CGST is only old wine renamed...complex on display again
Letter to the Revenue Secretary:
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ALL
INDIA ASSOCIATION OF
CENTRAL
EXCISE GAZETTED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
(Representing
the Superintendents of C.Ex & CGST)
[Recognised
vide CBEC Letter F. No. B 12017/10/2004-Ad IV A dated 21/01/2008]
6/7 A.T.D. Street,
Race Course Road, Coimbatore – 641018.
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President
Sanjay
Srinivasan
Vice Presidents:
Prabir
Mukhopadhyay
Sanjay
Kumar
H.S.
Bajaj
K.S.
Kumar
P.K.
Jaishankar Iyer
Secretary General
R.
Manimohan
(09443063989)
Asst Secy General
Shishir
Agnihotri
Joint Secretaries:
Kousik
Roy
D.
S. Thakur
Malkit
Singh Kalugasala Moorthy
Sandip
Panvalkar
Core Committee:
Tirthankar
Pyne
Ajit
Kumar K.G.
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Ref.
No: RS/4/2017 Date:
20.07.2017
To
Dr. Hasmukh Adhia,
Revenue Secretary to the Govt of India,
North Block, New
Delhi.
Sir,
Sub:
- Whether
GST Officers are to don Uniform – reg
We would like to
bring to your kind attention that Officers in the Central Excise have been
given allowance for uniform. However, no
instructions on the prescribed pattern or rules for wearing are in
vogue. This has been confirmed in a
reply to a query under RTI dated 11.12.2009 (Annexure A) and also by the CBEC before the CIC in the
proceedings dated 29.01.2010 (Annexure
B). The CIC had in the above cited
order, also observed that the CBEC should consider issuing detailed and clear
guidelines in this regard. Against the above back drop, it is surprising that
the Department of Expenditure has been giving concurrence for the grant of
allowance for a non-existent uniform (Annexure
C).
The uniform which was last prescribed in
the Tobacco Excise Manual (TEM) was not included in the Basic Excise Manual
(BEM) in 1989. The BEM itself in the introduction states that those
instructions not included in the BEM stand rescinded.
The Office Procedure Manual (OPM) which
has not been reprinted after 1970 also contained only the same pattern
prescribed in the TEM, with an additional stipulation that the Collectors of
Central Excise should notify a tailor in each District from whom such
uniforms should be procured. In the
absence of the said pattern and guidelines, the kakhi uniform which is being presently
worn, is merely a copy of the Police Uniform and being completely different
from the pattern prescribed in the TEM & OPM itself, is only an act in
self deception. With the varied shades
of Khaki and brown shoes, it has become a mockery of the concept of Uniform
itself.
Further, requiring officers to don
uniform without providing the basic facilities of changing rooms, and
separate cabins according to the posts held by them, violates basic decency
and decorum.
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When the department
has consciously enabled the differently-abled also to be recruited to these
cadres, there could not have been a greater absurdity than continuing to prohibit
Ministerial Officers from being promoted to these Cadres, for want of minimum prescribed
height. By keeping the practice of wearing of Uniform only up to the level of
Assistant Commissioners it has been clearly indicated that the department is
not intended to be a Uniformed service at all.
The work pattern of
field officers in Central Excise, ever since Self Removal Procedures were
introduced, did not actually require any Uniform for performance of their
duties. However, while some field
officers felt elated by such attires, the IRS bosses used the services of such
uniformed persons to accompany them to public places, thus deriving pride in
being escorted by Uniformed personnel.
But the net effect was that even as the department took conscious
efforts to reduce interface and interference with the trade, the image of
running an ‘Inspector Raj’, continued to slander the department, even though
there are several other Executive Officers in several other departments with
far more executive powers.
There is an attempt
once again to hang on to the remnants of the Uniform even after GST has been
introduced. A copy of a letter dated
13.07.2017 issued by Vishapatnam CGST Commissionerate requiring Officers to get
new ID Cards with uniform and cap is enclosed (Annexure D). A copy of the instructions issued by the Nagpur I
Commissionerate vide C.No.II(39)04/2017/Et-I/NGP-I dated 17.7.2017 threatening
action under CCS/CCA Rules if Havildars to Assistant/Deputy Commissioners do
not wear uniform on every Monday & Wednesday is also enclosed (Annexure E).
It may be pertinent
to note that the Officers of GST in the State Governments do not wear uniform.
Hence
it is requested that at this juncture it may kindly be clarified as to whether
Officers have to wear uniform in the GST regime.
If so clear
guidelines in this regard may kindly be directed to be issued.
Yours truly,
(R.
Manimohan)
Secretary General
Copy submitted to:
(1) The Expenditure
Secretary, Ministry of Finance, New Delhi.
(2) The Chairman, CBEC,
New Delhi.
(3) The Member (Admn),
CBEC, New Delhi.
(4) The Joint Secretary
( Admn), CBEC, New Delhi.
(R.
Manimohan)
Secretary General
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