All India Association of Central Excise Gazetted Executive Officers to stage protest

With nothing left to be happy about in terms of career prospects, pay or any other service matter, superintendents of central excise, service tax and customs will gather before the residences of Joint Secretary (Administration) and Member (PandV) of the Central Board of Excise and Customs on September 20 in a symbolic manner to highlight their pain through a Satyagraha programme in New Delhi.

The same programme will be observed before the residences of CBEC chairperson and the Revenue Secretary on September 21.

Despite disappointment, job dissatisfaction, demotivation, humiliation and frustration, the revenue targets are regularly being achieved above the set targets by the sincere, committed and dedicated efforts of these officers but nobody is worried about their career prospects.

These officers are forced to retire at a PB2 (the lowest Group B gazetted) post with only single promotion in the service career of 35-40 years after joining as Inspector whereas their common entry counterparts are easily enjoying PB4 levels (Joint Secretary and Commissioner, top level Group A posts) after getting 5-6 promotions.

These officers are getting promotion (if any) merely to Junior Time Scale while their counterparts of CPWD, CSS, CSSS, AFHQS, Railway Board, Rajya Sabha Secretariat and many others like administrative services, police services, forest services, engineering services, state services etc. to senior time scale.

The employee grievance redressal mechanism has totally failed. These poor officers are also forced to work under the extreme juniors of Customs belonging to the same cadre.

Not only it, they are also deprived of the due pay scales in comparison to their analogous counterparts. The rights to grow, make progress and live with dignity have been snatched from them. There is no change in the scenario regarding their career prospects despite of the repeated representations and requests made to the administration.

“If career prospects were disclosed at the time of the recruitment, these officers would have never joined this job,” said Ravi Malik, Secretary General, All India Association of Central Excise Gazetted Executive Officers.

Malik also disclosed the facts that the direct IRS officers have been ensured up to nine promotions to upgrade them within the standard residency periods prescribed by DOPT by creating the posts at apex, HAG+ etc. levels in the higher scales even without availability of the eligible officers but no measures are being taken for the actual workforce of CBEC in the form of Central Excise Superintendents and Inspectors to promote/upgrade them within the standard residency periods prescribed by DOPT.

Their counterparts of Income Tax (CBDT) and the Assistants of CSS under the same Department of Revenue are able to reach the post of Commissioner and Joint Secretary. Almost all other counterparts of them are also reaching the PB4 levels.

The CBEC is even unable to conduct the DPC for promotions from Group ‘B’ to Group ‘A’ at prescribed intervals. Nothing has been done for these poor officers for decades to improve their career prospects. They are given false assurances but nothing has ever happened. All of other cadres below Group ‘A’ except Inspectors and Superintendents are also already getting 5 to 6 promotions in CBEC.

Malik added that the cadre restructuring, which should have been implemented immediately after its notification on 18.12.13 particularly keeping in view the monthly mass level retirements of our officers without getting even IInd promotion, is still pending even after more than eight months of its notification.

“Now under the prevailing circumstances, we have no option other than the revival of the Satyagraha programme to sit before the residences of the authorities including Commissioners/ADG’s, Chief Commissioners/DG’s, Joint Secretary, Members, Chairperson, Revenue Secretary, Minister of State (Revenue) and Finance Minister requesting them for immediate implementation of cadre restructuring and taking concrete measures independent of cadre restructuring to retire our officers also in PB4 under the hope of being listened in a better way at the residences of the authorities,” he said.

“In view of the above, our officers limited to 51 in number will gather peacefully before the residences of the Joint Secretary (Admn.) and Member (PandV) of the CBEC on 20.09.14 (Saturday) and the Chairperson of CBEC and Revenue Secretary on 21.09.14 (Sunday) under the ’51 programme’ requesting these authorities to fulfill our demands as per the charter of demands enclosed herewith,” he added.

“Under next step, such programmes will be observed before the residences of the Commissioners and Chief Commissioners throughout India and before the residences of other higher authorities in Delhi, if our demands are not acceded,” said Malik.