Monday, June 13, 2011

Views/comments received from members.

Views/comments received from members of the Associations :

Chief Commissioner being the SUPER BOSS just wants to implement what so ever comes in her mind. Starting from Commissioner level to Assistant commissioner (the junior most cadre in IRS) due to their paralytical position being under and junior to her, knows the real fact but not coming forward openly to say, that her desire to create new policy not only unpractical as well as unproductive rehearsal on the name of exposure and good administration.

In the meeting paper circulated for the meeting held on 26/05/11 and 31/05/11 from the administration so many times, it is repeated that there will not be major displacement of the field officer i.e. Inspector and Superintendent, than anybody who have even a basic knowledge of administration will ask, than how it will be implemented and why there is a need to frame and put a new policy.

The present policy proving very well and stream line exposure to the field staff in their field work. Will Chief Commissioner put on records how the field staff will be benefited in their work execution and how much department will get more revenue on account of implementation of her so called new policy? Definitely the true answer will be NOTHING and NONE; it will just satisfy the ego of chief commissioner. Because every Commissionerate having full in-depth built up strength to give exposure to its working force. Every Commissionerate having same work of Central Excise, Customs, and Service Tax. And every where the work is being executed under the same law, there is no different law in different Commissionerate.


Instead of focusing on this type of unrealistic and unproductive approach towards the administration if Madam had concentrated and have taken care of creating good infrastructure and timely and effective training for the field force, she could have been admired by everyone. Madam, during the visit of lower formation, Commissionerate to OUT POST Place, what you find on the name of infrastructure. From years to years either hired building, no proper office accommodation for field staff (Exempt IRS, as they have been provided fully air condition rooms, May not be legally entitle)

Have Madam ever think about the training and refreshing courses for field staff, none of the IRS posted before years of training to their duty and what on the part of Inspector, a newly promoted /recruited inspector get posted to field formation and from the beginning day he is held responsible for every act. In fact lack of effective and timely training is responsible, if there is any deficiency, merely by rotation/ transfer, deficiency cannot be eradicated, as the person/mind remain the same just the place of work get changed. Just change of place does not enhance the efficiency; infect proper training should be provided and that too in time. It is evident from the transfer and rotation policy of the IRS, they are transferred and rotated within 1 or 2 years, if merely change of place can enhance efficiency and can provide exposure to work than why they are being sent for training and refreshing courses from time to time since their birth in the department to till they retire.

The fact is, at lower formation called as OUT POST/out sector there is no office building (to think about basic facility like drinking water, and proper sitting accommodation , vehicle etc is a matter not to discuss) , anybody can imagine the worst infrastructure condition, and still all the higher ups sitting in air condition room (for which even they are not entitle), using departmental vehicle for their personal and family use, desire that the field officer should give 100% fight against the terror attack for which almost every week they issue /circulate the alert notice etc.

The office recognized as office of the Inspector/ Superintendent, but no basic infrastructure available. No housing accommodation. Instead of wasting time to make new policy if the Chief Commissioner had used her good office to develop/ create a good infrastructure for field formation where inspector /superintendent perform their duty, chief commissioner may have been remembered for ever for her creative work. Will madam like to answer, at how many places in her tenure on her efforts office building or housing infrastructure has been developed, the answer will come Nil, if any how at some places its coming it’s the effort of the officers, who had given her legacy. And she wants to change the policy framed by them.

So to establish upon that existing policy not provide equal opportunity in terms of exposure and neither do the support capacity building is nothing but merely using the dictionary word just used to impress upon on the reader, as the commercial companies do to sell out their product in competitive market.

Madam on the name of exposure, you IRS officers had already done a deep harm to the department and given a lot of exposure to the field officer………………………., if that will come to the knowledge to the outsiders (though now it has started come to their knowledge) still there is time, that in favour of department as well as officer, you really do what is expected from your office and for which you have been paid from the pocket of tax payer citizens.

Jai Hind.

Request for views / comments on new Customs Policy

All the members of both the Associations are requested to share their views / comments / suggestions on new transfer/rotation policy issued by the Chief Commissioner, Customs, Ahmedabad.

View/comments on new Customs Policy

Views / comments received from members of the Associations :


Analysis of the Policy :


Finally, much ‘unwanted’ the Customs Transfer / Placement / Deputation Policy has been issued by the CCO, Ahmedabad. It is a requiem for the deputation policy hitherto going at Kachchh Customs Commissionerate Kandla / Custom House Kandla posting for past more than two decade. Now onwards there will be common pool of officers for postings at the entire Customs Zone, including Kandla.


Coming to the nitty-gritty of the Policy, as per the last condition of the para no. 3, the officers are liable to be transferred and posted to any place in the jurisdiction of Gujarat Customs Zone. (emphasis supplied to “any place in the jurisdiction of Gujarat Customs Zone”).

