Thursday, February 28, 2013

agitation


Dear Comrade,
                                     The Boycott of Central Excise Day  by all Superintendents /Inspectors of Central Excise and others & Agitational Programme

                The boycott of Central Excise Day, for which the call was given by the AIACEGEO &AICEIA was a tremendous success.  Not only the Superintendents & Inspectors but also other staffs of Central Excise Department  supported the strike action throughout the country.  It is estimated  that more than 50 thousands of employees of Central Excise Department   might have participated in the strike.    The overwhelming response in the mightiest strike action  ever of the Central Excise Department  is indicative of the growing anger against the defective HR policies pursued by the CBEC.  There had been constant and continuous increase in stagnation problems and anomalies on pay matters amongst the employees in Central Excise Department.  The present 2nd phase of agitation will be continued up to 01.03.2013.  We will review the agitational programme  on 16.03.13 in our Associate Committee Meeting to be held at New Delhi.  Today a letter was received by our SG through fax from Member(P&V) of CBEC under which it is being  informed to  us that the CR proposals of CBEC is in advance stage of approval.


  The copy of the letter  of  Member (P&V) has already been circulated to our Members by SG. The SG has also informed that --'this letter is the evidence of the pressure mounted on Board by our agitational programme. It is the evidence of our all united approach. We have to show the same united strength for forthcoming programmes, if they don't take us seriously'.


  With greetings and once again conveying my sincere gratitude and congratulations to all the employees of Central Excise Department  and the Active  leaders of AIACEGEO & AICEIA who made the strike ( boycott) a magnificent success.
                                                                        LOKANATH MISHRA.
                                                                         PRESIDENT/AIACEGEO

