Government Departments in Tamil Nadu annually under Tamil Nadu Transparency and Tender Act. Almost all Government Departments have been supplied with Tamil Typewriters. The English Typewriters are also distributed after obtaining the permission of the Government. Typewriters, Duplicators and Calculators are procured at the D.G.S. & D. rate contract.

Stationery articles are supplied for 3474 indenting offices every year (Free supply for 3342 and prepayment supply for 132 offices). In the current year stationery articles were supplied to 1695 offices. 219 Tamil typewriters were supplied to Government offices during this current year by this department.

During the year 2004-2005 Rs.18.91 crores were spent on the purchase of paper and boards. Paper varieties to the tune of Rs.16.40 crores have been purchased from M/s.TNPL. Special varieties of papers, carbon papers, ink tubes, etc. to the value of Rs.2.51 crores were purchased and distributed.

This Branch Press was established in the year 1923 in the High Court Buildings, Chennai. A Deputy Works Manager with 173 employees is administering this Press and it is working in two shifts. The highlight in the functioning of this press is that top priority is given to the printing of daily cause list which is taken up during night shift so that they may be placed in the Court the very next day paving way for its functioning. Printing of forms and registers required by the Hon’ble High Court are also undertaken here.

This Branch Press was started in the year 1976 and it is now functioning in two shifts with 173 employees under the control of a Deputy Works Manager and an Assistant Works Manager.

The forms and registers printed at this press are supplied to Revenue, Treasury and Accounts, Police, Registration, Health and Commercial Taxes Departments. The Seed Certification Tags to Agriculture Department, Indices to Government Departments and schedule of rates for Public Works Department are also printed in this Press.

The District Gazettes of the following districts are printed through Computerisation since 1-1-2002:

This Branch Press was opened in the year 1966. It is under the control of a Branch Manager assisted by an Assistant Works Manager. This Branch Press is functioning with 80 employees in two shifts. Tamil Nadu Treasury Code Forms, Medical Forms, Government Examination Forms and ‘A’ Registers are printed and supplied by this Branch Press.

The District Gazettes relating to the Districts of Salem, Coimbatore, Erode, Namakkal, The Nilgiris and Dharmapuri are also printed in this Press.

Sri Brahadambal State Press, Pudukkottai was amalga-mated with this Department in the year 1949.

The District Gazettes in respect of the following 12 districts are also printed in this Press:

Under the control of a Branch Manager, this Government Branch Press is functioning with 99 employees in two shifts. Standardised Forms and Registers for Adi-dravidar Welfare Department, Backward Class Welfare Department, Police, Medical, Pension and Forest Departments are printed in this Branch Press.

This Printing Press was established in 1965 in a rented building at Ariyamangalam.

Now it is functioning under the control of a Branch Manager with 99 employees in two shifts in its own building at Thuvakudi. Standardised common forms and Registers, Personal Registers, Cash Registers and Measurement Books required for all Government Departments are being printed.

The District Gazettes pertaining to the Districts of Tiruchirappalli, Perambalur and Karur are printed in this Press.

This Branch Press started in the year 1966 in a rented building now functions in its own building from 1969.

The District Gazettes in respect of the following districts are printed in this Press.

Now it functions with 78 employees who are working in two shifts under the control of a Deputy Works Manager. Forms and Registers are printed and supplied to the Agriculture, Public Works, Police, Fire Service, National Cadet Corps, Forest, Labour and Employment, Animal Husbandry, Medical, Industries and Commerce, Co-operation and Statistics Departments of the Government.

For 1329 indenting offices, working under 84 Government Departments, 2675 varieties of forms and registers to the tune of 38 crores are printed and distributed upto 28th February 2005 by the Government Central Press, Chennai and other branch presses under the Stationery and Printing Department during the financial year 2004-2005, the details of which are as follows:-

Sl.No.	Name of the Unit	Number of Departments	Number of varieties of printed forms/ registers
1.	Government Central Press, Chennai-79.	38	1176
2.	Government Branch Press, High Court Buildings, Chennai-104.	5	369
3.	Government Branch Press, Madurai.	8	298
4.	Government Branch Press, Salem.	5	60
5.	Government Branch Press, Pudukkottai.	8	239
6.	Government Branch Press, Tiruchirappalli	5	101
7.	Government Branch Press, Vridhachalam.	15	432
	Total	84	2675

Further, about 4 crores of answer sheets and non-standardized forms and registers are printed and supplied within the stipulated time during the year 2004-05 to the Department of Government Examinations realising the importance of the work.

Printing jobs to the value of Rs.30 crores are executed and sent to all Government Offices during the year 2004-05. Besides this, every year, the reports of Accountant General, Pension Payment Order Book etc. to the tune of Rs.14.55 lakhs are being printed and supplied. Books and registers to the value of Rs.27 lakhs received from Government Undertakings were printed and supplied.

Every year, Community Certificates about 8 to 10 lakhs required by the general public are printed at the Government Central Press, Chennai for distribution.

For the use of general public under the public distribution system, 39 lakhs of family cards, 1.53 crores inner sheets of family cards, 1.78 crores application forms for family cards and 1.78 crores forms of acknowledgement were printed during the year 2005 within the time frame.

The books pertaining to the Law Department, Government of India’s Law Books of Tamil version, answer sheets for the selection of uniformed services, call letters, disqualified slips etc. were printed to the tune of 1.13 crores copies.

