CESA MUMBAI

Central  Excise Superintendents’ Association, Mumbai Unit of AIACEGEO ( Recognized under F. No. B-12017/10/206-Ad-IV A dtd. 21-01-2008 ).    V.A. Kolhatkar, President        A.K. Sasmal- General Secretary

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Mumbai I,  II,  III, V,  Thane I, II, Belapur, Raigad, Customs Prev,, Service Tax – I & II Comm’te & L.T.U. Mumbai.

 

Ref:CESA/27/2013

Dtd :31.03.2013.

Ms.  Shobha L. Chary,

Hon’ble Member ( P & V),

CBEC, North Block,

New Delhi.

Respected Madam,

            Sub: - Rotation of Group ‘A’ officers from Central Excise to Customs 

                        vis-à-vis In Mumbai Zone -reg.

            You are well aware having worked for a considerable period in Mumbai that the infrastructure and staff welfare activities are severely neglected.  The Association has constantly represented the issue of infrastructure as well as other issues of staff welfare to various authorities but the situation has only worsened. With the ever growing Revenue of the Central Excise and Service Tax, which has increased manifold, the work load too has increased substantially, but the working and office conditions are deplorable and going bad to worse.  Ad-hocism has prevailed, there is no proper and adequate space to accommodate the staff. The state of affairs vis-à-vis office space of Central Excise Thane – I and Thane – II Commissionerates, Service Tax – I and Service Tax – II Commissionerates, Commissioner (Appeals), Commissioner (Adjudication) and Commissioner (Enquiry) is far from good. Even the Chief Commissioner Zone –I’s office is functioning on ad hoc basis since its creation, by squeezing the space from the earlier functioning Commissionerates.

            The improvement in the infrastructure as well as acquiring new premises for offices is not progressing at all due to lack of strong determination on part of those who are at the helm of the affairs. The Officers of the level of Assistant Commissioner to the Additional Commissioner have a very peculiar attitude. They consider their posting to the Central Excise as posting in an abandoned sector or as transit camp of the CBEC and are just eager to complete their tenure in Central Excise. In this process, they are not at all keen in initiating the improvement of the working conditions and atmosphere.

            In the above backdrop, CESA request your goodself to kindly intervene and modify the rotation practice from Excise to Customs and vice-versa adopted in Mumbai.

            As per the existing policy for transfer and postings of Group ‘A’ officers, in Mumbai Zone the officers of Group ‘A’ cadre are being rotated between the two formations viz., Customs and Central Excise & Service Tax after every two years during their tenure in the zone.  However, this practice is prevailing nowhere else except the places where the Custom Houses are situated.

            This arrangement causes a lot of disturbance in running the Administration of Excise and Service Tax formations (which is functioning on record base). The officers are not easily adaptive to the working environment of Central Excise and Service Tax formations and are more attracted to the comfort and privilege of Customs (which functions on automation and dealing consignment / unit wise clearances). It takes  half of the tenure for the Group A officers to  understand  and  acclimatize with the Central Excise and Service Tax system. It is witnessed that the officers are not inclined to take pain and interest in discharging the work because they are well aware that their tenure is limited and their eyes are set on their next tenure of posting in the Customs formations.  Countdown starts from December. The loss of comfort and privileges also reflects in their behaviour towards the lower staff and do not justify the post they hold. The quality of the administration ultimately suffers.  This also cuts a sorry figure and the Trade tries to take advantage of the situation and impose themselves upon the staff.

Due to such casual approach and keeping the legacy of pending work or the neglected items of work needing immediate attention in the matters related to staff welfare, which are non-sensitive, are left behind year after year.  Due to the short tenure there is lack of responsibility and accountability also.  This atmosphere is creating a stressful life for the field staff as they do not get any guidance, support or motivation as is normally expected from a Senior officer and lack sense of belongingness prevalent in the good old days, leading to a stereo-typed mechanised stressful life.  There is no improvement in the office conditions / facilities / time bound discharge of various staff welfare schemes including pending vigilance matters, which ultimately lead to the untimely death of officers / deteriorating health condition and leads to lack of enthusiasm and motivation to discharge even day to day functions of the department. 

In light of the above and with the view to improve the office working conditions as well as to resolve the staff welfare issues kindly modify the prevailing practice of rotation of Group A officers from Customs to Excise and vice versa.  CESA suggests that ;

1.            The tenure of the zone be divided in two halves and officers be posted for 4 years in Central Excise and 4 years in Customs in continuity with internal rotation within the Central Excise and Customs formations.  This will bring continuity and accountability also; or

2.         Three years in Customs and three years in Excise & Service Tax and two years in any of the Directorates, CESTAT, NACEN etc.

            We are quite sure that the Administration under your kind control will appreciate the necessity of such things and the suggestions will be viewed in its right perspective, so that the prevailing atmosphere and the neglected areas, especially the infrastructure related issues in the Excise and Service Tax formations in Mumbai can be improved.

            Thanking you,

.                                                                            Yours sincerely,

A.K. SASMAL

General Secretary

Copy to:

1.    Ms. Shiela Sangwan, Hon’ble Member (Budget) and Incharge Mumbai Zone - For kind information and necessary action.

2.    Hon’ble Chief Commissioner Customs, Zone – I, Mumbai New Customs House Mumbai, Ballard Estate, Mumbai with a request to forward a positive report in this regard.

3.    Hon’ble Chief Commissioner Central Excise, Mumbai Zone – I with a request to forward a positive report in this regard.

4.    Hon’ble Commissioner Customs General, Mumbai, for kind information and necessary action with a request to forward a positive report in this regard.