The Superintendents of Central Excise, Customs and Service Tax from all over the country staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on November 11 to draw the attention of the government to their demands pertaining to promotions, pay scale, working conditions and staff position. Thousands of officers participated in the dharna organised under the banner of All India Association of Central Excise Gazetted Executive Officers.
BJP spokesperson Shri Prakash Javadekar addressed the agitators and assured them full support of the BJP in resolving their demands. He said more than 4500 Superintendents who have already put in more than 30 years of service after entering the Department of Inspectors are yet to get their second promotion. They have already put in more than 12 years as Superintendent itself, whereas the qualifying service for the next promotion i.e. Assistant Commissioner is only three years. ?This is due to the unscientific recruitment of large number of officers during the previous years without any proper planning for the future promotion. Majority of these Superintendents would retire within the next four years without any further promotion,? he added.
Shri Ravi Malik, general secretary of the Association said there was a time when even a promotee Inspector from LDC was able to become the Commissioner getting seven promotions but now a direct recruit Inspector of Central Excise is unable to become even an Assistant Commissioner and retiring merely as Superintendent getting only one promotion. He said in their department all the other cadres were getting five to seven promotions while a Superintendent was retiring only as a Superintendent.
?Gross injustice has been done to us by the Pay Commission also as higher scales have been granted to other equivalent cadres ignoring us. We are collecting Central Excise Duty, Custom Duty, Service Tax, Inland Air Travel Tax, Foreign Travel Tax. Etc. combating with the smugglers, hardcore revenue offenders and white collared criminals. Our Superintendents are forced to work without sufficient staff, proper working conditions, entitled office and other basic facilities despite of earning the greatest portion of the government revenues and thus being its backbone,? said Shri SP Siddhanta, secretary general of the Association.
He said the Association has conveyed the grievances of the members without hampering the collection of the revenue and encumbrances to the bona fide taxpayers but no immediate urgent action is in sight. ?The dharna was organised to draw the attention of the representatives of the people to help the hapless members to get equity and justice,? he added.
(FOC)
