ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL EXCISE
GAZETTED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
President:
Address for communication: Secretary
General:
Lokanath Mishra 240, Razapur,
Ghaziabad-201001 (U.P.) Ravi
Malik
Vice Presidents: Sampat
Rai, Vatan Kamble (Central); Anurag Chaudhary, Ravi Joshi (North); A. Ravinder
Singh, Rajan G. George (South); A. S. Roy, Shubhrangshu Deb (East); P. D.
Nimhan, S. K. Jha (West)
Joint Secretaries: Anand
Kishore, Laxmi Lal Singhvi (Central); N. N. Lal, R. K. Solanki (North); G.
Srinath, S. Chandrasekar (South); Ashwini Majhi, V. N. Jha (East); G. K. Jhala,
M. K. Misra (West)
Office Secretary: C.S.Sharma (Mob. 09313885411) Treasurer: N.R.Manda (Mob.
09871483585)
(Recognised by G.O.I., Min. of
Fin. vide letter F.No. B. 12017/10/2006-Ad.IV A Dt.21.01.08)
Ref. No. 227/NFU/13
Dt. 07.08.13
REMINDER
To,
Ms. Praveen
Mahajan,
The Chairperson, CBEC,
North
Block, New Delhi.
Sub: Non
Functional Upgradation to the Central Excise executive officers at par with the
counterparts of CSS.
Madam,
Kindly refer to the following
communications of the Association to various
authorities-
i) Ref. No. 87/12 Dt. 14.06.12,
ii) Ref. No. 107/12 Dt. 10.07.12,
iii) Ref. No. 22/meet/12 Dt. 22.08.12,
iv) Ref. No. 51/meet/12 Dt.
08.10.12,
v) Ref. No. 69/M/12 Dt.
02.11.12,
vi)
Ref. No. 07/NFFU/13 Dt.18.01.13,
vii) Ref. No. 11/M/12 Dt.
24.01.13,
viii) Ref. No. 65/NFFU/13 Dt.
25.04.13,
ix) Ref. No. 139/M/13 Dt.
04.06.13 etc.
2. It is submitted with due regards that
all the organised group ‘A’ officers recruited with IAS, the best placed group
‘A’ service, in the same pay scale through common entry examination conducted
by UPSC have been granted financial parity with the counterparts of IAS. They
have been granted non-functional up-gradation vide DOPT OM No. AB.14017/64/2008-Estt.(RR)
dt. 24.04.09 to compensate the lack of promotions as compared to IAS.
3. It is further submitted that the
CSS officers are the best placed group ‘B’ officers of Govt. of India like IAS
in group ‘A’. The group ‘B’ officers at the level of Inspector of Central
Excise and the Assistant of CSS are recruited in a common scale of pay through common entry examination
conducted by SSC. The officers recruited as Assistant (Group-B, NG) in
the Ministries get the benefit of promotions upto the Joint Secretary level,
i.e., i) SO with GP of Rs. 5400/- in PB3 after 4 years of service, ii) US (Grade-I)
with GP of Rs. 6600/-, iii) DS with GP of Rs. 7600/-, iv) Director with GP of
Rs. 8700/- in PB-4 and v) JS with GP of Rs. 10000/-. However, their counterpart
Inspectors of Central Excise in CBEC recruited as Group-B (NG) through the same
All India competitive examination get only one promotion in 35/40 years of
service career. If the Assistants/Section Officers are working in the
headquarters offices on policy making seats, the Inspectors/Superintendents of
Central Excise are also working on more important seats of revenue collection
in the field formations. Despite of working on more important seats, the
Inspectors/Superintendents of Central Excise are not treated at par with the
counterparts of CSS. These CSS counterparts are retiring 4-5 grades above the
officers recruited as the Inspector of Central Excise. On account of this, the CSS
counterparts are getting 60% more pay than the officers recruited as Inspector
of Central Excise. Even the pension of CSS counterparts is more than the salary
of the officers recruited as Inspector of Central Excise. The Inspectors of
Central Excise are recruited in PB2 and also retire on a PB2 post of
Superintendent barring around 1% while all of their common entry counterparts
of CSS easily reach PB4 levels after being recruited with them in PB2 through
the same examination with same eligible conditions. It is also worth to submit
that the revenue officers are highly placed throughout the world in the matter
of salary, perks and career prospects as compared to other employees but, very
unfortunately, our officers are facing the ever worst prospects in each &
every matter.
