CESA-Mumbai,
duly authorized by AIACEGEO, hosted a joint meeting of the Chief Office bearers
of Inspectors’, Superintendents’ Federations, promotee IRS officers, Drivers, representative
of Ministerial, Appraisers, direct IRS officers, at NACEN, Mumbai, on 17-Sept-2016. All the aforesaid Associations Chief Office Bearers and many delegates
from various units attended the joint meeting.
The
Joint Meeting started with a brief given by Sh. Deepak Mata, Assistant Director
of NACEN, Mumbai. The said meeting was chaired by Sh. Chandremouli, President
of AIACEGEO. All the office bearers expressed their views and apprehensions
about the administration after rolling out GST. Assistant Director NACEAN,
Bhandup briefed the latest position of GST and office bearers Sh Pawan Reddy Mannimohan,
Tirthankar, Jitender also expressed their apprehensions and appealed for taking
up the issues.
The
main motto of this meeting was to form a common platform for all the cadres and
to bring together all the stakeholders from the Administration side in the
proposed new Tax regime of GST. The other stakeholder in the new tax regime are
the state VAT employees who have already constituted a body at the all India
level and have approached the Finance Minister to safeguard their interests, while
administering the GST.
Everybody
has emphasized about the threshold level of assessees paying revenue of Rs. 1.5
Crores. The issue of the tax base and its control will shape its organizations
who will have how much share of the cake, big or small in the organization.
Hence, if present CBEC will be able to retain its Tax Base then definitely it will
play an elderly role, then in GSTN its control would be 24.5%, Centre 24.5%,
state and other private stake holders 51%, then the issue of re-organization of
the formations infrastructure. All the delegates expressed their views as well
as their resentment that the Govt. is proceeding unilaterally and keeping the
entire work force of the organization in the dark, which is not a healthy trend,
as has been seen during the two earlier CR in CBEC wherein the major work
forces remain excluded from the process and the problems of 80% of the work
force in the organization remain unaddressed, whether it is career prospects or
disparity in pay or lack of infrastructure.
The
DG NACEN,Shri P.K.Dash on request also shared his views & facts in a lucid manner. In
the meeting it was unanimously agreed to have a joint platform with minimum agenda
from the respective cadres. A steering committee of all associations under CBEC
on GST is to be formed with an intention to put forth before the government to
immediately address the grievances of all the staff associations. It was also
decided that the first meeting of newly formed steering committee will be held on
01-Oct-2016 in Mumbai to chalk out the future strategy and course of action
Meanwhile, the first meeting of GST Council was held and the turnover threshold exemptions etc., has been approved. It is learned that on 16th Sept., the Revenue Secretary has softened his stand towards CBEC and held a meeting in the Chairman’s cabin and assured that no staff will be reduced and position of the employees will be strengthened. As regards to GSTN, Govt., is considering to have a hold on GST itself and not allow it to rest with private stakeholders.
The fate of the Department is in crumbling mode. However, the senior officers, especially those who are under the impression that they are stalwarts, having expert & skilled knowledge, but all their ability failed the litmus test of not being able to hold the flag high as expected. As like other organizations, i.e. Police, Army, CISF, BSF, where there is a unity, as they belong to an uniformed cadre, whenever anything happens to the lower cadre or any case of manhandling, awkward situation etc., by the public, the entire organization stands like a rock behind the officer. Whether it is Vaishakhi, Holi, Onam, they all observe it in unity and with a sense of belongingness, irrespective of their caste, religion, positions held, together with their family, as they believe in self belongingness. But contrary to that, in our formations, the British legacy of SAHEB and BABU is visible. All the work from power to position, from admission to hospitalization, from shifting to establishment, from link to dealing, the Inspector and the Superintendent are till date playing major role and stand like a pillar of the Department but the seniors used them just like a KADI PATTA/TEJPATTA (required while preparing curry, for garnishing when the dish was prepared and served, and they were thrown out of the dish before munching the first pack).