Monday, February 25, 2013

CESA-MUMBAI

By Sunil Achutan, Consulting Editor
I will never be an old man. To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am – Bernard Baruch
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Vasudeo Sakharam Bhadgaonkar was born in the sleepy village of Gadhinglaj in Kolhapur district on 4 th October, 1919. In the company of six brothers and one sister, Vasudeo cleared his higher matric and started searching for a job. His elder brother was a doctor in the Land Customs department on the border between Goa and India. Goa was then a Portuguese colony till it was annexed by India in the year 1961. His vacation used to be spent with this elder brother and here he started doing odd jobs as an apprentice in the Land Customs department. This was in the year 1938. Seeing his sincerity and dedication for doing Customs work, the Collector who was an Englishman called him one day and asked whether he would like to work as a clerk in the department at a salary of Rs.35/- per month. Vasudeo was overjoyed and accepted the offer. He had to assist the Inspector, Customs in checking the consignment of coconuts which used to be imported from Goa. Those days an Inspector received a princely salary of Rs.60/- per month. His hard work was rewarded with a promotion on 27.08.1942. Vasudeo now became an Inspector and was transferred to the State of Mysore and posted to the Tobacco section of the Central Excise department at Belgaum. This was somewhere in the year 1942. Tobacco plantations, those days, was under physical control and the Inspector had to walk through the tobacco farms and count the tobacco plants for deciding the excise duty amount. There was a L-2 licence for storing Tobacco leaf right up to the year 1988. Riding on a horse or a Bicycle was essential for undertaking this arduous task. The bicycle stuff remains and even today a new recruit for the post of the Inspector has to pass the cycling test. Vasudeo did all this and much more – he was respected amongst his colleagues and the farmers for he had excellent knowledge about Tobacco plants. In fact, he was so devoted to his job that he used to patrol these tobacco fields containing as many as 3000 tobacco plants in the night so as to ensure that no thefts take place. After all, tobacco was a great source of revenue to the exchequer and always will! The villagers used to ask him about Gandhiji and whether he had met him.
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The Central Excise Act came into being and a few years later India got independence. Vasudeo continued with his job. A few more postings at the minor ports in the state and thereafter Vasudeo got married. That was in the year 1948, 18 th May, to be precise.
His wife was also a government employee – she was posted in the Treasury department at Bombay.
Vasudeo wanted a transfer to be with his newly wedded wife. The administration transferred him – not to Bombay but to Ahmedabad – which incidentally those days was also a part of Maharashtra – until the creation of the Gujarat State in the year 1960.
Longing to be with his wife Vasudeo met the Collector who assured that he would do something for him and in the meantime, Vasudeo used to come to Bombay on weekends. The assurance bore fruit after nearly two more years. In the year 1950 Vasudeo finally came to Bombay on transfer. His joy knew no bounds. He was finally with his wife. Posted to the flourishing textile mills in Bombay, Vasudeo was excited that he had something new to learn – warp, weft, deniers and those jargons now filled his vocabulary rather than the tobacco leaf, stem, stalks& cut tobacco.
Fatherly duties now occupied his life for he was now a proud father. Years went by and so were the postings – it was textile mills or oil installations like BPCL & HPCL. Heavy engineering companies and Chemical factories were on the Central line and Vasudeo would have none of those postings. He stayed near Sitladevi temple at Mahim, Bombay and his Collectorate was Bombay-I. In those days postings were not an issue of concern. You like a particular commodity and have good knowledge of the same, rest assured that you would be given a transfer on request. The Collector knew each and every officer under him and would personally enquire about their wellbeing. Mr. Maclaine, Mr. C.S.Neil and Mr. Rose were the Collectors who were posted to Bombay Collectorate during the period. Learned and righteous men who lead their subordinates by example. What Vasudeo liked was their in-depth knowledge and their eagerness to learn more even if it is an Inspector from whom they were acquiring it. He idolised them. Vasudeo's expertise in Tobacco was in high demand when cigarette companies initiated their operations in Bombay. Manufacture of textile fabrics in Bombay was at its peak those days and exports were booming. Once, a manufacturer wanted to export consignments on January, 26 th . Vasudeo put his foot down saying that no exports could be made on that day – the reason there is a Trade Notice which said that government offices would remain closed on January 26 th and on 2 nd October, public holidays. No amount of Overtime fees can substitute this order, he said. He passed on this directive to all the mini ports and asked the officers there not to allow exports on these two days. The Assistant Collector called Vasudeo and blasted him but he had to retract after Vasudeo showed the carefully preserved Trade notice. Vasudeo remembers the days when he used to travel by the BEST buses to office in uniform. The conductor was proud to have an officer on board and he used to get a seat vacated for ‘saheb'. No ticket for saheb and the bus would stop bang in front of the Collectorate office at Churchgate – all for saheb.
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A darling of all for his knowledge and collection of notifications and tariff advices and trade notices, Vasudeo soon got a transfer on promotion as Superintendent to the Division situated in Bhandup, Bombay. This Division covered almost all the big heavy engineering manufacturing industry of the likes of GKW, Rallis, Blue Star & Voltas. Food in the canteens of these companies was what he relished. His Inspectors were in awe of him for his knowledge and his likes. He had issued strict instructions to his inspectors. No taking of money from assessees. However, they could enjoy to their hearts content the food and hospitality showered by the assessees, be it a visit to the nearby bar to enjoy a few pegs and watch the cabaret! Those days the assessees used to pay ten rupees along with each RT-12 return and five rupees for a D-3 declaration – an export consignment fetched the highest – rupees fifty! But Vasudeo would have none of these.
Giving answers to Star Questions was his forte and he was very prompt with the statistics – no guess work and no fake revenue figures. It so happened that one of the Divisions sent a wrong answer to a Star Question and there was a furore in the Parliament. J.Datta was the Collector those days and he charge sheeted the officers who sent the report. A very strict man and who would not spare any complacency on the part of his officers. But, Vasudeo was in his good books. Come 31 st October, 1977 and Vasudeo retired as a Superintendent, Central Excise, Bombay.
For more than a decade he worked as a Consultant ably assisting his senior A.K.Abu and in the year 1990 settled in Pune with his children. Fifteen years thereafter, he returned to Mumbai and is now living a peaceful, healthy and happy life with his second son and daughter in-law, both of whom are retired and in their sixties. His wife left for her journey to the other world some years ago. Grandsons/Grand-daughters are well settled and staying in other parts of the globe.
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Pension is what Vasudeo is happy about – nearly thirty thousand rupees thanks to the Sixth Pay Commission. At this ripe old age of 94 with no ailments or for that matter, a walking stick, spectacles or hearing aid, Vasudeo looks forward for the Seventh Pay Commission . All his life his motto was – simple living & high thinking.
His advise to the officers in the Department – Be honest and loyal to your job – peace and money would follow. Do not speak ill of others and be content with what you have – pearls of wisdom to be ingrained by us all. I have always lived a peaceful, joyful and contended life and, therefore, the Almighty has given me such a long life, he added.
Tears rolled down his eyes when we bid good bye to him.
The grand old man was all the more happy when he was told that we would be carrying this interview on the Central Excise day. He has conveyed his sincere greetings to all the officers, past and present, on the occasion . WE wished him many more years of healthy and happy life. After promising him that we would be in touch and would love to hear more about his journey in life, we sought his blessings. He had one small request – that I should keep him in the loop if I hear something about the Seventh Pay Commission.
Unfortunately, I did not have any news on the subject matter for nowadays the only thing in the news is the Draconian Board Circular 967 , the elusive GST and the postponement of GAAR.
One more thing – I had prepared a detailed questionnaire that I was supposed to ask him, what was it like when the Central Excise Act was born, when the country achieved Independence and when we became a Republic, but he never gave me an opportunity. He was busy in his own peaceful world narrating his experiences, as if he had decided before hand, and I did not feel like troubling him. Although I felt that my interview would not be complete had I not asked him about these events, it was more than two hours that I had spent with him and my conscience did not permit me to prod him further.
I have a firm belief that I would meet him again and on that occasion ask him the questions which I could not on this visit – after all he had many more miles to go!
With Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's devotional music in the background for company it was only Vasudeo talking and for once I had to sit MUM and smile.
[VASUDEO   Sakharam Bhadgaonkar is 94 years old. He retired after putting in 35 years of service and has been receiving pension since the last 36 years. He is fit and healthy, goes for his daily morning and evening walks and waits for the 7 th Pay Commission. May he live to be a hundred - and more!]

