CUSTOMS and Central Excise officers all over the country are exhilarated with the news that cadre review is cleared by DOPT and is on its way up – promotions are near to reality. But are they?
DDT 1488 – 16.11.2010, that is 17 months back, discussed the issue and said, Anyway the officers have enough material to discuss about in the next couple of years !! They can continue to discuss.
We are informed by reliable sources that CBEC and DOPT have not agreed on the number of posts and so they have decided to refer the matter to a Committee of Secretaries. So, the proposals from both CBEC and DOPT will go to the CoS and the Committee will perhaps hear all sides and do arbitration. It is understood that the DOPT has slashed the numbers proposed by the CBEC. CBEC wanted more than 3500 posts of Assistant Commissioner/Deputy Commissioner and what DOPT has conceded is around 2000. They wanted 18 posts of Principal Chief Commissioner in the super scale of Rs. 80000/-; they got 11. They wanted about 170 new Commissioner posts; they are getting 45.
Officers can continue to discuss for some more time!
In the meanwhile, it is learnt that the CBEC is going ahead with the promotion to the posts of Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners, as per the existing seniority lists – the Supreme Court order does not seem to have any impact at least in the immediate promotions. At least some officers can hopefully get that elusive promotion.
Minister of State for Finance Palanimanickam, said yesterday in Tiruchi that both the Income Tax and Central Excise departments have been facing shortage of manpower. He said that steps are being taken for granting promotions to the Staff.
Cadre Review exercises started about three years ago, and they are still nowhere!
IT IS A NEWS ON TIOL.