The day-to-day cause list, case sheets etc. of the Hon’ble High Court are printed to the tune of 18 lakhs and distributed.

Letter Pads and envelopes required by the Hon’ble Ministers and Hon’ble Members of Legislative Assembly are printed at the Government Central Press, Chennai.

Letter pads, envelopes, greeting cards etc. of the Hon’ble Chief Justice and other Judges are also printed at the Government Central Press, Chennai.

13 varieties of tax tokens of quarterly, half-yearly and annual relating to the Transport Department are printed at the Government Central Press, Chennai-79. Posters, Hand Books, Symbols, forms of electoral rolls are printed to the tune of 9.56 crores copies indented to the Election Department, Letter pads as required by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, letter heads with emblem, notifications for the departmental examinations, forms of the certificate of marks, invitations for the celebrations of Independence Day, Republic Day, Swearing-in-ceremony of Ministry pertaining to the Public Department, permit cards for the entry of cars, Press/TV Reporters, Telephone Directory, Establishment Lists of officers belonging to Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Forest Rangers, list of civil service, establishment list of officers of Secretariat are also printed.

A Government Publication wing is functioning in the Commissionerate campus at Anna Salai, Chennai. A Sales Sub-Depot is functioning in the premises of Government Branch Press, High Court. Acts and Rules, Codes, Manuals, Gazettes and Notifications and Service Registers, etc., are being sold by these sales depots. These depots also act as agents for the sale of Government of India Publications. Government Publications are sold through 32 authorised agents in all districts.

An amount of Rs.84,31,605/- has been accrued as revenue through publication charges and Rs.12,14,126/- has been collected by selling Gazettes and Government Publications, etc. Thus Rs.96,45,731/- has been collected totally upto 31.1.2005. This is one of the sources of revenue for the Government.

In the year 1962, 300 Residential Quarters were constructed at Tondiarpet in Chennai for the benefit of the employees of the Government Press. To look after the welfare of the employees working in Chennai, a Labour Welfare Officer, Assistant Labour Welfare Officer and Health Supervisor are working in this department. A dispensary functions in the Government Central Press. The Medical Officer of the dispensary periodically visits all the units in Chennai city including Commissionerate once in a week and provides necessary medical facilities to the employees, staff and officers.

The workers in the Government Central Press, Stationery Stores and in all other Government Branch Presses are paid cash allowance of Rs.100 each in lieu of supply of Bun and Tea. A milk allowance of Rs.2 per day per head is paid to the workers who are exposed to lead fumes in addition to supply of multivitamin tablets. Water Coolers are installed in the Commissionerate, Government Central Press and in all other Government Branch Presses and Stationery Stores.

The men employees of Government Presses are supplied with three pairs of Polyester Uniforms, once in two years with stitching charges of Rs.300 at the rate of Rs.100 per pair. The women employees are supplied with three Polyester Sarees and Blouse Pieces and a sum of Rs.60 at the rate of Rs.20 per blouse towards stitching charges is also paid to them. Canteen is being run for the employees at Government Central Press, Chennai, Stationery Stores, Chennai and at the Government Branch Press, Madurai.

The Tamil Nadu Stationery and Printing Department Employees Co-operative Society Limited, which is functioning at Government Central Press and Branch Presses provides loan facilities to the employees to the extent of Rs.1,50,000/-One calendar and one diary are supplied to all the employees of Stationery and Printing Department free of cost.

Apprentices are being engaged with reference to the strength of employees of this department.

Sufficient space has been provided in the Government Central Press for conducting Classes Yoga between 4 to 5 p.m. for the welfare of technical employees.

During the current year the sum of of Rs.1,660/-, Rs.900/- and Rs.4,440 were spent for the employees for the celebration of Ayudha pooja, Independence day and towards purchase of sports materials respectively. Altogether a total sum of Rs.7,000/- were expended as per G.O. Ms. No.1469, Transport Department, dated 22.8.86.

The Government Press which was started 174 years ago, is continuing its function very efficiently. Taking into account of the obsolete status of letter press printing process and introduction of new innovations in the printing industry, modernization of Government Press is being felt and it is now on the anvil of implementation with a long vision, in a phased manner. As the Government Presses are on the threshold of modernisation, the surplus staff and employees working in certain sections are being redeployed to other sections in which their services are required.

The Administrative set up of the Commissionerate of Stationery and Printing and the details of the employees during 2004-05 are tabulated and given in the Annexure.

Though the number of employees have come down to 50% consequent on the modernisation of Branch Presses at Madurai, Salem and Pudukkottai, the production capacity of this Department compared to the past years has been increased double fold along with quality in printing.

During 2003-2004 Two colour sheet fed offset printing machine for the Government Central Press, Chennai-79 was procured at a cost of Rs.43.00 lakhs and installed.

A sum of Rs.30.74 lakhs has been allotted under Part II Scheme for the year 2004-05 and purchased of the following machineries to this department.

Following the modernisation of Government Presses in a phased manner all the works relating to Government are being printed qualitatively in time and this department functions efficiently. Further this department continue to function effectively by increasing the efficiency in printing, keeping the secrecy of secret documents of the Government.

O. PANNEERSELVAM,
Minister for Public Works, Prohibition & Excise and Revenue Department.