[Taxindiaonline thanks Vivek and his wife Rita for their hospitality. Taxindiaonline also thanksShri A.K.Sasmal, the General Secretary of Central
 
Source: TIOL

Friday, February 22, 2013

CESA-MUMBAI



FOR AGITATION
            All India Customs Preventive Federation, in a show of solidarity with us, held Gate Meeting at Mumbai Airport on 20th February, 2013 on the issues like non-implementation of Supreme Court Order, delay in Cadre Restructuring Proposal, Stagnation etc.
            Again on 22nd February, that is today, the Customs Preventive Federation will be holding a Gate Meeting at Customs House to express their resentment.
BOYCOTT OF EXCISE DAY CELEBRATION
          In West Zone, i.e., Pune, Nasik, Aurangabad, Vapi, Surat, Baroda, Ahmedabad, etc. no Excise Day will be celebrated due to boycott call given by Superintendent & Inspector Federations.
            In Mumbai, 87% of the total staff belong to the cadre of Inspector & Superintendents but they do not have any role in organizing the functions and participation. There is no sense of oneness and belongingness among the staff & administration.
            The recovery of the Anti-Evasion/Audit effected by Mumbai-I & II Commissionerates of Service Tax is 700 Cr. + 273 Cr. & 324 Cr. + 30 Cr., respectively during the current financial year. That is to say, the recoveries made due to the sheer efforts taken by the Officers is around 1,400 Crores.         
The growth in Revenue of Service Tax-I is 38% and of Service Tax-II is 32%, as compared to last year.  But the amenities, facilities and working condition are known to all. The Administration has miserably failed to provide the same inspite of such a commendable performance by the field staff of Mumbai.
            Its time to show our resentment and say ‘NO’ to protocol, as emphasized by the then Chief Commissioner. Serving the seniors is below your dignity as we have been appointed to serve the department and one should feel proud in doing so. There are few who may bend for their vested interests.
It is the opportune time to express our unity & solidarity for our own dignity. We may whole heartedly support the call issued by both the Federations and boycott Central Excise Day function, scheduled to be held on 25.02.2013.
                                                                                                 CESA, MUMBAI

