ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2004

(Mumbai, 6th & 7th September, 2004)

WORKING COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE ALL INDIA FEDERATION OF SUPERINTENDENTS OF CUSTOMS HELD IN NEW DELHI ON 2ND JUNE, 2003.

Members Present:
Shri Anupam Majumdar	:	Federation
Shri  Ashutosh Bala	:	Federation
Shri S.P.Dudeja	:	Federation
S.A.S.Nawas	:	Kochi
A.Bandopadhaya	:	Kolkata
Dwarika Prasad	:	Mumbai

Agenda Points:

1. Confirmation of the minutes of the last Working Committee meeting held 06.09.2002.

2. All India seniority list (the draft has been issued).

3. Latest position of the court cases and their related expenditure.

4. Recognition of the federation.

5. Any other points with the permission of the Chair.

The meeting was presided over by the President Shri Anupam Majumdar.

President Shri Majumdar extended hearty welcome to the members and requested to proceed with the agenda points.

Point No.1. Shri A. Bala, the Vice-President of the Federation read out the minutes of the last Working Committee meeting held at Mumbai on 06th Sept, 2002 and the same was confirmed as correctly recorded.

Point No.2. Taking part in the discussions Shri A. Bandopadhaya of Kolkata submitted that the last all India seniority list of the Superintendent of Customs (P) was published in 1993 on the basis of few guidelines, which was fixed by the dept. at that time. He also emphasized that a fresh guidelines for fixing the seniority of Superintendents from various Custom Houses needs to be finalised because a very large number of Superintendents have common dates of joining as supdt. in various Custom Houses. Shri S.A.S. Nawaz of Kochi and Shri Dwarika Prasad of Mumbai also supported the view of Shri Bandopdhaya. Shri S.P. Dudeja pointed out that in the Chennai Custom House the seniority of the Supdts. has been refixed by showing a revised deemed date of joining as an outcome of the regularisation process of the promotee Asst. Commissioners. The Asst. Commissioners, promoted from Supdts of Customs (P) have been given ante-dated seniority and as a result the subsequent Supdts should get the ante-dated seniority by way of revised DPC. However, it has not been done in any of the Custom Houses excepting the Chennai Custom House. As a result, Superintendents of Chennai Custom House would get undue advantage in seniority over the others. He suggested that all other Custom Houses may be pursued to complete the revised DPC for revising the seniority date.

The views of Shri Dudeja was supported by all the members.

Shri. A. Bala proposed that all the Associations may take up the issue of revised DPC with their respective Commissioners. The proposal was accepted by the members.

Shri Dwarika Prasad informed the members that the President Shri Majumdar has drafted a set of guidelines for making the All India seniority list of the Supdts. and he requested Shri Majumdar to present the draft before the members.

President Shri Majumdar presented the draft set of guidelines before the members for discussion and finalisation. After a detailed discussion the following principles/guidelines to determine the seniority of the Superintendent of Customs (P) were unanimously agreed upon:

1. The appointment to the post of Superintendent of Customs (P) is made 100% through promotion from Preventive Officers (P.O.). Therefore, the date of regular promotion to the cadre of Superintendent of Customs (P) shall be the date of seniority of a Superintendent of Customs (P) irrespective of the seniority date in the previous cadre i.e, P.O. in any Customs House. It is thus implied that a junior P.O. of a Custom House, if promoted earlier than any of his senior, that junior P.O. will be senior in the cadre of Superintendent of Customs (P).

2. However, in case of a tie in the date of regular promotion to the cadre of Superintendent of Customs (P), the date of regular appointment to the post of P.O. in any Custom House will be the seniority date. In case the inter-se seniority position within any Customs House should not be disturbed. In such exercise the P.O.s of various Custom Houses have been infused in the combined list with an effort to give due importance to their length of regular service as P.O.

3. In case of a tie both in the date of regular promotion as Supdts, (P) and also in the date of regular appointment promotion as Preventive Officer, the Supdt. of Customs (P), senior by age, will be senior.

4. The inter-commissionerate transferees will be placed in terms of their positions in the seniority list of their respective Custom House, where they have been working at present.

It was also decided that the Federation would also draft the All India seniority list of Supdt. (P) with the help of the latest seniority lists of the Custom houses; thereafter, the guidelines now approved along with the draft seniority list would be communicated to the Board for further necessary action.

Point No.3. Shri S.P. Dudaja elaborated the present status of the court cases, which are pending at the CAT, Mumbai and Hon'ble Supreme Court. The expected expenditure was estimated and it was agreed upon that all the Associations will contribute to the best of their ability to meet the expenses.

Point No 4. Shri Anupam Majumdar informed the members that the issue had been pursued vigorously and our application for recognition under the CCS (RSA) Rules 1993 was being closely scrutinized, it being the first case. However, he assured the members that this issue had been taken up by the Federation on top priority and in all likelihood the matter would be finalized shortly. Members expressed their happiness at the efforts taken by the Federation.

Point No 5. President invited the members to raise any point of urgent importance for discussion. However, no point was raised.

The meeting was then concluded with the vote of thanks to the Chair raised by Shri. A. Bala.