ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL EXCISE
GAZETTED EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS
Patron
Chief Patron
Patron
A. Venkatesh
Ravi Malik C. S.
Sharma
Mob. 7780255361 Mob. 9868816290 Mob.
9313885411
President:
Address for communication: Secretary
General:
T. Dass Flat No. 6,
SE 11, Shastri Nagar, Ghaziabad Harpal Singh
Mob.9848088928 mail
Id:aiacegeo2019@gmail.com Site:cengoindia.blogspot.in Mob.9717510598
Vice Presidents: B L Meena, K V Sriniwas (Central) Chinmoy Ghosh, Rajashish Dutta
(East) Ashish Vajpayee, Amadul Islam (North) B Pavan K Reddy, M Jegannathan
(South) Sanjeev Sahai, U D Meena (West) Joint Secretaries: S P Pandey, T
A Manojuman (Central) Apurba Roy, Siddharth Tewari (East) A K Meena, S K
Shrimali (West) Anand Narayan, Prabhakar Sharma (North) H Sadanand, M Nagaraju
(South); All India Coordinator: B L Meena Office Secretary: B C
Gupta Treasuer: Manoj Kumar Organising Secretary: Soumen Bhattachariya Liaisoning Secretary: Bhoopendra Singh North Zone
Coordinator: C. P. Verma
(Recognised by G.O.I., Min. of Fin. vide letter F.No. B.
12017/10/2006-Ad.IV A Dt.21.01.08)
Office address: 206, B wing, CGO Complex II, Kamla Nehru Nagar,
Ghaziabad
Ref. No. 137/AIB/L/21
Dt. 12.09.21
To,
Sh. M. Ajith
Kumar,
Chairman, CBIC,
North Block, New Delhi.
Sub:
Suspension of Group B officers at CCSI (Amausi) Airport, Lucknow.
Sir,
Kindly refer to the news items in Hindi newspapers about the
recovery of 72 Gold bars by DRI from passengers at Lucknow-Agra express way in
smuggling case through CCSI Airport,
Lucknow. Consequent upon the seizure of gold on 15.08.21 by DRI, Hawaldar
posted at CCSI airport was arrested and suspended. Further, one Superintendent
and four Inspectors were also suspended on 07.09.21. These officers were posted
in the group performing duty at airport on 15.08.21.
2. It is submitted with due regards that all Group B and C
officers including Superintendents and Inspectors perform their duties under
the instructions and directions of Group A IRS officers. Thus, these Group A
officers including shift in-charge are also equally responsible for the
incident and deserve equal treatment. But the shift in-charge has merely been
transferred instead of putting her also under suspension and also no action has
been taken against jurisdictional Joint/Addl. Commissioner and Commissioner of
Customs. This is indicative of biased, prejudiced and discriminatory act of
Group A authorities towards Group B and C officers which is on regular increase
day by day in both Central Goods & Service Tax (CGST) and Customs
throughout the country.
3. It is a well-known fact that smuggling cannot be done by
one single person and without protection by top authorities because gathering
of intelligence is the collective responsibility of all jurisdictional
authorities including DC, JC/ADC and Commissioner. Prior to seizure of gold on
15.08.21, one Assistant Commissioner promoted from Group B was posted to
Lucknow Airport and was given the charge of shift C duty for full month and
shift B duty for 16th to 30th/31th of the month of
Lucknow Airport. Again, just after 13 days, a Deputy Commissioner of DR Group A
category was given additional charge of A shift. Prior to it, the said Deputy
Commissioner had been posted at CCS Airport for three years from June 2018. These
facts create doubt to show that illegal activities were going on under the due
protection of all jurisdictional Group A IRS officers for long but no action
was taken by them to control these illegal activities which needs through
investigations by an independent agency in the matter giving equal treatment to
all officers whether belonging to Group A, B or C.
4. It has
been more than 25 days since the seizure of gold by DRI but no action has been
taken against the higher jurisdictional authorities who actually have full
control of administration and are equally responsible for the incident of
smuggling. These authorities have shifted the onus of negligence on Group B
& C officers including Superintendent, Inspectors and Hawaldar. By it,
gross injustice has been done to Group B & C officers.
5.
Throughout the country, the Group B & C officers are facing various
challenges and problems at divisional, headquarters and field levels due to such
biased, prejudiced and discriminatory approach by higher authorities. Limited
human resources/manpower, obsolete infrastructure or no infrastructure and
limited or no funds are available for Group B & C officers. They are forced
to perform their duties in very pathetic conditions. Under such circumstances, human errors/lapses
can’t be ruled out and Group B & C officers are made scapegoats on the
happening of such incident without fixing responsibility or accountability of
any of the higher concerned authority.
6. Unjust,
discriminatory, prejudiced and biased action of suspension of Group B officers
is indicative of indifferent and inhumane feelings of jurisdictional higher
authorities towards the Group B & C officers. The suspended officers were
performing their duties under the directions/instructions/supervision/control
of jurisdictional higher authorities. It is required to ascertain in this case
whether the shift in-charge Deputy Commissioner was on duty or not at the time
of incident and how often the duty was being attended by her. The same can be
verified from the camera clips at airport. Under the situation, no alternate
action to post another AC/DC on the Airport was taken by any of the jurisdictional
authorities which gives sufficient reason that the incident of the smuggling
was happened under the connivance of the jurisdictional authorities. Despite of
it, no action has been taken against jurisdictional higher authorities who are
having actual control of happenings and are responsible to curb any illegal
activity going-on at the Airport.
7.
The newspaper cutting and facts of the case reveal that carrier had not
kept gold in the baggage. Therefore, X-ray officer on duty is no way responsible
for the incident. The carrier passed through Green Channel. Therefore, other
Group B officers are also no way responsible for the incident. Inputs also
reveal that no audio/video transcript indicating their involvement are
available.
8. In view
of the above, it is requested that the similar action may also kindly be taken
under zero tolerance policy against all higher jurisdictional authorities
giving equal treatment to all and the suspension of our Group B officers may
kindly be revoked on immediate basis. The enclosed newspaper cutting also very
well points out the role of higher authorities in the incident of smuggling.
The Asstt. Commissioner promoted from Group B was also perhaps displaced from
the airport after the short stint because the higher authorities not being able
to get him fitted in the frame of events as per their desire whereas the Deputy
Commissioner belonging to DR Group A IRS category was placed there even after
the completion of the tenure of posting because of being fitted in the frame of
events as per the desire of the higher authorities.
Thanking you.
Yours
sincerely,
Encl:
Newspaper cutting. 
(HARPAL
SINGH),
Secretary
General.
Copy with the
request for necessary action to:
1) The Revenue Secretary, North Block, New Delhi.
2) Hon’ble MOS, Ministry of Finance, North Block, New Delhi.
3) Hon’ble Union Minister, Ministry of Finance, North Block,
New Delhi.
