Minutes of the Central Executive Committee Meeting Hyderabad

Dear Comrades,

Season Greetings from All India Central Excise and Service Tax Ministerial Officers’ Association.

The Central Executive Committee meeting took place at Hyderabad on 10.01.2013 on the sidelines of General Body Meeting of Central Excise and Service Tax Ministerial Officers’ Association, Hyderabad Unit at Hyderabad Central Excise Office, Basheer bagh.

The meeting was chaired by the undersigned, attended by All India President Shri. Ashim Pramanik, Shri. Deepak Pal, Organizing Secretary, Shri. Gedam, Central Zone Secretary, and leaders from various zones/units like Bhubaneshwar, Tamil Nadu, Kolkatta, Andhra Pradesh, Nagpur, Indore and other places. Members from Hyderabad Commissionerate participated in large numbers. The Association expresses its sincere gratitude to our former Organizing Secretary Smt. Nageshwari, Shri. Ramakrishna A.O., Shri. Samdhani Khan, General Secretary and Shri. Susheel for organizing the meeting in a grand manner. 

From left to right  (Shri. Ramakrishna, AO, Shri. Sudharsan Secretary. General., Shri. Ashim Pramanik, President, Shri. Deepak Pal, Organizing Secy. Smt. Nageshwari, Former Organizing Secy.  Shri. Samdhani Khan, Genl. Secy. Hyderabad)

The Meeting Started at around 4.30 pm and lasted till 8 pm. Various queries relating to CAO Dpc, AO Promotion, AO/DOS Grade pay issue, Recruitment Rules to the grade of Inspector, Seniority Case at Supreme Court and other vital issues posted by the members were addressed by the President and the undersigned and assured that these issues are being given top priority by the federation for early solution.

The overwhelming response and huge participation of members from the Hyderabad Commissionerate and Vishakapattnam showed their patronage towards Association.

In the mean while, a meeting was convened by the Hon’ble Member (P&V) at New Delhi with Joint Action Committee leaders on 10.01.2013. This Association was unable to participate in the said meeting since our central executive committee meeting at Hyderabad was already fixed on the same day. This Association was informed by the leaders of the JAC that the outcome of the meeting with Hon’ble Member was fruitful. The issues raised by our All India Association relating to CAO DPC, AO Promotion, AO/DOS Grade pay issue, Recruitment Rules to the grade of Inspector, were once again raised during the said meeting. The Member (P&V) has assured that CAO DPC will be given top priority and efforts will be taken to convene the DPC before this month end. On DOS to AO promotion, the Member (P&V) has assured that the AO Recruitment Rules file was already sent to DoP&T and once the draft RR is approved by the DoP&T, necessary instructions will be given to the CCAs to convene DPC to the grade of Administrative Officers.

The Member (P&V) has also assured that the structure on par with CBDT with corresponding grade pays as demanded by our federation during our 6thNovember’2012 and 30th November’2012 meeting will be dealt in a new separate file and will be submitted to DoP&T at the earliest.

Comrades, you are all aware of the fact that the Seniority case in the Hon’ble Supreme Court is coming up for final hearing on 5th February 2013. Support from some of the zones (west/north) is not on the expected lines. Leaders in these zones are trying hard to impress upon our members by enumerating the benefits on positive outcome of the case, which we can enjoy right from last Cadre-restructure. I take this opportunity to solicit the support from our members / former members, leaders/former leaders throughout the country to come forward and put a strong movement to face the challenges ahead. My earnest appeal to all our members/leaders to support the federation in all possible ways, morally as well as monetarily, to ensure success in our legal battle.

Before concluding, I would like to mention a famous quote from Bhagvat Gita …

“If you do not fight for what you want, then do not cry for what you lost…”

Comrades let us give our best and leave the results to God Almighty.

Comradely yours

Sudharsan J

Secretary General

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD WITH CHAIRMAN

Pune, the 02nd August, 2011

Dear Members,

All of you are aware of the Meeting convened by the Honourable Chairman, to discuss the pending demands, with the leaders of this Association on the 12th of July, 2011 at New Delhi. A copy of the official Minutes, received by me is placed below for information.

Minutes of the Meeting

          On going through the Minutes certain discrepancies/ anomalies/ variations have been noticed, which are in variation with the actual decision announced by the Hon'ble Chairman in the Meeting. All such issues are required to be taken up with the Board for rectification/modification, except in the case of Downgradation of the posts of DOS to that of STA, which has already been addressed by me vide letter dated 28.07.2011, a copy of which is placed below.

Copy of Letter

Similarly, as directed by the Hon'ble Chairman a proposal seeking relaxation for promotion from TA to STA, has been submitted a copy of which is also placed below for information.

TA to STA Proposal

Awaiting your responses, I remain.