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

cesa mumbai

POSTER

THE         ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL EXCISE  GAZETTED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS   ( AIACEGEO): ..............................................................................................................................................................
 The AIACEGEO has called for Programme of Agitation as under : –

a.     Boycott Excise Day on 24.02.13.
b.     No extra work for Budget or collection of revenue to achieve target if any.
c.     Only time-barring assessment work to be undertaken, & Show Cause Notices may  be drafted or sent to avoid time bar if any. 
d.    Wearing of  Black-badge  from 24.02.13 to 01.03.13  & lunch hours demonstration with slogans  on 01.03-2013
e.     Non- attending of official duty beyond official hours and holidays (including Saturday and Sunday)  etc.
f.   Non preparation of drafting relating O-in-O or O-in-A or review order.
g. No protocol duty.
h.     Mass resignations on 30.04.13.
 
 Charter of Demands:


1. Immediate implementation of Cadre Restructuring without cut as
approved by Expenditure.
2. Parity with other counterparts to retire our officers in PB - 4.
3. Immediate fulfilment of commitments made during the presentation
on Cadre Restructuring proposal.
4. At least four functional promotions in the service career.
5. Immediate implementation of the Supreme Court verdict.
6.Time - scale in PB3 & direct promotion to senior group 'A'.
7.Initial grade pay of Rs. 5,400/- in PB3.
8. At least a grade pay of Rs. 6,600-/ & 7,600/- on IInd &
IIIrd MACP upgradation without offsetting with time scale.
9. Finalisation of in-situ promotion scheme.
10. Regular minuted meetings under employee grievances redressal
mechanism etc.
Appeal to one and all to actively participate and
make the Agitation Programme a Grand Success.
LET US UNITE AND FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

Monday, February 18, 2013

aiacegeo

CHECK LISTS FOR AGITATIONS TO BE CONDUCTED BY ALL SUPERINTENDENTS OF CENTRAL EXCISE THROUGH OUT INDIA.

1. Have you served the notice to local authority intimating  that agitations to be conducted by all Superintendents  posted starting from Ranges to CC office and all deputationists duly enclosing the  copy letter of SG served upon FM on dated 31.12.12 ? (  N.B-It is required to intimate the local authority about observance of agitation)
2. Have you called  a co ordination meeting amongst all the leaders of other local Associations of CBEC and convinced them to join agitation with you? ( NB- In the pattern of Karnataka, please call a co ordination committee meeting amongst all the local associations of CBEC and convince them to join agitation with us, particularly all Inspectors should be involved in the agitations)
3. Have you organized preparatory general body  meeting and apprised all general members to join in agitations?
4. Have conducted door to door canvasing of  members posted in isolated areas   and deputationists to join in agitations?
5. Have you issued circulars/ letters to all members to join in agitations?
6. Have you made poster campaigns about agitations?
7. Have you made press release to medias ( both printing and electronic)  for wide publications about agitations and charter of demands?

cesa mumbai letter to revenue secretary





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

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

                                                                                                            Ref.:    CESA/20/2013
                                                                                                            Dated:            18-02-2013
To,
The Revenue Secretary,
Ministry of Finance,
North Block, New Delhi

Respected Sir,

            Sub: - Celebration of Excise Day – reg.

