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. 52/NFU/14
Dt.
04.03.14
To,
Ms. Neerja Shah,
DG, HRD, CBEC,
New Delhi.
Sub: Batch to batch Non Functional Upgradation to the Central Excise
executive officers at par with the counterparts of CSS.
Madam,
Kindly refer to
the verbal submissions made on the issue yesterday.
2. It is again 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. As far as the
group ‘B’ officers are concerned, 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, Non Gazetted) 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 (Non Gazetted) through the same All India
competitive examination get only one promotion in 35/40 years of service
career. The Assistants/Section Officers are working in the headquarters offices
on policy making seats whereas the Inspectors/Superintendents of Central Excise
are 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 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
submit that they are already earning the major portion of the govt. revenues.
It is also worth to submit that the Govt. of India has regularly been earning
the revenue far ahead of the revenue targets in r/o of Central Excise duty,
Customs duty and Service Tax particularly due to the efficient, committed &
effective efforts of the workforce 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 on
batch to batch basis 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 Central Excise
Superintendents have been facing continuous acute stagnation for decades. Out of more than 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, issuance of Show Cause Notices 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. 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. This injustice is being faced by them
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 very unfortunately,
they 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 may kindly be granted at least non-functional upgradation at
par with their counterparts of CSS on batch to batch basis since their initial
joining in group B enabling them to retire in PB4 like their counterparts too.
Thanking
you,
Yours faithfully,
(RAVI MALIK),
Secretary General.