It appears that the said condition is unlikely to go down well amongst the officers and unlikely to be accepted in the present form. Though it is being heard from the administration that preference would be called for from the officers and they would be placed accordingly to their preference or to the station nearer to their parent commissionerate, as far as possible, excepting in the case where the officer is posted at CH, Kandla. Minimum that should be done to make the policy acceptable is to remove the condition of being posted anywhere in Gujarat Customs Zone and add a condition that the officer would be posted nearer to his concurrent parent Central Excise jurisdiction. Whether the management accept it or not, the officer in the vicinity of 40 and above, would not be in position to move his domicile very easily and frequently.

Similarly, the para 4 of the Policy pertaining to criteria for posting in Customs Zone is also required to placed under scanner. Here the condition (ii) reads as under ;

“(ii) Once an officer is assigned a customs tenure, he shall not be considered for Central Excise before completion of the tenure. Similarly, once already moved out for Central Excise outstation tenure, he shall not be picked up for Customs outstation tenure.”

Under the first part of the condition, the boundary between Customs and Central Excise has been made non-porous. The officer once posted to customs will have to complete Customs tenure, come what may. This water-tight compartment would not be palatable to officers.

Second part of the clause is very confusing. It states that once already moved out for Central Excise outstation tenure, he shall not be picked up for Customs outstation tenure. The clause needs to be explained with example, for each sector. Further, it needs elaboration as to what is Central Excise outstation tenure and what is Customs outstation tenure means. And still further what the administration mean by the term, Outstation.

Third condition, of the para 4 of the Policy is further more difficult to understand and even more complex to implement. It reads as under :

“(iii) Between two outstation postings, either in Central Excise or Customs, there should be a gap of 8 years i.e. on completion of an outstation Central Excise tenure, the officer will not be posted in any outstation in Customs.”

Without the definition of outstation postings it is difficult to exactly gauge the implication of the above condition. Further if the HQ and division postings are considered as ‘station’ posting and rest as ‘outstation’ postings, which appears to be decipherable meaning of the said term, there would be hardly any officers from Rajkot sector who would have not moved out to ‘outstation’ in previous 8 years.

Would it mean that no officer from Rajkot sector be ‘touched’ !!!

Para 5 of the Policy pertaining to posting of officers to Customs commissionnerate is also not free from confusion. Until the officer is posted to specific commissionerate there would be uncertainty as to where he would land up. Past experience has revealed that the system of ‘preferences’ called for by the administration is rarely being followed in letter and spirit. In fact the officers, sensing design of the administration, has started playing gambit by declaring the least preferred station as “preferences”, as the preferred station are invariably ruled out. So, if the officers is not placed at his preferred station the administration should declare the reason for such action.

Para 5(ii)(b) of the policy pertaining to Lady officers reads as under :

“(b) Lady officers whose name feature in the list would be allowed to exercise an option of not taking up a customs tenure outstation.”

Again this clause has been drafted probably keeping in mind the officers of Ahd/Vadodara sector. For Rajkot sector, there is no Customs postings in or around Rajkot city upto 100 kms. Whether Jamnagar HQ would be considered as Outstation posting or not, needs clarification.

Para 6 of the Policy states that all annual transfer / placement orders should be issued by 15th May and join new place of posting by 31st May. This condition the Policy straightaway stands violated as we are in midst of June and still no orders of transfer or placement are issued. In any case, this dead line for issuance of annual transfer needs to be brought ahead to 15th April and 30th April.

Above are the major points of concern so far as Rajkot sector is concerned. There might be issues which need to be addressed for other sector/s too. Therefore, more rounds of negotiation will ensue to tweak it to minimum acceptable form. No one would deny that more time would be required for this excercise. Anymore time in issuing Annual transfer order would mean the end annual transfer exercise itself. As clamour has already started on the count that the academic year has started and officers are no longer in mood or position to move out of their present station.

The need of the hour is, accordingly, to put entire Customs policy to the backburner too, like Central Excise policy for the current year. This would also clear any uncertainties that the association, and to some extent the administration, is presuming that it might throw up on introduction of GST and or Cadre restructuring.

Let the Kandla solution be found in isolation.

Meeting Circular - 13.06.2011

All India Association of Central Excise Gazetted Executive Officers, Rajkot Unit


And


All India Central Excise Inspectors’ Association,
Rajkot Branch



Date: 13.6.2011



CIRCULAR



A joint meeting of the members of All India Association of Central Excise Gazetted Executive Officers, Rajkot Unit and All India Central Excise Inspector’s Association, Rajkot Branch is being scheduled on 13.06.2011 Monday at the below mentioned address at 18.30 Hrs :-


Room No. 401,


Central Excise Bhavan,


Race Course Ring Road,


Rajkot.