            We are encroaching upon your precious time by inviting your attention to the communication bearing F. No. EXCD/JC/2013 dated 04.02.2013 (copy enclosed) issued by Additional Commissioner (P&V), Central Excise, Mumbai-I, on the above subject wherein the date of celebration of ‘Excise Day’ is slated for 25th of February, 2013 instead of the historically notified date of 24th February. 

2.         The Board, vide Circular No. 5/94 CX-9 dated 24/1/94 issued under F.No.296/2/94-CX.9 has set the date, aim, manner, content and even the source of fund for the celebration of ‘Excise Day’. In terms of the said Circular, ‘Excise Day’ has to be celebrated on the notified day of 24th February, every year, to instill a sense of oneness amongst officers of the Department. Being Board Circular, it is binding on every authority functioning under the Board and no authority should be allowed to defile the sanctity of the Day.

3.         Logically also, whether it is important national days like Republic day, Independence day, Birthdays of National Leaders, or even in the case of present day celebrations like mother’s day, father’s day or valentine’s day, all such occasions are celebrated on a notified day as the particular day has relevance and historical significance. Along with several colleagues working in Central Excise formations of Mumbai, the signatory of this letter was instrumental in organizing the first ever       ‘Excise Day’ Celebrations in Mumbai. We were also instrumental in getting it the official seal and status it rightly deserved. Hence it is only natural that we feel very sad and deeply hurt when people, who are unaware of these historical facts, but presently holding authority, are defying the Board’s circular referred above ignoring the sanctity of the occasion.

4.         Just like the political class who try to outdo one another in show-off and lavish spending when it comes to occasions like marriage of their ward by using a mixture of their clout and followers, it is slowly becoming a trend in ‘Excise Day’ celebrations as well. It has become practice of the establishment to force their cavalier forces (PROs) to approach PSUs and celebrities alike for milking funds to celebrate the ‘Excise Day’ function.
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Address for correspondence
 

Shiv-Gaurav, Flat No. 10, Plot No. 16, Shiv Ganga Nagar, Ambernath (E) – 421 501.
e-mail : sasmal1@indiatimes.com. Tel. : (0251) 2603806; Cell : 09820950885

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5.         Firstly CESA, Mumbai lodges its strong resentment and protest against changing of date of ‘Excise Day’ Celebration and manner of raising funds instead of using official funds in Mumbai in violation of Board’s Circular and as per the whims and fancy of authorities.  Secondly, CESA Mumbai condemns the manner and approach of the Administration in organizing ‘Excise Day’ Celebration in Mumbai because:

  1. The Administration of Service Tax, Mumbai - I Commissionerate which collects  Rs. 30,000 Crores from Mumbai failed to provide a mere three lakh rupees to a Superintendent of Service tax to undergo bypass surgery, who ultimately died on 23.01.2013, as no funds were available for medical assistance;
  2. The word ad-hocism is synonymous with Service Tax administration. In the absence of sanctioned strength, many Inspectors and Superintendents were taken on loan basis from Central Excise to Service Tax Commissionerates. More than 80 such officers in both these Commissionerates are forced to do their job without individual tables and chairs;
iii.    Service Tax Administration has completely failed. Officers posted have to fend themselves for basic infrastructure like sitting space, chairs, tables, stationery, calculators, computers,  printers, all are perennially short in supply;
iv.     No conveyance or reimbursement is provided to the officers of Anti-evasion and Audit of Service Tax and they are forced to cough up from their pockets to meet the expenses;
v.       The lackadaisical approach towards complaints of non-functioning / malfunctioning of ACES by the Administration;
vi.     Lack of basic infrastructure, lack of planning, poor and unhygienic working conditions in almost all offices and unmanageable number of assessee (more than 2.5 lakhs of Service Tax assessees alone) are taking a heavy toll on the health and family of already stressed out cadre of Inspectors and Superintendents leading to several voluntary retirements and even deaths.

