TIME TO CARE FOR YOURSELF & YOUR FAMILY

     In our day to day routine life, we have lost so many dear friends and colleagues due to some untoward incidents as well as stress in our office life. During the crisis time or emergency it is our friends and savings that come to our rescue for immediate relief. But many a times, there are instances where in the long run, we are unable to meet the large expenditures on account of medical treatments, either of self or for a family member.  

       When crisis occurs everybody expects the organisation in which we serve to take care of our needs, which unfortunately do not have the flexibility/funds at the right time to meet these emergency needs, and we bear the brunt. 

       Many times, close friends and colleagues come forward to give help and support, both financial and physical and many are not lucky enough to have both. In the recent past many incidents have occurred which compelled CESA, Mumbai, to intervene to provide basic protection to the staff. After due deliberations CESA, Mumbai wants to lead and launch a Group Medical Insurance scheme for all the staff working in the Department, as a staff welfare measure.

       If you would like to participate in the Scheme, the salient features are given below. Kindly go through the same and fill up the online form with your & family details on or before 07-Sept-2015, so that the data can be forwarded to M/s. ICICI-Lombard for further process.

Proposal for Group Medical Insurance Scheme

General information

     In view of some of the untoward incidents of emergency hospitalization in respect of some colleagues in the recent past and the bad experience in respect of Supdt. Late Shri Kori, it is high time now that each one of us should be covered under a Mediclaim policy for meeting such exigencies.

 
2. For the benefit of all Superintendents, Inspectors and other willing staff members working in Central Excise & Service Tax, CESA, Mumbai, is planning to obtain a Group Medical Insurance Scheme from M/s. ICICI-Lombard for Rs. 3 to 5 Lakhs + an additional amount of Rs. 3 to 5 Lakhs per family per annum for Inspectors and Superintendents, respectively, covering the family members.

3. The benefits of a Group Medical Insurance from M/s. ICICI-Lombard are
as follows :-
     a. Largest network of CASHLESS Hospitals
     b. No claim intimation required.
     c. Best Online support.
     d. In House TPA to service the claims in better way.

4. Normally, the premium amount for Individual Policies (taken by individuals covering their family Policy (2 adults+2 children) for sum insured of Rs. 5 Lakhs are as shown 

Policy Type                         Premium for Individual

Age Band 35-45                             15,169/-

Age Band 46-50                             20,166/-

Age Band 51-55                             25,240/-

Age Band 56-60                             30,253/-

5. The following are the proposed Coverages in the Group policy as compared to an Individual policy :-
a) No Medical Check-up is required in GROUP Policy.
b) Pre-Existing Diseases are covered from day 1 in GROUP Policy where as in INDIVIDUAL there is waiting period of 2 Years.
c) Disease-wise limit is prescribed in INDIVIDUAL Policy where as in GROUP there is no such limit. For ex. Cataract.
d) Larger the group, more will be the discounting on premium, in GROUP Insurance. However, in INDIVIDUAL policy premium is fixed.
e) At the time of renewal, GROUP premium is calculated on claim experience, whereas in INDIVIDUAL Policy, premiums are fixed for a particular age band.
f) No Capping on ROOM RENT in GROUP Policy.
g) There is no waiting period in GROUP Policy, where as in INDIVIDUAL Policy waiting period of 30 days is applicable - once policy is in place, person can claim only after 30 days.

6. For those who are already covered by CGHS and / or already covered by an individual Mediclaim Policy, this can be an additional medical insurance policy which can be claimed over and above the individual Mediclaim policy, if the need arises.

7. This Group Medical Insurance scheme will be valid for one year, tentatively scheduled to begin coverage from the 01-Oct-2015 and will be valid upto 30-Sept-2016.

8. The only exclusion is that the Group Medical Insurance will not cover parents of the officers. Family only includes self, spouse, un-married daughters and sons upto the age of 25 years.

9. Another point of caution is that if any officer does not submit his existing spouse/family details at the time of joining the Group Medical Insurance scheme, the same cannot be added during the tenure of the current policy, i.e. upto 30-Sept-2016. However, if an officer gets married during the validity of the policy, the name of the spouse can be included in the Group Medical Insurance policy. The same principle applies to children born during the validity of the Group Medical Insurance policy.