The sole agenda of the meeting is to discuss the issue related to the new transfer/ rotation policy for the Customs Zone, Gujarat issued by the Chief commissioner, Ahmedabad Zone, Ahmedabad.

All the members of both the above mentioned associations are requested to attend the meeting.



- Dilip J. Pandya, Secretary, Inspectors Association, Rajkot


Sunday, June 12, 2011

New transfer & posting policy for Customs Zone, Gujarat

Transfer & posting policy for Customs Zone, Gujarat issued on 10.06.2011 by the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Ahmedabad.

-> View Customs Policy dated 10.06.2011

Thursday, June 9, 2011

An appeal to all members.

An appeal to all members:

It is requested not to give such type of your views/comments which would hurt feelings of any members of both the Associations.

Letter to the Member (P&V), CBEC

 
 
All India Association of Central Excise Gazetted Executive Officers
&
All India Central Excise Inspector’s Association
Rajkot Unit
Most Urgent
F.No. Asso/AGT/11-12.                                                                   Date : 9th June 2011.
To
The Member(P&V),
Central Board of Excise and Customs,
North Block,
New Delhi.
Sir/madam,
                        Subject : Agitation in Gujarat state - reg  
               
          Please refer to past correspondence on the subject.
2.​       It is unfortunate to state that in spite of best possible efforts by Association to smoothen the administration and restore normalcy, no official response is received from the administration and as a result, the office work in almost entire Gujarat state covering Ahmedabad and Vadodara Zone is held up since last 15 days due to untimely and unwarranted transfer and posting policy proposed by the Chief Commissioner, CCE, Ahmedabad in place of  accepted policy which was in force. This new policy was proposed without any sound justification and at a time when Hon’ble FM is encouraging us to be ready for GST regime and when restructuring is due shortly.  
 
3.      Due to agitation, almost entire staff of approx. 2,000 officers is in the aggrieved mood and thereby adversely  impacting day-to-day work; every day demonstrations are made at all offices in scorching heat of 45 `C  including observance of fast by 5 officers in each Commissionerate and lunch-hour demonstrations and wearing of black ribbons as a mark of protest to unfair policy.
 
4.        It is noticed that this valuable loss of office hours and manpower wastage and its revenue implication seems to have no importance to the authorities and this national loss continues  unchecked.
 
5.          We feel ashamed that such type of arbitrary policies are proposed by the senior officers without understanding the basic mantra of management of   differentiation, i.e. to reward the performers and to punish the laggards - and all are treated on equal footing and thereby causing huge loss to the organization itself as the performers feel punished for their no fault. The need of modern and fresh mindset is requested at this juncture to look into the old issues affecting public governance in our country.
 
6.            You must be aware that new academic year has already started and at this stage, almost all officers have paid fees of their children at the present place of posting. Copies of the fee receipts were submitted earlier for ready reference.
 
7.            In view of above factual position, as no written policy stand is conveyed till date, we request to postpone the annual general transfer for the present year and issue suitable instructions for the same latest by 10.06.2011, failing which we shall have no option but to  intensify agitation.
               Your personal attention, considerate and mature approach and prompt necessary action in the matter is requested.
                   Thanking you,
                ​   Yours faithfully,
 
Secretary                                                                                              Secretary
AICEIA                                                                                                  AIACEGO
 
Copy for information and necessary action to :-
1. The Chairman, CBEC, New Delhi.
2. The Member(Zonal), CBEC, New  Delhi.
3. The Chief Commissioner, CE, Ahmedabad Zone, Ahmedabad.
4. The Commissioner, CCE, Rajkot/Bhavnagar/Ahmedabad.
5. The Secretary General, AIACEGEO.
6. The Secretary General, AICEIA.
 
 
Secretary                                                                                             Secretary
AICEIA                                                                                                 AIACEGO
 
 
 

Letter to JC, CCE, Rajkot

ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL EXCISE EXECUTIVE GAZETTED OFFICERS

UNIT – RAJKOT

9/6/2011

To,

The Joint Commissioner,

Central Excise HQ,

Rajkot.

Sir,

Sub: Annual General Transfer in the grade of Superintendent & Inspector (AGT-2011) – regarding.

Please refer to our letter dated 08.06.2011 on the above subject and meting of the office-bearers of the Association regarding giving three stations of preference.

During the said meeting, it was intimated by you, that though there is no explicit mention whether the preference of stations are of Customs/Central Excise or Service Tax, the preference is supposed to be given for Customs formations.