6.         Now coming to the manner and method of hosting the ‘Excise Day’ function in Mumbai this year, the very way it is being organized goes against the spirit of the projected aim of ‘Excise Day’ is also defeated, which as per the above said circular is for "instilling a sense of oneness amongst officers of the Department”. Participation from all the staff is negligible as no event wherein in-house talent could be promoted or any event which can ensure mass participation are organized. For example:
1.    In house seminars on any topic;
2.    Blood donation camps or health checkups;
3.    Quiz competition;
4.    Indoor or outdoor sports or games;
5.    Literary  event like writing or reading of poems or articles or
6.    Public redressal week etc.

7.         Moreover, there is gross mis-utilisation of the Secret Service fund. This fund is supposed to be used exclusively for anti-evasion work, for cultivating informants, which in turn will curb evasion and leakage of revenue. However, this money is diverted for funding Excise Day function or even for personal use. Obviously this can be made possible by preparing quarterly bogus vouchers signed by the Senior Officers from the Anti-evasion Section of each Commissionerate. Rs. 30,000/- per Commissionerate is being collected this year from the Commissionerates in Mumbai to fund the Celebration.

8.         Administration has diverted large number of staff, who were originally taken on loan basis from Central Excise Commissionerate to fill the shortage of manpower in Service Tax side, for organizing ‘Excise Day’ Celebration. This is criminal waste of man power which is badly affecting the regular and time bound work of revenue collection.
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9.         Around 25 poor contingency employees, whose wages have not been paid by the Administration for the last three months, are exploited and inhumanly asked to work for organizing the function.

10.       In the Celebration programme schedule, there is an orchestra by outside artists.  Sir, the defaulters of Service Tax under the category of event management or other performing artists are normally called and felicitated. As they are forced to come by the mighty administration, they do come unwillingly. Irony is that some of the performers though are tax defaulters but have liberty to taunt the department by using vulgar / un- parliamentary language, which is evident from the CD of the last Year’s Excise day programme. However, the senior officers of the department, forgetting such insults on one side and the sacrifices of the field officers on other side, make a beeline for posing with them and using the occasion as a photo session with such personalities.

11.       Sir, you may recall that on Customs side the change in date of celebration of WCO function from 26.01.2013 to 05.02.2013 is notified on 31.12.2012. However, for ‘Excise Day’ there is no such notification or announcement. It may be noted that the Excise day is celebrated on 24th February as on that day accent to the Central Excise Act was given.

12.       Above all, due to the repeated neglect and failure of the Administration in so many fronts the lofty aim of Celebrating Excise Day, namely to instill a sense of oneness & belongingness amongst the departmental personnel no longer exists.

13.       It is, therefore, humbly requested to kindly intervene and ensure historical sanctity of the ‘Excise day’ to be celebrated only on 24th of February. Still if the Administration is adamant to celebrate it on any other day convenient to them as they have the power and resources at their disposal, which is beyond scrutiny, then they may do so. However, kindly ensure that in the banners and invitation cards the word ‘Excise Day’ may not be used and instead the word ‘CENTRAL EXCISE FUNCTION’ may be used.

Yours sincerely,




A.K. SASMAL
    General Secretary

Encl.: As above

Copy to :
1.         Hon’ble Chairperson, CBEC, Ministry of Finance, North Block, New Delhi.
2.         Hon’ble Member, Service Tax, C.B.E.C. North Block, New Delhi.
3.         Hon’ble Member, (P & V), C.B.E.C., North Block, New Delhi.
4.         Hon’ble Chief Commissioner, C. Ex., Mumbai Zone – I, Zone – II & Customs Zone-III.
5.         Director General, HRD, New Delhi.
6.         Secretary General, A.I.A.C.E.G.E.O., New Delhi.