Yours sincerely,

Thomas Mony,

Secretary General

DEPARTMENTAL ANOMALY COMMITTEE - MINUTES

MINUTES OF THE DEPARTMENTAL ANOMALY COMMITTEE

(MINISTRY OF FINANCE) HELD AT NEW DELHI ON 23.11.2010

The Meeting was chaired by Shri. K. Jose Cyriac, Additional Secretary (Revenue) and members of the Official side and Staff side of the Anomaly committee attended. The staff side was lead by Shri. K.K.N. Kutty, Leader of the staff side and the representatives of the other recognized associations, whom were invited to attend the meeting also participated.

The chairman welcomed all the members to the meeting. While thanking the chairman for convening the meeting, the Leader of the Staff side requested the chairman to convene the Departmental council which had not met for quite some time. The chairman stated that he would look into it and assured that the council would be revived immediately and convened at the earliest. Then he stated that he would take up all the items on the Agenda and first state his understanding of an issue after which the staff side could add, explain or correct the position if what was stated is incorrect. He also stated that common points or the items which are inter-related could be clubbed and taken up together. The points that were taken up for discussion and the decision thereon, in brief are placed for information of the members.

The remaining points would be taken up on the next meeting, the date for which would be communicated in due course. It was also informed that the associations whose agenda items/points are pending alone would be invited for the next meeting and that the minutes of the meeting will be circulated to one and all. The meeting concluded with thanks to the Chairman.

* * * *

For the information of the members, the details of the discussion including arguments put forth by the Associations and the response of the Official side relating to the Ministerial Officers’ Association is as under:-

Point No. 15 & 16:-

When these points were taken up for discussion, the Chairman while explaining his assessment/understanding of the issue, stated that this issue was initially clubbed alongwith the upgradation of Grade pay of the Inspectors and sent to the Department of Expenditure, which was returned/ unaccepted. Subsequently, after a meeting between the Revenue Secretary and the Expenditure Secretary owing the strike call given by the Inspectors of CBEC, the issue of upgradation of Grade Pay of the Inspectors of CBEC and CBDT were separated and the proposal was again sent to the Department of Expenditure which came to be approved and necessary orders were issued on 13.11.2009. However, this issue (AO & DOS Grade Pay) could not be taken up in a similar manner for the reason that the nomenclature of posts on the Ministerial side of CBEC and CBDT varies and a common proposal was not possible unlike in the case of Inspectors. However the matter of AO & DOS of CBEC was again resubmitted to the Department of Expenditure, which was not accepted on the ground that these are common category of posts. The said decision has already been communicated to the field formations vide letter dated 09.09.2010. He also stated that the essence of pay commission itself is to delayer the number of cadres/grades in the Government and suggest a replacement scale. While doing so merger of certain cadres are recommended and this is one such case. In view of this position, he said that this issue cannot be considered as an anomaly. He then asked the Association representatives to state their viewpoints.

The staff side had explained the position from the historical perspective and the parity which existed between the Executive and the Ministerial cadre. It was pointed out that the pay commission itself has specifically recorded and given a categorical finding that the payscale of inspector being higher than that of DOS is an anomaly, in view of the fact that the feeder grade for both the posts are same and the supervised officer draws more pay than that of the supervisory officer on his promotion. The fact that there is no monetary benefit on promotion from STA to DOS while there is a change in pay on promotion to the grade of Inspector in a way has degraded the cadre of DOS was also brought to the notice of the Chairman.

Further, the Chairman was informed that the pay commission had recommended parity with the Ministerial Officers of Headquarters organization (CSS) and such parity would be absolute upto the grade of Assistant who has now been granted Grade Pay of Rs.4600. Hence on that basis the DOS is on par with that of Assistants and therefore it was demanded that the DOS be granted GP of Rs.4600. It was explained that this post is not a common category of posts and that the recommendation to the Ministerial cadre of CBEC and CBDT were specific and therefore the grade pay of DOS and AO should be upgraded to resolve this anomaly.

At this juncture the Chairman stated that he would support us emotionally on this issue and try to find a solution outside the anomaly committee, he still persisted with the argument that it is not an anomaly. This was not accepted by the Associations and further arguments continued.

The Leader of the Staff side intervened and said that if the definition of the ‘Anomaly’ as accepted in the National council is taken into account, then this issue would fall within the category of anomaly. At this point, the chairman agreed to reconsider the issue once again and asked to submit additional points, if any in support of our arguments and then moved on to take the agenda points of other Associations. Accordingly the issue is still pending and the Association has got one more opportunity to take up this matter with the Anomaly Committee.

Further, it has been decided that as desired by the Chairman, additional points would be submitted to the Anomaly Committee before the next meeting through the leader of the staff side, in consultation with the Customs Ministerial Officers’ Association. Apart from this it is also proposed to submit a fresh request/representation to the Board/ Ministry against the letter dated 09.09.2010, communicating the reply/non-acceptance of our demand by the Department of Expenditure on the matter.

AICESTMOA