10. Also note, the amount paid as premium for the Group Medical Insurance to CESA, Mumbai, cannot be claimed for deduction/abatement under Income Tax.

11. If an officer retires on superannuation or opts for VRS during the validity of the Group Medical Insurance policy, the period of cover will extend till the expiry of the group policy.

12. This Group Medical Insurance will be available to all the Superintendents / Inspectors at an annual cost of Rs.12,000/- to Rs.15,000/- approximately (amount to be finalized by M/s. ICICI-Lombard after submission of details/data of family of willing members), as against the cost of Rs.25,000/- to Rs.30,000/- for a family of four when taken on an individual basis. The total amount of premium will depend on the number of members in the group. Higher the number of members in the group, lesser will be the premium to be paid by each family.

13. The manner of collection of the premium amount can be done through submission of a cheque, favouring CESA, Mumbai. In future, if the majority of the members are willing, the amount can be deducted from their salaries on a monthly basis through standing instructions to the CAO of the respective Commissionerates, for credit to the CESA, Mumbai, bank account, or yearly submission through cheque will continue. 

14. It may be noted that the Insurance company, namely M/s. ICICI-Lombard, will not deal with individual officers/staff of the Department for the collection of premium amount, but will deal only with the employees’ association, namely CESA, Mumbai. A single cheque for the total premium will have to be issued by CESA, Mumbai, to the insuring company, for the commencement of the Group Medical Insurance scheme. 

15. It may also be noted that all claims for re-imbursement of medical expenses are to be directly submitted to M/s. ICICI-Lombard, whose decision will be final. CESA, Mumbai, has no role to play in the submission, processing or finalizing of medical claims.

16. Another aspect that requires attention is that if the total re-imbursement of claims by the members of the group during the insurance period is more than the total premium paid for the Group Medical Insurance, then next years’ premium amount to be paid by the officers will proportionately increase. 

17. Important :- All those who are interested in availing the said Group Medical Insurance scheme from M/s. ICICI-Lombard, may kindly submit their details online by accessing the form available on the Mumbai Service Tax website (www.servicetaxmumbai.gov.in) as shown below :-

Website of Service Tax Mumbai Commissionerate
    - then select “Service Tax-I Mumbai Commissionerate”
    - then select “Departmental Officer”
    - then select “Associations”
    - Proposal for Group Medical Insurance - Gen. Information
    - Form for submission of Officers’ Details.

18.  If this scheme is a success, then CESA, Mumbai will plan to obtain a Group Medical Insurance policy for all the retirees and their spouses, who are residing in and around Mumbai, the details of which shall be informed later. 

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CBDT OFFICE BEARERS ARE ONE STEP AHEAD...

In Bhagvat Gita, it is said “if you do not fight for what you want, don’t cry for what you have lost” and “Nothing depends on luck, everything depends on work, because, even luck has to work.” Filling up of vacant posts in Group ‘A’ in CBEC and discriminations faced by the promotee officers are not being taken care as expected.

After restructuring the fate and mode of the CBDT is more or less like CBEC; discriminations between direct and promote recruits in Group ‘A’, are clearly visible. Further the filling up of vacant posts in one or the other pretext are there.

The office bearers of CBDT, Mumbai unit alongwith their association’s All India President Shri Rajesh Menon and General Secretary Shri Ravi Shankar met Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari at his residence in Nagpur and appraised him about the present mess in the Department, particularly on account of the un-warranted delay in promotions from ITO to ACIT. They also explained the step-motherly treatment given to promote officers by CBDT. They also handed over a memorandum to the Hon’ble Union Minister, highlighting the important issues.

    Hon’ble Gadkariji has assured them that he will discuss it with the FM and try to resolve the issues and forwarded their memorandum to the FM then and there for resolving at the earliest. The copy of the letter is annexed below :-

If the issues faced by us is further delayed, then CESA, Mumbai will also approach the Hon’ble Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari in Nagpur, for earnestly taking up the matter with the FM.

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CBEC SAMUDHRA MANTHAN...

The outcome of the two-day Annual Conference of CBEC Chief Commissioners and DGs, held in New Delhi on the 24^th & 25^th August, 2015, with respect to the field structure of the Commissionerates is as follows :-

Ø The present territorial jurisdiction is going to be retained in most of the cases. The three-tier system of Commissionerate, Division & Ranges would survive. And the territorial jurisdiction of CGST Commissionerates would be co-terminous with the States.

