" IRS OFFICERS PROMOTED FROM THE GRADE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF CENTRAL EXCISE ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF AIACEGEO. THIS IS THE ONLY ASSOCIATION FOR SUPERINTENDENTS OF CENTRAL EXCISE AND IRS OFFICERS PROMOTED FROM THE GRADE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF CENTRAL EXCISE THROUGH OUT THE COUNTRY . President Mr.T.Dass and SG Mr. Harpal Singh.

Thursday 4 April 2013

AN APPEAL TO ALL.





THE ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL EXCISE GAZETTED EXECUTIVE    OFFICERS.
To,
All Members of AIACEGEO,
(Through: President/General Secretary of all Units)
Comrades,
Sub- ‘Agitation against delay in Approval of Cadre Restructuring, &  other related issues’.



The All India Association of Central Excise  Gazetted  Executive Officers , the organization representing about 11,800 Gazetted Executive  Officers of the Central Excise, Customs and Service Tax   Department, has embarked upon an agitation programme from 25/09/2012, demanding immediate approval of Cadre Restructuring proposal of CBEC without any cut as cleared by the D/O Expenditure, granting of GP-5400 in PB-3 to the grade of Superintendent of Central Excise w.e.f 01.01.2006 , introduction of in situ scheme to remove stagnation etc etc.. The department is already facing acute shortage of manpower both at the staff and officers level, especially at the cutting edge level i.e. Assistant Commissioners who are playing a very crucial role in revenue collection.
The Public Accounts Committee in its 79th Report has interalia stated that “. The Committee feel that the staff requirement be examined on priority basis by the  Finance Minister  in order to ensure that the Service Tax collections, which have increased phenomenally from Rs. 407 crore in 1994-95 to Rs. 97,389 crore in 2011-12 does not suffer for want of human resource.
Near about 8000 nos. of Superintendents  have completed 30 year of services as Inspectors and Superintendents combinedly at present  and waiting for their promotion to Gr-A. The Inspectors who are joining in the department as direct recruit  are retiring by getting one promotion to the grade of Superintendent  in their service career. Whereas those similar placed employees who are joining in Income Tax department or in CSS or as Examiner in Customs are getting almost 5 to 6 promotions in their service career, While 1992 batch Examiners are being promoted to the grade of Asst. Commissioner, the 1975 batch Inspectors are still Superintendents and are being forced to work under the 1992 batch of Examiners who are quite juniors  to them in service. The parity is the basic concept of our Constitution, parity in promotion is required to be maintained amongst the similar placed employees of same department, but till date the Govt. of India have not initiated any action to maintain parity in promotion amongst the Examiners/Preventive Officers and Inspectors of CBEC. The educational qualification, mode of recruitment and Grade Pay for these post are similar. The Examiner, Preventive Officers and Inspectors are being recruited by the same examination conducted by SSC. The Honourable Apex Court have decided that one should at least get 3 promotions in his service career. But Govt have not allowed two promotions to the cadre of Inspector of CBEC.. Major revenue of Govt. of India are being collected  through CBEC. Inspectors and  Superintendents are basically responsible for collection of such major revenue. But these officers are not being awarded at least two promotions in their service career and are not being granted with appropriate pay as has been granted to similar placed employees of Central Govt.
           
            Considering the utter frustration of  Superintendents  who are languishing without any promotion for around 18/20 years and being forced to work under  their natural juniors by 17 years, AIACEGEO had served a notice dated 02.04.13 , on the Finance Minister of India  informing about the proposed agitation  to be held  on  12.04.13 , if  all the 10 points charter of demands are not accepted  immediately.
  The copy of  Notice  served upon the Finance Minister of India on 02.04.13 by Secretary General  relating to such proposed agitation is  reproduced below for your perusal.
           
