Letter dtd. 21.11.2011 of All India CX Supdt.Association to the JS,DOPT on discriminatory recruitment rules in CBEC.

ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL EXCISE GAZETTED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
(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. 208/11                                                                        Dt.22.11.11
To,


Sh. Rajeev Kapoor,
Joint Secretary, DOPT,
North Block, New Delhi.

Sub: Discriminatory recruitment rules in CBEC.

Sir,

It is submitted with due regards that the Inspectors of Central Excise, Preventive Officers and Examiners of Customs are the analogous posts recruited through the same competitive examination under same eligibility conditions in the same organization of CBEC of the same Department of Revenue having same administrative hierarchy as well as same nature of job of tax collection but with huge discriminatory difference in promotional avenues. All of those are mentioned as “Inspectors only” in the recruitments rules and other relevant documents. They get next promotion as Superintendent of Central Excise, Superintendent and Appraiser of Customs (again analogous posts) respectively at group ‘B’ gazetted level performing same nature of job and re-merge at the level of Asstt. Commissioner (group ‘A’ entry level) placing Central Excise Inspectors 20 years behind the Examiners of Customs. The position of the Preventive officers is in between. 

2. Thus, a single cadre has been trifurcated in totally discriminatory manner by CBEC due to which the senior Central Excise stream officers have to work under their extreme juniors (junior even by 20 years) of Customs. It is an admitted fact that the Examiner of 1992 batch has already entered group ‘A’ while the Inspector of Central Excise of 1972 is still waiting to reach that level. 

3. The Central Excise stream officers work in all of the three streams of the CBEC, i.e., Central Excise, Service Tax and Customs. On the other hand, the Customs stream officers work only in the Customs stream but they are posted to Central Excise and Service Tax after entry into group ‘A’. Thus, it is even more surprising that a junior officer having worked only in the Customs stream and having no knowledge of Central Excise or Service Tax heads his seniors of Central Excise and Service Tax.

4. Such a horrible situation of humiliation and discrimination to work under an extreme junior happens only in the organization of CBEC which is neither justifiable by any rule of law or any principle of natural justice. It is further submitted that the Central Excise stream officers are by & large retiring after getting only 1 promotion in their service career after being recruited as Inspector while the Examiners of Customs are reaching the level of Addl. Commissioner and Commissioner after getting 5 or 6 promotions on account of the discriminatory rules.

5. On account of this discrimination, the officers recruited as Inspectors of Central Excise have to draw less salary (even at the peak of their career) even than the pension of other analogous counterparts. Even the ACPS or MACPS is unable to undo this discrimination. The Central Excise executive officers are being discriminated despite of the fact that they constitute about 50% of the total strength of the organization and play the role of its backbone. Their analogous counterparts of Customs are only 2.5% of the total strength and getting all the benefits due to faulty & biased rules.

6. As far as the ongoing cadre restructuring of CBEC is concerned, the 2006 Examiner shall enter group ‘A’ in 2012 and they shall further reach the level of Commissioner or Chief Commissioner while the Inspector of 1979 only will be able to enter group ‘A’ and retire as it is without further promotion. But very unfortunately, no care has been taken for the Central Excise stream officers either in the last cadre restructuring or in the ongoing one. 

7. In view of the above, you are very much requested to look into the matter amending the recruitment rules in CBEC in the manner that no senior is forced to work under a junior.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

(RAVI MALIK),
Secretary General.

Copy with the request for necessary action to-The Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training, North Block, New Delhi.

(RAVI MALIK)

Source;- Lokanath Mishra's post on KNOWLEDGE ON SERVICE MATTERSPost  dtd 27.11.2011  https://www.facebook.com/groups/centralexcise/permalink/193508107400185/