Dear friends,
Namaste and A VERY HAPPY & SPECIAL JANMASHTAMI to all members & office
bearers (all India as well as units) alongwith families.
2. No doubt that it is historic success of we all and our
Association to get cleared thousands of promotional posts for our officers by
Cadre Review Committee when even hundreds of promotions were like a dream. Now,
it is expected that CR would also be cleared soon by the Cabinet and our
thousands of officers would be able to enter group ‘A’. Now, it seems that the
new strength at AC/DC level might be 4168 (2050 permanent & 2118 temporary
for 5 years) + 250 reserved pool. Around 400+ vacancies may also be available
due to cascading effect on account of promotions at higher levels. All of
temporary posts may be used only for the promotee officers for next 5 years
after filling these in one go at the time of implementation. Permanent posts
may be distributed between directs & promotees. However, the things will
only be confirmed after the issuance of the minutes of the meeting.
3. But it’s only a beginning, it’s not our final aim. Our aim
is to retire our officers in PB4 like our common entry counterparts by getting
parity with the best placed common entry counterpart. If group ‘A’ officers can
get it, we can also get it but it will depend on the gravity of the united
efforts to be made by us in the future.
4. In the remote past, not only our direct Inspectors but
also our promotee Inspectors were able to attain the level of Commissioner. Not
only it, the previous Chairman has already admitted in a meeting with the
Association during his stint as the Member (P&V) that our promotee
Inspectors also reached the level of Member of CBEC. During one another
meeting, one of the lady office bearers of IRS Association admitted that even
our Sepoy had reached the level of Commissioner. Our Counterparts of CBDT &
CSS are already reaching the level of Commissioner & Joint Secretary and
all of them are retiring at the levels of ADC & Director (both PB4 posts).
5. The parity (functional or even only financial) with our
common entry counterparts is very well possible by adopting the measures like
below-
a) time bound promotions/scales (time scales after every 5 years for us were also recommended by CBEC to
6th CPC but the same is now being back tracked by them),
b) notional promotions,
c) creation of supernumerary posts,
d) creation of separate service (it was also recommended by CBEC to 6th CPC for us but now it
is also being back tracked by them),
e) direct promotion to higher post/s (Customs Ministerial officers
are being promoted to the post of Customs Appraiser without working for a
single day on the post of Customs Examiner),
f) in-situ promotions (requiring
no creation of posts),
g) batch to batch functional
upgradation at par with best placed common entry counterparts like CSS etc.
and/or
h) any other specific measure/s including batch to batch non-functional upgradation at par with best
placed common entry counterparts like CSS etc. also requiring no creation of
posts on the lines of DOPT OM No. AB.14017/64/2008-Estt.(RR) dt. 24.04.09
granting NFU to other group ‘A’ officers at par with IAS and
i) re-framing the recruitment rules
without trifurcating the single cadre of Inspector/Superintendent and prescribing
the qualifying service in consonance of the DOPT
OM No. AB-14017/61/2008-Estt.(RR) dt. 24.03.09 which stipulates the promotion
of the grade of Inspector to the grade of Joint Commissioner, Additional Commissioner
& Commissioner after completion of 12, 17 & 20 years of service
respectively. The validity of this OM was also admitted by CBEC during
the presentation of cadre restructuring proposal on 18.01.11 but they showed
their inability to implement it due to the want of the required number of
vacancies/posts. Therefore, the officers may even be granted in-situ promotions
after prescribed service also requiring
no creation of posts independent of cadre restructuring.
6. So, Dear Friends, we have not to show any complacency
regarding our agitational programmes. I have received the message for service
of notice to the local authorities only from two units for 04.09.13. All other units are requested to
serve the immediate notice to their local administration for 4th
September. No doubt, it is a light programme but we have to be ready for
stronger programmes in future. We have not to forget that the immediate key for
redressal of all of our grievances is only the strong agitation. So, be ready
for immediate action. The cadre restructuring will enable only around 7% of our
officers (including Inspectors & Superintendents) to enter junior group ‘A’
in comparison to our above mentioned counterparts, 100% of whom are already
entering PB4. Even the cadre restructuring is yet to be cleared finally by the
Cabinet and then be notified & implemented.
Love,
Ravi Malik.
SG/AIACEGEO
