MINUTES OF ASSOCIATION MEETING AT DELHI ON 22.11.2010

Pune, the 29th November, 2010.

Dear Members,

The All India Central Excise and Service Tax Ministerial Officers' Association alongwith other constituents of the Joint Action Committee has submitted its proposal and view points to the various authorities under CBEC who were responsible in formulating the draft proposal of Cadre restructuring in CBEC. Copy of the proposals are already available on the Blog for ready reference.  It is genuinely expected that the Board will invite all respective associations and the constituents of the JAC for discussion/ consultation, while examining the submitted proposals and arrive at a mutually agreed upon solution. In case, the proposals submitted by the JAC is not considered/ accepted by the Board, the JAC may meet and take stock of the situation and would also decide the future course of action to be adopted to ensure that the legitimate demands of respective Associations are met with.

That being the situation, it is sincerely hoped that all the members of this Association from the rank of Lower Division Clerk, Tax Assistant, Senior Tax Assistant and more particularly the Officers in the rank of DOS and AO remain united during this hour of need, and support the Association wholeheartedly, which is crucial and would determine the future of career advancement of the entire cadre. It is expected that the constituents of the Joint Action Committee too would adopt a similar approach and keep the spirit of the members going, to achieve all our goals.

Regular updates would be made available as and when factual information is available to the Association.

Yours sincerely,

THOMAS MONY

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MINUTES OF MEETING HELD AT NEW DELHI ON THE EVE OF MEETING OF DEPARTMENTAL ANOMALY COMMITTEE

(MINISTRY OF FINANCE ON 23.11.2010) AND

SUBMISSION OF THE PROPOSALS ON CADRE RESTRUCTURING.

The Executive committee meeting of the All India Central Excise and Service Tax Ministerial Officers’ Association was held on 22.11.2010, at New Delhi to discuss the strategy to be adopted in the Departmental Anomaly Committee and also to finalise the proposals of the our cadre regarding the Cadre restructuring in CBEC. The meeting was presided over by the President Com. Ashim Pramanick, and the following Office bearers /representatives were in attendance:-

1. Com. Thomas Mony – Secretary General

2. Com. J. Sudarshan – Organising Secretary

3. Com. Shivkumar – Asst. Secretary General

4. Com. M. Chokkalingam – Asst. Secretary General

5. Com. Sujit Kumar Mohit – Zonal Secretary

6. Com. Tarun singh – Vice President, CEMOA, Kolkatta

7. Com. Somnath Biswas – CEMOA, Kolkatta

Prior to the meeting all these members had attended the meeting convened by the Leader of the Staff Side for the Departmental Anomaly Committee (Ministry of Finance) Com. Shri. K.K.N. Kutty at Rajouri Garden, New Delhi. He explained the procedure to be followed and how each of the agenda points can be taken up one by one or by clubbing common issues involved therein. It was also stated that the Association representatives will be given first chance to argue/put forth their contentions in support of the agenda points pertaining to them/raised by them. If there be any need then the Leader of the staff side could intervene. In view of the above, in the Executive Committee Meeting, it was decided that Shri. Ashim Pramanick, President and Shri.M.Chokkalingam, Asst. Secretary General, would represent the Association and take up the points on behalf of the cadre.

Then the discussion moved towards the proposals to be submitted for the Cadre Restructuring in CBEC, for which the last date stipulated was 26.11.2010. The concern of all the members, were towards the drastic reduction in the staff strength, particularly more about the reduction at the level of DOS & STA put together. Then the issue of the unresolved pending assurances given by the Board of the last cadre restructuring came up for discussion. It was felt that these issues are very important and crucial in light of the pending litigations and it should be demanded that these be fulfilled before the present cadre review is finalized which can bring to an end the injustice caused to the cadre during the last cadre restructuring.

It was unanimously agreed that the proposal in its current form could no way be agreed to by our Association and it should be opposed at all costs alongwith the other Associations who are part of the Joint Action Committee.

Thereafter a question arose as to whether we should retain the three tier hierarchical structure which exists as on today or should we seek a change on the basis of the CBDT’s proposal to address the issue of Pay parity and also retain the cadre of DOS without getting abolished. It was felt that it would be prudent to seek a four tier structure and seek a post in the level of Principal AO above the level of CAO and also seek doubling the number of CAOs on the ground that they be given Administrative related work with the post being otherwise called as Sr.AO. Similarly the present post of AO could be called as Administrative Officer Gr. II and the DOS can be renamed as AO Gr. III, which would resolve both the issues i.e., the Grade Pay and the stagnation as well. Accordingly it was decided to have a four tier structure as discussed above as it was justifiable on the ground that the CBDT has a similar structure.

Then on the issue of the Model staffing pattern for the commissionerates, the Chief Commissioner’s Office and Cadre Control Commissionerates, it was felt that the proposed strength is too low and we should seek more number of posts for the same. Accordingly it was decided all the Members could finalise the draft and submitted together with the Associations in the Joint Action Committee. The meeting concluded with the hope that these concerns will be addressed by the Board which need to be followed up. In case these demands are met and if there be any necessity to review the situation, another meeting will need to be convened which could be at a very short notice. This Association expects that all the Members will stand united and extend their unflinching support in order to achieve the goals that it has set for itself on behalf of the entire Ministerial community.

THOMAS MONY

SECRETARY GENERAL