Ø However, stand-alone Service Tax Commissionerates are going to be rolled back to create a common GST Commissionerate. The CBEC has also proposed to continue the system of Commissioner(Appeals) and to create a National Tribunal with co-ordinate benches in each state capital.

Ø The CGST Commissionerates would also perform functions under the Central Excise Act, 1944, to deal with all legacy issues of Central Excise and Service Tax.

Ø It has also been proposed that 25% of posts in different grades may be filled up by SGST officers on deputation basis and vice-versa.

Ø It has also been proposed that common LTU of indirect and direct taxes may be dismantled and new LTU of indirect taxes alone may be set up.

Let’s hope that all this detailed study and homework done by the CBEC does not go waste and good sense prevails over our political parties which may be reminded that the national interests must supersede their personal and even collective interests.

     The GST balloon must not be sandwiched between two inflated egos; which must not be allowed to grow in size beyond the topography of a nation...

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CAN CBEC DARE TO BARE IN THE CONFERENCE ?

Much delayed Chief Commissioners' Conference will be held with the Finance Minister and MoS on 24^th and 25^th of August, 2015 at Delhi. The Agenda of the Meeting is widely displayed on various sites.

In the Re-structuring, the Group-A has tactfully created the post of Principal Chief Commissioner and enhanced the number of Chief Commissioner posts at par with CBDT. Thus, they have not only increased the number of posts in the hierarchy but have also got a hefty hike in grade pay. It is unfortunate that the post has been created but eligible officers are not there to fill up the posts. Various key posts at DG level in the Zones as well as in many Directorates are lying vacant since October, 2014 till date. In the process, the discipline of subordination has been compromised as the officers of the same Batch were occupying various Administrative posts is clearly visible in the day to day activities.       

Conference has become a ritual to hold annually without any review of the Minutes of the earlier conferences. The field level difficulties remain unresolved. Present scenario in the ensuing conference where the Chairman himself is not holding the regular post and the remaining two Members will soon retire shortly and all Members recently elevated to the post after much hue and cry, still do not have enough control over their assignment. The Top Posts in the Zones and Directorates are lying vacant and are managed by giving additional charge.
 How the decisions taken in the Conference will be implemented? When various Zones and Directorates are without their regular Head, the same are managed by Inspector and Superintendent at CC Office / Directorate. Then why these two cadres are not taken care of in their career progression and pay matters unlike Group – A.  

Those who attend the conference, will they be able to raise the issues of various Zones & Directorates, for their smooth administration and better functioning ? Several cases of service tax evasion have been unearthed by DGCEI, but it is unfortunate still they do not have ACES facility at their Office. Money has been spent on vehicles for the comfort but no money for computers and providing basic facility like ACES (including to various new Service Tax formations).    

CESA feels those who attend this important conference, should not shy away from raising the various pressing issues prevailing at Zones / Directorates, directly with the FM & MoS.

 The following issues to be emphasized:

     -        Infrastructure – Basic as well as improvement.

     -        ACES with reality on TOP PRIORITY.

     -       Filling up of sanctioned Posts at the level of Inspector
          and Ministerial cadre and Sepoy & Hawaldar etc.

     -       Disposal of pending Vigilance matters in a time bound 

         manner at par with Group – A.

     -       Compassionate Appointment.

     -       REGULARIZATION of daily wage workers who has 

         served maximum years of service.

     -      Disposal of Medical Claims without any discrimination
         and providing necessary & adequate funds in this regard.

     -      Discrimination between direct recruit ACs & promotee
        ACs. Promotee ACs are being shabbily treated whereas
        direct recruit ACs are  treated differently.

CESA feels that if all the above issues are brought to the notice of the FM & MoS in the conference, they will definitely take cognizance and will realize the difference between the CBEC & CBDT; that the pictures are not rosy as projected, and will be forced to change their vision as to how to improve the CBEC administration at the field level before rolling out GST. In the same pattern and mind set, it is hard to introduce GST from old tax regime to new tax regime. 
     

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GAPS BETWEEN VISION AND ACTION...

     CBEC has declared 2015 as the Year of Taxpayer Services. While declaring this, they might have had a vision that they will extend all the required services to the taxpayers in a user-friendly manner while collecting taxes from them.