The image of the Department is carried by the officers who are in the field, not by the officers who are sitting comfortably in their air-conditioned cozy rooms. Right from the days of physical control to SRP, Tariff item 68 to HSN, Section 4 to transaction value Rules, we have created havoc by over interpreting, by becoming a quasi judicial authority under a reasonable belief. The image of the Department before the trade has become sullied, unwanted litigation, indecisiveness, inconsistency of the applications of law, all these are responsible for the present situation. In presenting the performance and unreasonable Targets, all kinds of tricks are played and now as sowed time has came to reap it, but for that the lower officers cannot be made the scape-goat. Revenue may come or may not come but the system and the organization will remain! But what about those who were responsible for the damage, will they remain same in the eyes of the officers like the name of Emperor Aurangzeb in history.
Meanwhile, the first meeting of GST Council was held and the turnover threshold exemptions etc., has been approved. It is learned that on 16th Sept., the Revenue Secretary has softened his stand towards CBEC and held a meeting in the Chairman’s cabin and assured that no staff will be reduced and position of the employees will be strengthened. As regards to GSTN, Govt., is considering to have a hold on GST itself and not allow it to rest with private stakeholders.
The fate of the Department is in crumbling mode. However, the senior officers, especially those who are under the impression that they are stalwarts, having expert & skilled knowledge, but all their ability failed the litmus test of not being able to hold the flag high as expected. As like other organizations, i.e. Police, Army, CISF, BSF, where there is a unity, as they belong to an uniformed cadre, whenever anything happens to the lower cadre or any case of manhandling, awkward situation etc., by the public, the entire organization stands like a rock behind the officer. Whether it is Vaishakhi, Holi, Onam, they all observe it in unity and with a sense of belongingness, irrespective of their caste, religion, positions held, together with their family, as they believe in self belongingness. But contrary to that, in our formations, the British legacy of SAHEB and BABU is visible. All the work from power to position, from admission to hospitalization, from shifting to establishment, from link to dealing, the Inspector and the Superintendent are till date playing major role and stand like a pillar of the Department but the seniors used them just like a KADI PATTA/TEJPATTA (required while preparing curry, for garnishing when the dish was prepared and served, and they were thrown out of the dish before munching the first pack).
The image of the Department is carried by the officers who are in the field, not by the officers who are sitting comfortably in their air-conditioned cozy rooms. Right from the days of physical control to SRP, Tariff item 68 to HSN, Section 4 to transaction value Rules, we have created havoc by over interpreting, by becoming a quasi judicial authority under a reasonable belief. The image of the Department before the trade has become sullied, unwanted litigation, indecisiveness, inconsistency of the applications of law, all these are responsible for the present situation. In presenting the performance and unreasonable Targets, all kinds of tricks are played and now as sowed time has came to reap it, but for that the lower officers cannot be made the scape-goat. Revenue may come or may not come but the system and the organization will remain! But what about those who were responsible for the damage, will they remain same in the eyes of the officers like the name of Emperor Aurangzeb in history.
CESA-Mumbai
has in hand a copy of Resolutions passed by the National Executive of All India
Confederation of Commercial Tax Association(AICCTA) on 24.09.2016 where in they
have resolved and condemned the
retention of Assessment Jurisdiction of 20.87 lakh Service Tax assessees and
demanded that ST assessees with turnover limit of Rs. 1.5 crore per annum be
given to them. In the decision making process in GST staff Association be
involved and similar pay and facility for similar work according to designation
to all staff in State Govt. under GST.
In
their resolutions, the state VAT officials have stated in their messages that
IRS has managed its agenda by taking help of consultants, whereas they (VAT
officials) meet at some place and then forgot the same and busy in their office
work so failed. They appealed to their body to hire consultants to press their
demand of giving service tax assesseement of all assessees below Rs. 1.5 crores.
They have even given message for nationwide agitation to press their demands.
It seems that things are now precipitating and
all the Associations/Federations of CBEC have to be vigilant rather than relying on social media or print media, but we have to be meticulous in
making demands and stand united with full fledged solidarity to turn the tide in our favour.
CESA
will bring the latest position in the GST in the next blog.
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Good effort. Keep up the good work CESA
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