POINTS SUBMITTED FOR JCM MEETING

Ref.No.JCM/01/2011                                                                   Date:- 03.06.2011

To,

The Hon’ble Commissioner,
Central Excise, Bangalore –I,
Bangalore.

Sir,
                   Sub:- Holding of JCM Meeting with representatives of recognized

Associations –submission of points- reg.

* * * *

Please refer to the Minutes of the last JCM meeting held on 15.09.2010, which has been circulated vide letter C.No.II/39/154/2008.Estt.‘B’ dated 07.10.2010. As per the DOPT’s instructions, the JCM meeting should be convened at least once in a period of three months and more than eight months has lapsed, since the last JCM was convened. Therefore, it is humbly requested to convene the JCM Meeting at the earliest in order to discuss the outstanding/pending issues.

In this regard, the following points are submitted on behalf of this Association, for discussion in the proposed meeting.

I.                  Promotions to the grade of Inspectors:-

The DOPT’s OM No.22011/1/2011-Estt.(D) dated 11.03.2011 and 25.03.2011, states that “Wherever DPCs are yet to be held for the vacancies arising in the Year 2011-12, the same may be completed by 31.03.2011”. These instructions have also been communicated to all the Cadre controlling Authorities by CBEC vide its letter F.No.A.23020/01/2011-Ad.IIA dated 05.04.2011, for compliance as per the said time frame.

          As regards the Karnataka zone, the vacancies in the grade of Inspectors upto the Year 2009-10 alone have been filled up. The vacancies in respect of the subsequent Years, i.e., 2010-11 and 2011-12, are yet to be filled up, for which the DPC should have been held on or before 31.03.2011 in terms of the above instructions. However, the same has not been held till date, due to which so many vacancies remain unfilled. There is unrest amongst the eligible candidates, as they are facing monetary loss due to the delay in their promotions.

          It is humbly requested that DPC meeting may be held immediately for issuance of orders of promotions filling up the vacancies in the grade of Inspectors for the Years 2010-11 and 2011-12.

II.              Promotions to the grade of STA:-

The promotions to the grade of STA and Inspectors were reviewed from the Year 2003-04 onwards and orders issued during February – 2011. In the said order, it was stated that the panels drawn for promotions to the grade of STA from the year 2007-08 onwards will be reviewed and orders issued separately, in due course. However no orders have been issued till date and the regular promotion orders for the Year 2011-12 are yet to be issued. It is requested to kindly expedite the same.

III.          Rotation of Ministerial Officers within and among the Commissionerate:-

This Association had requested that rotation of Ministerial Officers may be carried out at least once in two or three years, without disturbing the continuity of Officers in the respective sections. In response to this point, in the last JCM, it was stated that “the Commissioner of Bangalore I Commissionerate will look into the feasibility of framing some guidelines in this regard”. However, the same has not been done till now. Some of the Officers have already represented for a change from their present posting.

It was further requested that the allocation and posting of Ministerial Officers to non-ministerial sections have to be identified and prioritized, based on actual requirement, in view of the large number of vacancies which exist in the grade. Instances of shortage of staff in LTU and Bangalore –III were highlighted. In response to this it was stated that “some postings and transfers have been effected to augment staff strength in the Ministerial grade in LTU. The Commissioners of both LTU and Bangalore –III Commissionerate may look into their internal deployment and bring in necessary changes wherever required.” However, no progress has been made in this regard.

There is an instance in Bangalore –I Commissionerate, where some Officers who were transferred vide Establishment Order No.154/2010 dated 30.11.2010, have not been relieved to join their new place of postings till date. The said order was issued in order to provide a change to some of the longstanding Officers, which has not been implemented so far. It is therefore requested that a policy /guidelines be framed in consultation with this Association for periodical rotation of Ministerial Officers.

IV.            Posting of Ministerial Officers to Customs Commissionerates:-

At present, the posting of Ministerial Officers to Customs Commissionerate is made, after obtaining willingness from the Officers who have a fixed tenure of 4 Years upon their posting to Customs. However, it has now come to notice that some of these Officers are confined only to Hqrs., Office and the Administrative/ Accounts related work alone, while a selected few are allowed to remain in the Technical Sections and field formations over their entire tenure of posting. Such a decision/postings defeat the very purpose of postings to Customs Commissionerate for a fixed tenure, as they are posted to get some exposure to the functioning of the Customs field formation. Some of the present set of Officers have already completed the tenure of four years who are required to be transferred out and another batch of Officers need to be posted in their place.

Further, the communication staff who were required to take up ministerial stream of work, have been encroached upon the area of work pertaining to the Ministerial Officers in the Field formations and are not willing to take up any of the Ministerial work in non-technical sections. Not only that these Officers have remained in the formations continuously for more than 6- 10 years without any change, while all other Officers are transferred at regular intervals. In this regard, it is submitted that since these Officers are required to take up Ministerial work, they should be transferred out of Customs Commissionerate immediately and allotted to sections where there is requirement of manpower to handle Ministerial work in the Central Excise Commissionerates.

V.                Office Building space and working area for Officers:-

The Office Building space in the CR Buildings is insufficient to accommodate all four Commissionerates and two Chief Commissioner’s Office apart from a Commissioner (Appeals) Office, by a huge margin and due to which the Officers are forced to work in a cramped up area. The Department has grown manifold during the last decade after the cadre restructure in 2002. However, there has not been any corresponding increase in Office space. Initially temporary arrangements are made which become permanent later.

          It has now been proposed to shift the Office of the PAO to another Building in K.G. Road which is at a fair distance, obviously to make more space available to the Department. It is humbly submitted that this shifting will lead to loss more than gaining a little bit of Office space. The reasons for that are many.

          Similarly there is no proper Record Room for any of the Commissionerates due to which they are being now stored in Departmental Quarters at Yelahanka, without any maintenance or a proper Record Keeper. In this era of RTI, it is a necessity to have a proper Record Room with a Record Keeper for completion of day to day work in a smooth and efficient manner. In absence of sufficient Office space, it is not possible to have a Record Room. Not only that, there is no proper facility for a holding a meeting of the Officers of our Department on any occasion. Neither do we have any space for a library, Gym or any cultural activity nor for the Recognised Associations.

          In view of the above, it is submitted that a new Office Building needs to be built /acquired or hired immediately, in order to provide reasonable working space to the Officers. Necessary action needs to be initiated before the implementation of the ensuing Cadre Restructuring.

VI.            The composition and functioning of the JCM:-

The Association had requested that the representatives of other Commissionerates in the Zone may also be included as members of the Official side, so as to facilitate discussion on issues concerning all the Commissionerates, as the JCM is headed by the Zonal Chief Commissioner.  In response to this it was informed that if need arises as per the agenda, the Officers of the other Commissionerates would also be included in the meeting. For instance, it is necessary to have a representative from the LTU and Bangalore –III to discuss the point No.III and a representative from Customs Commissionerate may be required to discuss the point No.IV. Therefore, it is once again requested that the composition of the JCM may be modified accordingly in order to accommodate representatives from all the Commissionerates. 

Yours faithfully,
Sd/-

(M. Chokkalingam)

General Secretary

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