ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2008

(Mumbai, 28th November, 2008)

Secretary General's Report

Dear Friends,

Recapitulation of the work done in the year left behind is a tough job for anyone, defending the mistakes if any, without any misconstrue and highlighting the good work with colours. Despite this, one has to make a correct assessment.

As Secretary General of the Federation, we, in the federation, took following issues which were felt at the beginning of the year as most important.

A. CADRE REVIEW AND PROMOTIONAL PROSPECT:

1. I am pleased to inform this august house that, a high powered Committee has been formed by the Board (DOPM) in the month of June 2008 to look into the matter of acute stagnation in promotion of our cadre. I will also like to inform our members that the proposed All India Central Excise, Service Tax & Customs services will be independent of Indian Revenue Services (C & C.Ex.) and will be at par with Central Secretariat Services. The proposed service will get integrated with IRS (C & CE) at the level of Joint Commissioner on the basis of a common seniority list of Dy. Commissioner belonging to IRS (C & CE) and Dy. Commissioner belonging to the proposed services.

Further, I would like to inform our members that pending receipt of the complete modalities for transfer liabilities and other related issues, we principally agreed to the creation of the new services.

2. In response to Chairman, CBEC's desire to have a meeting with all the Association/Federation representatives under CBEC, I alongwith our President Shri Anupam Mazumdar met Chairman on 25.9.08. The following two points were discussed in detail with the Chairman.

i) Acute stagnation of Supdt.(P) and their promotion.

ii) The case before the Hon'ble Supreme Court in CA No. 1198/95.

The first point was discussed in detail with the Chairman in the meeting, when J.S. Admn, Member P&V, CBEC were also present. We put our points strongly before the Chairman. We were informed by the Chairman that this issue is being considered very seriously by the Board and a proposal to form a separate group 'A' Cadre for the feeder cadre is on the anvil. Approximately 1760 posts in Gr-A are being proposed, as informed by the Chairman.

ii) The case before the Hon'ble Supreme Court

This issue was also discussed in detail with the Chairman who gave sympathetic hearing to our grievances on this issue. I would like to inform all members here that our SLP which had been admitted in the Hon'ble Supreme Court three years back and on our application for expeditious hearing, the same was also granted by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, but unfortunately till date the department (Board) has failed to submit reply. We apprised this to the Hon'ble Chairman during out meeting and Chairman approved to look into this matter on priority and gave assurance to do the needful.

B. Deployment of Customs Staff at Gangavaram Port, Vizag.

On this issue a detailed discussion was held with the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Vizag as well as with the Director Customs and others at Board level. All were apprised of the fact that the traditional work of preventive is shrinking day by day. So as to provide adequate work to the existing staff, it was required to give the work of Gangavaram Port to Customs (Prev). We got assurance from the Chief Commissioner and Director Customs that our demand will be considered sympathetically.

Throughout the year, concerted efforts were made to increase the area of deployment for preventive Supdt all over India in which considerable success was achieved.

I sincerely hope that the new office bearers of the Federation shall achieve further on our issues. I thank all the members for their support and co-operation.

A.P.S. DHILLON
Secretary General

Our Special Thanks to Superintendent Shri K. Bandyopadhyay of Mumbai Customs for giving us an exclusive designed cover page & his invaluable support in getting this brochure printed.

- Secretary General