INCENTIVE FOR INACTION...

INCENTIVE TO INACTION

There is nothing intrinsically wrong in awarding a gold medal to a person for doing nothing.We are inclined to think that the complaint of the anonymous Madras gentleman, that he recently got a gold medal for Harijan upliftment work although he was completely innocent of any such effort, is unfair to the donors of the medal and unwarranted by the facts. In any case it is worth noting that his surprise and obvious sense of guilt did not prevent him from accepting the medal. 

It only shows that everyone likes to get a medal or two and the lesser the claim to a medal the greater the pleasure! As a matter of fact, we have been handing out medals to all and sundry since Independence although it must be conceded that they have not always been made of metal. 

Many people who had accidentally strayed into a Congress procession in the thirties suddenly found themselves doing nothing in British jails. And when they came out for the last time they discovered to their amazement that all kinds of medals were awaiting them. 

Doing nothing can pay off handsomely. After all, is it not written that he also serves who stands and stares? But, perhaps, we are being unfair to the Madras gold medalist.Who knows? He might have been awarded the medal for kindly desisting from social service.

February 28, 1961 From The Free Press Archives

The above paragraph is from the archives of the Free Press Journal, dated  28^th February, 1962. Receiving a medal appreciation is a joyful moment, but the process of selection, points a needle of suspicion, as to whether the intention of awarding the medal is malafide or not and also whether the right person has been awarded. 

The adhoc posts of Assistant Commissioner (Insitu) was created and approved in the year 2013 by the Cabinet and the first lot of ACs were promoted in the month of October-2014. Thereafter, many Chairmen/Chairperson have come (after giving the necessary assurances) and gone (without issuing second order, citing difficulties on one or other pretext). However, the second order of promotions were issued in spite of great difficulties, on 23^rd February, 2017. Their posting orders were issued on 26-May-2017. In the meantime many of the officers of Central Excise retired without assuming a single day in the post of Assistant Commissioner.

Order of 844 posts of Assistant Commissioners was issued and was kept all these officers from February to first week of the June idle, Sheer criminal wastage of manpower without any postings. In no organisation this type of management of their employee can be imagined. each precious moment are counted in their HR policy. stagnation, promotion at the fag end of the career, humiliation, posting at distant place, adding to discrimination between direct and promotee while posting plus keeping them idle for more than three months is really unfortunate and horrible.

We are not leaving any stone unturned in eagerly welcoming the GST roll out. The VAT people have gradually encroached on our jurisdiction and monopoly. But have we learnt any lesson so far ? Without mending our ways and continuing in the traditional manner of functioning, will only see our wings being clipped even more in the near future.

There are around 800 eligible Grp-B officers, who are ideal for standing upto the challenges of the new regime of taxation, is a another criminal wastage of trained manpower by not giving promotions and keeping the post of assistant commissioner lying vacant.  Who is responsible for this sheer wastage and who is being benefitted by keeping such large number of posts vacant ?  Will this not lead to keeping items of work pending or increasing the legacy issues ?

Time and tide waits for no one, what is gone is gone & cannot be recouped. We expect that the Administration moves quickly so that we can match with the state VAT employees. Otherwise, we will become the victim, like in the Panchatantra story of “Rabbit and the Tortoise”. 

We are helping to implement the path breaking GST, i.e. one nation - one tax, and the ideal mindset that is required to be followed by the Board is that we are all one in CBEC, without having any differentiation between the direct recruits and the promotees… 

It may also be appreciated that the Board alone cannot manage to implement the new tax regime. By keeping the lower level officers happy, the implementation will be a much smoother affair… 

Hope that the Board will be bold and act for all. 

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