“Ref. No. 44/A/12                                                                                                 Dt. 02.04.13
To,                                                                   
Sh. P. Chidambaram,                                                                                    
The Hon’ble Finance Minister,                 
Govt. of India, New Delhi.
Sub: March to FM residence on 12.04.13 and mass resignations on 30.04.13-intimation reg.
Sir,
Kindly refer to the Ref. No. 93/A/12 Dt. 31.12.12, 27/H/13 Dt. 04.03.13, 33/A/12 Dt. 18.03.13 and 34/A/12 Dt. 19.03.13 of the Association.  
2. It is submitted with due regards that our officers are retiring in PB2 after getting only one promotion in the service career while other common entry counterparts of ours are retiring in PB4 after getting 5-6 promotions. We are deprived of the appropriate pay scale/pay band & grade pay and facing the worst career prospects. Our officers are getting promotion (if any) merely to Junior Time Scale while other counterparts of CPWD, CSS etc. are getting to Senior Time Scale. The employee grievance redressal mechanism has totally failed. We are forced to work under the extreme juniors of Customs belonging to the same cadre. All of our officers are totally demoralised and have nothing to be job-satisfied or motivated. If career prospects were disclosed in the recruitment advertisement, we would have never joined this job. The rights to grow, make progress and live with dignity have been snatched from us. There is no change in the scenario till date despite of the decades-long representations, pleadings and requests of the Association and also our duties being performed by us like the most obedient & responsible employees. It is, therefore, intimated that-
 (i) The officers from all over India will gather at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on 12.04.13 at 11 a.m. in their uniform and proceed to gather around the residence of your goodself to submit the Memorandum. 
(iii) All of our officers throughout the country will submit their resignations on 30.04.13 under protest.
3. The charter of the demands is enclosed herewith.          
Thanking you,                                                                         
Yours faithfully,
Encl: Charter of demands.
 (RAVI MALIK),
Secretary General.
Copy with the request for necessary action to-
1) The MOS, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, North Block, New Delhi.
2) The Secretary, Department of Revenue, North Block, New Delhi.
3) The Chairperson, CBEC, North Block, New Delhi.
(RAVI MALIK).”
Charter of demands
1. Immediate implementation of the cadre restructuring without any cut as already approved by the Expenditure. All proposed posts to be approved permanently and be filled-up by promotions only alongwith all posts likely  to be lied  vacant  within 5 years of implementation of cadre restructuring without any direct recruitment in group ‘A’ during the period.
2. Parity with other counterparts of CSS, CBDT etc. either in the cadre restructuring or independent of it to retire our officers also in PB-4.
3. Immediate fulfilment of the commitments like “creation of separate service for group ‘B’ executive officers”, “promotion of group ‘B’ gazetted executive officer directly to STS like CSS”, “all Inspectors, PO’s & Examiners of same year should be brought to same level of promotion”, ‘all the vacancies of cadre restructuring to be filled up by promotions & extend this benefit for more than 1 years”, ‘minimum qualifying service for promotion to gazetted post should be uniform for Inspector, PO & Examiner” etc. etc. made during the presentation on cadre restructuring proposal on 18.01.11 in consonance of the submissions made by the Association vide its Ref. No. 13/11 Dt. 27.01.11.           
4. At least four functional promotions in the service career.            
5. Immediate implementation of the Supreme Court verdict dt. 03.08.11 by framing “just, fair & equitable” recruitment rules and abiding all the ad hoc promotions with the same duly granting notional promotions to the seniors of Central Excise whose juniors of Customs have already been promoted.
6. Initial grade pay of Rs. 5,400/- in PB3 w.e.f. the date of the grant of this grade pay/equivalent pay scale to the other analogous counterparts of IB, CBI etc.            
7. Time-scale in PB3 instead of PB2 to the Superintendents completing 4 years of service and next promotions to all Superintendents directly to the post of Deputy Commissioner (STS post) to maintain parity between the officers of headquarters organisations & field offices. Also counting of regular service in non-discriminatory manner as compared to CSS etc.            
8. At least a grade pay of Rs. 6,600-/ & 7,600/- on IInd & IIIrd MACP upgradation without offsetting with time scale on the lines of MACPS adopted by the State Governments like Uttar Pradesh etc. or even on better lines on account of the originating source (i.e., 6th CPC) being the same.             
9. Finalisation of in-situ promotion scheme under consultation of the Association.
10. Holding of regular minuted meetings under employee grievances redressal mechanism.
THE MESSAGE OF SHRI RAVI MALIK SECRETARY GENERAL AIACEGEO IS ALSO PRODUCED BELOW:
Subject: Further steps of agitation
From: Ravi Malik  Mon, 1 Apr '13 9:30a
To: You .
Dear friends,
good morning.
 We all know that the programme of 29-31.03.13 has only been deferred and the programmes of 12.04.13 AND 30.04.13 ARE AS "IT IS" WITHOUT ANY CHANGE. We have not to be even a little complacent. A few may say why the programme was deferred on last day as we were all prepared. Thanks to all for the extraordinary preparations despite of acute time constraint but we have also to be ready for such type of things without affecting our preparations even a little. No doubt that the notice of any programme is never served only for the sake of service but it is served with the determined intention of following the programme to achieve our goals in the interest of the cadre. Our goal is never "merely to observe the programme or bring a stage to stop the dialogues" with concerned authorities but our goal particularly in r/o any agitational programme is always to mount the required pressure on the authorities to make them serious about us. No doubt also that last hour deferment always place us in very inconvenient position but we have to bear it and be ready as per the demand of the circumstances. A few may not like it but others may appreciate it as a mature and wanted step. But we have never to feel ill, demoralised, disheartened or disappointed. We have instead to be well prepared for the next programme with even more zeal & enthusiasm to show the utmost unity & solidarity in the interest of the cadre.
 Accordingly, it is requested that maximum number of officers may kindly gather at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on 12.04.13 in the UNIFORM to proceed to FM's residence at 19, Safdarjung Road, New Delhi-110011. If anybody is not having uniform, he/she may arrange it from somewhere or come even without uniform. All of the participants have to apply for leave on some personal grounds because administration may not grant the leave for this purpose.  
 We should also have started the collection of the "resignation letters" from the members to give the clear message to the administration upto top level. This message of collection of the "resignation letters" will certainly have an extra positive impact on administration to make them "really serious" for us.
 SO, FRIENDS, KINDLY BE WELL PREPARED FOR THE PROGRAMMES OF 12.04.13 & 30.04.13.
Love,
Ravi.”
Dear Comrades,
           As the  Cadre Review & Restructuring will provide adequate staff & officers, moreover if all the demands as raised by AIACEGEO will be accepted then all most all  employees of CBEC  will be benefited . Further these demands will surely boost the Revenue, which is primary for sustaining the developmental work undertaken by the Government.
Therefore,  I request  all the employees of Central Excise, Customs and Service Tax Department to join in the agitation and join in march to FM house from Jantra Mantra , New Delhi on 12.04.13 to submit representation and make such agitation a grand success.
(LOKANATH MISHRA)
       PRESIDENT