     Re-structuring and re-organisation of the Commissionerates have taken place in Oct-2014, but unfortunately, majority of the new commissionerates are still functioning from the same place – lack of infrastructure, facilities etc. further aggravates the acute shortage of staff especially Inspectors and ministerial staff, who are the first line of interaction between the Department & the trade.

     Recently, revenue analysis of income of the Govt., reported in various publications, has shown a sharp increase, in the Apr-June quarter. Obviously, the Board is very happy about the uptrend in collections of ST, but no one is bothered about the leakage of ST collections which is beyond anyone’s imagination – collections are there but the same is not being deposited as ST in the Govt. account and the dearth of staff is hampering the work of unearthing these evasions. The unhealthy trend does not end here – in the Commissionerates there are no Commissioners and in the Zones there are no Chief Commissioners, but the show goes on.

     When the field formations are headless, what level of service can be extended to the tax-payers !

     Normally in CBEC, by the end of December, all those Group ‘A’ officers who are due for transfer/rotation, their names are displayed on the CBEC website. Since their names are in the transfer list, they stop attending to important work like adjudication, recovery etc. and only attend to the day-to-day work. This year, August month is almost over, and the transfer order is still only over the horizon. The editor of Taxindia Online has recently published a revealing article on the same. Now the Board is fully staffed but still is unable to steer the Department either at the macro level or the micro level.

    Unless the level of infrastructure is improved, both in terms of physical structures and in terms of staff, and the system for collection of information on ST evaders is improved, the Dept. will continue to be on auto-pilot mode. When we are unable to control lakhs of ST assessees who are already registered with the Department, (let alone those who are not registered with the Department), what will happen when GST is introduced and millions of assessees will register with the Department.

     The Department has held enough seminars and released a number of blueprints, roadmaps for the implementation of GST, but the time has come to introspect as to whether the present setup can sustain the rigors of GST, with the traditional mindset, approach, lackadaisical approach to responsibility, putting blame on subordinate officers by dodging responsibility, etc.

      A prime example is the recent shifting of the office of the DGST from Mumbai to New Delhi and renaming it as DG-GST. This is also another headless Directorate !! The speed at which the Board has dismantled it, the same speed is not being shown in the matter of posting of New Delhi officers and allocation of working space with at least the minimum of facilities.

      It is seen that senior officers have a bright future, who have chosen to keep mum and unfortunately the junior officers in the field always have to bear the brunt. The situation has already reached saturation levels and the newly promoted officers have started putting in their papers and some are waiting for the 7th Pay commission to put in their papers.

     Staff morale is at the lowest and the leadership qualities of the senior officers that should have come to the fore at this crucial juncture, is sadly missing !!

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REVISION OF SENIORITY LISTS

     On 15^th August, 2015, Dainik Bhaskar, Jaipur edition, published an article on re-fixing of seniority lists as per the N R Parmar SC judgement. Since then received many messages through the social networking platforms about the status of our seniority lists in Central Excise.

     Ever since the pronouncement of the said Supreme Court judgement and the subsequent contempt petition filed in Mumbai-CAT, CESA-Mumbai has vigorously tried to impress upon the powers in AIACEGO in the meetings held with them. But, on one or the other pretext, when no positive response was received from AIACEGO, no other alternative was left except knocking on the doors of Mumbai-CAT. CESA-Mumbai, along-with other petitioners filed 2 petitions in Mumbai-CAT, namely :-

a) petition for revising the seniority list pertaining to 1982 to 1986, and

b) petition for revising the seniority list pertaining to 1986 onwards.

     CESA-Mumbai, also represented to the Board and requested that similar directions be given as per the apex court judgement to instruct all the CCA to revise the seniority lists. Board has recommended our representations and positive communications is expected along the same lines of the CBDT instructions.

ü  Both the petitions are admitted in Mumbai-CAT and scheduled for hearing on 24-Aug-2015.

ü  Another petition in Mumbai-CAT filed by the promotee inspectors, Waghamre vs UoI & others is also scheduled for final disposal on 21-Aug-2015.

ü  Petition filed jointly by CESA, Pune, Mumbai, Goa, Nashik & Indore, on regional disparity in seniority list is also expected to heard by Mumbai-CAT, in Aug-2015.