We want to further submit that your goodself had already vide letter F.No.II/3-13/2011-Estt dated 09.03.2011 (copy enclosed) called for the names of officers willing to be posted in Customs formations (Jamnagar Customs) and all the officers willing to be posted to Jamnagar Customs have already given their willingness and is on record.

We want to clarify that, our members are feeling confused as to why such choice is called for, for the second time and as such unable to give such options. This may be taken on record that all the officers are willing to co-operate with the administration, but because of confusion created by the administration, officers are unable to provide three options as called for and their inability may not be construed as ‘their consent to be posted anywhere’ or ‘non-co-operation’.

It would be relevant to point out that this Association has already made it clear at every given opportunity that we are against any deviation in existing transfer & posting policy framed for Rajkot Sector by the then Chief Commissioner of Central Excise, Ahmedabad and calling for choices even informing the members that there is some change in the policy, whether acceptable or unacceptable to us, appears to be unreasonable and requires review and clarification.

Yours faithfully,

(G. K. Jhala)

Secretary.

Copy:

1.The Member (P&V), Central Board of Excise & Customs, New Delhi.

2.The Member (In-charge Gujarat), CBEC, New Delhi.

3.The Chief Commissioner of Central Excise, Ahmedabad.

4.The Commissioner, Central Excise & Customs, Rajkot/Bhavnagar/Jamnagar/Ahmedabad-I.

5.All Division AC/DC, Rajkot/Bhavnagar Commissionerate.

Today's suggestion.

Dear all,

As per Tax India On Line, in the meeting with all Chief Commissioners held on 8.6.2011, Hon. FM asked the CBEC officers to make an honest endeavour to address the problems faced by their stakeholders in the quickest possible time.

Since there can be no second opinion about the fact that Superintendents & Inspectors working in Rajkot sector are not less than 50% stakeholders in Ahmedabad Zone, the onus lies upon CCO to take a cue from FM’s advise to solve the self-created transfer imbroglio quickly. It is also reported that FM’s focus was on preparation for GST.Unfortunately, the proposed policy discounts GST by full 100%.
The draft policy as circulated read with minutes of meeting held on 31.5.2011 clearly lacks vision since no one in general and administration in particular, is able to see beyond bifurcating Ahmedabad Zone into Ahmedabad & periphery (a convenient dug-out for all and sundry who were able to make it to Ahmedabad earlier & extending not beyond 100 km) and entire Saurashtra & Kutch (extending over 500 kms).
Let’s think differently. Why don’t we arrive at per-employee revenue collection for each Commissionerate and mull over a re-jig of our twin-sectors on these lines.
With sincere regards,
Vikas Mehta.
Superintendent.


One must be able to distinguish between a dictat and policy!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Letter to Jt. Commr., C.Ex., Rajkot

ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL EXCISE EXECUTIVE GAZETTED OFFICERS

UNIT – RAJKOT

8/6/2011

To,

The Joint Commissioner,

Central Excise HQ,

Rajkot.

Sir,

Sub: Annual General Transfer in the grade of Superintendent & Inspector (AGT-2011) – regarding.

Please refer to letter F. No. II/3-13/2011-Estt. Dated 7.6.2011 of A. O (Estt.), Central Excise, HQ, Rajkot on the above subject.

2. Through above letter, a proforma to be filled by Superintendents and Inspectors working under this Commissionerate is circulated, asking them to provide certain details, including “Preference of Station in order of priority” at Sl. No. 9 therein.

3. By calling for above preference, it appears that all the Superintendents and Inspectors of this Commissionerate are being considered for transfer throughout the Zone, irrespective of Station/formation (Customs/Central Excise/Service Tax), etc.

4. In all earlier AGT, officers of this Commissionerate who were due for transfer to Customs Commissionerate, Jamnagar or who had completed six years tenure in Rajkot were invariably asked to give their choice of station before issuing any transfer order. This time also, this procedure is already concluded and officers have already given their choice, details of which are available on record.

5. At this point in time, it would be relevant to point out that this Association has already made it clear at every given opportunity that we are against any deviation in existing transfer & posting policy framed for Rajkot Sector by the then Chief Commissioner of Central Excise, Ahmedabad. Moreover, only those officers can be asked to give preference, who is being considered for transfer in accordance with the existing policy and not all. Therefore, there is no apparent reason for calling for these details.

Yours faithfully,

(G. K. Jhala)

Secretary.

Copy to :

1. The Member (P&V), Central Board of Excise & Customs, New Delhi.

2. The Member (In-charge Gujarat), CBEC, New Delhi.

3. The Chief Commissioner of Central Excise, Ahmedabad.

4. The Commissioner, Central Excise & Customs, Rajkot/Bhavnagar/ Jamnagar/ Ahmedabad-I.

5. All Division AC/DC, Rajkot/ Bhavnagar Commissionerate.