4. The group ‘A’ officers in the
Ministries are selected under Central Staffing Scheme on deputation basis from organized
Group ‘A’ Services or from CSS officers being promoted from the post of Assistant/Section
Officer but no such opportunity is available for the Inspectors/Superintendents
of Central Excise who are not only looking after the work relating to
collection of Central Excise duty but also looking after the work of collection
of Customs duty (including Inland Air Travel Tax and Foreign Travel Tax) and
Service Tax. Needless to mention that they are already earning the major
portion of the govt. revenues. It is also worth to mention that the Govt. of India has regularly been earning
the revenue far ahead of the revenue target in r/o of Central Excise duty,
Customs duty and Service Tax particularly due to the efficient, committed &
effective efforts of the workforce of CBEC in the form of Central Excise
Inspectors/Superintendents.
5. Above facts very well manifest
the injustice meted out to officers recruited as Central Excise Inspector despite
of the most important work of revenue collection being done by them for govt.
During this course, they have been facing every threat including life &
person of them as well as their families by the hard core criminals, smugglers
and white collared criminals alongwith tremendous administrative pressures.. Thus,
the officers recruited as the Inspector of Central Excise deserve a far better
treatment in every aspect including pay, perks and career prospects. The grant
of the non-functional upgradation in the grade of common entry counterparts of
CSS on the lines of granting the non-functional upgradation to all Group ‘A’
officers at par with IAS may really be a solace for these hard working Central
Excise officers.
6. The Association was assured of
the necessary action by the Member (P&V) in r/o granting non-functional
upgradation at par with CSS during the meeting of 02.11.12. The issue was
raised again vide point No. 15 in the meeting of 31.01.13 and she was again
pleased to assure the Association of necessary action but the decision on this point, however, was
mentioned in the minutes as a technical matter to be examined vide No.C.30013/6/2012-Ad.IV.A. Dt. 15.02.13 of CBEC.
No need to repeat that the Central
Excise Superintendents have been facing continuous acute stagnation for decades. Out of 11500 Central Excise Superintendents, around
10000 are already eligible for promotion to group ‘A’ having rendered more
qualifying service than required for promotion.
7. As far as the importance of
the responsibilities is concerned, the Superintendents are discharging all
functions relating to assessment, investigation & intelligence, issuing of
SCN with the powers of adjudication. They have not only been conferred with the
judicial powers in the matter of adjudication but also been conferred with the
judicial powers of recording statements of various persons in terms of Section
14 of the Central Excise Act, 1944 or Section 108 of the Customs Act,
1962. The statements tendered before the
Central Excise Superintendent have a legal binding and are treated as a valid
piece of evidence by various courts including the Hon’ble Supreme Court just
like the statements tendered before a Magistrate. No such powers have been
conferred to the CSS officers or any other counterparts of Central Excise
Superintendents/Inspectors. It is also important to mention that the judicial
officers are not only already being highly paid with extra perks but also
treated in a far better way in the matter of career prospects than our
Superintendents in our country. However,
though the Central Excise Superintendents are performing more responsible work
functions as compared to other common entry counterparts yet they are facing
the worst career prospects instead of being given better treatment. They are
being maltreated despite of being the ‘backbone of the government revenue’ on
account of being the major revenue collectors for the government in the form of
Central Excise duty, Customs duty and Service Tax and also GST in the forthcoming
times. In the actual terms, they are the ‘backbone of the government’ on
account of being responsible to earn the finance for the government but are being
totally ignored in every matter.
8. In view of above, it is
requested that the officers recruited as Inspector/Superintendent of Central
Excise (direct as well as promotee) may kindly be granted at least non-functional
upgradation at par with their counterparts of CSS on batch to batch basis enabling
them to retire in PB4 like their counterparts too.
Thanking
you,
Yours faithfully,
(RAVI MALIK),
Secretary General.
Copy with the request for
necessary action to:
1) The DG, HRD, CBEC, New
Delhi.
2) The ADG (HRM), HRD, CBEC,
New Delhi.
(RAVI MALIK)