 

Dainik Bhaskar – Jaipur edition – 15-Aug-2015

देशभर के आयकर अफसरों की वरिष्ठता बदली जाएगी

 वित्त मंत्रालय ने दिए एनआर परमार केस का आदेश लागू करने के निर्देश: आयकरविभाग में अफसरों की वरिष्ठता को लेकर बहुत बड़ा बदलाव होने जा रहा है। वित्त मंत्रालय ने एनआर परमार केस में सुप्रीम कोर्ट के फैसले को लागू करने के निर्देश दिए है, जिसकी पालना में आयकर विभाग ने भी सभी प्रधान मुख्य आयकर अधिकारी को वरिष्ठता सूची 30 जुलाई तक पुन: तैयार करने के निर्देश दिए थे। राजस्थान आयकर विभाग ने यह एक्सरसाइज शुरू कर दी है और पिछले बीस सालों का रिकॉर्ड देख कर वरिष्ठता सूची दुबारा तैयार कर रहा है। वरिष्ठता में इस बदलाव का राजस्थान में ही करीब 1200 अफसरों पर पड़ेगा।

अब वेकेंसी वर्ष से मिलेगी वरिष्ठता : एनआरपरमार केस सीधी भर्ती और पदोन्नत अफसरों के बीच का फासला बढ़ने के कारण हुआ था। सालों से विभाग में डेट ऑफ अपॉइंटमेंट से वरिष्ठता दी जाती थी, चाहे डेट ऑफ वेकेंसी दो साल पुरानी ही क्यों हो। सुप्रीम कोर्ट के फैसले के बाद पदोन्नतियां डेट ऑफ वेकेंसी के साल से मानी जाएगी, इसलिए वरिष्ठता सूची को दुबारा बनाया जा रहा है।

सिर्फ3 जगह आदेश लागू था, अब पूरे देश में: सुप्रीमकोर्ट के यह आदेश नवंबर 12 का है। मगर अब तक अहमदाबाद, लखनऊ और गुवाहाटी में इस आदेश के मुताबिक वरिष्ठता दी गई है। वित्त मंत्रालय के अंडर सेक्रेटरी बृज मोहन ने 16 जुलाई 15 को देश के सभी प्रधान मुख्य आयकर अधिकारियों से कहा कि वे अपने यहां वरिष्ठता सूची तैयार करे। इससे पहले 30 मार्च 10 अप्रैल 15 को डीजीआईटी (एचआरडी) की अध्यक्षता में बैठकें हुई जिसमें सभी को निर्देशित किया गया कि वे 30 जुलाई 15 तक वरिष्ठता सूची तैयार कर विभाग को भेजें।

सिर्फ राजस्थान में 1200 अफसरों पर असर : यूं तो यह आदेश पूरे देश में लागू करने के निर्देश हैं, सभी प्रदेशों में यह काम चल रहा है। राजस्थान में भी काम शुरू हो चुका है। इसमें लगभग 240 आईटीओ, 480 इंस्पेक्टर और 500 टैक्स असिस्टेंट, ऑफिस सुपरिटेंडेंट अपर डिविजन के क्लर्क शामिल है, जिनकी वरिष्ठता ऊपर-नीचे हो सकती है। साथ ही वे सहायक आयकर अफसर भी प्रभावित होंगे जिन्होंने पुराने नियम से पदोन्नति प्राप्त की है और उन आईटीओ को पदोन्नति मिलेगी जो रह गए थे।

राजस्थान में लागू कर रहे हैं यह आदेश: सुप्रीम कोर्ट के यह आदेश नवंबर 12 का है। मगर अब तक अहमदाबाद, लखनऊ और गुवाहाटी में इस आदेश के मुताबिक वरिष्ठता दी गई है। वित्त मंत्रालय के अंडर सेक्रेटरी बृज मोहन ने 16 जुलाई 15 को देश के सभी प्रधान मुख्य आयकर अधिकारियों से कहा कि वे अपने यहां भी वरिष्ठता सूची तैयार करे। इससे पहले 30 मार्च 10 अप्रैल 15 को डीजीआईटी (एचआरडी) की अध्यक्षता में बैठकें हुई जिसमें सभी को निर्देशित किया गया कि वे 30 जुलाई 15 तक वरिष्ठता सूची तैयार कर विभाग को भेजें।