Central Excise Bhavan
A Central Excise officer has sent us this info on the situation in a Central Excise Bhavan.
Some years ago, Central Excise offices of a Commissionerate were situated in different rented buildings of a city. These buildings were old and not having enough space and facilities. Then a new own building of Central Excise department became ready and all offices, i.e. HQ, Divisions and Ranges, of a Commissionerate were shifted into the new Central Excise Bhavan. Indeed it is very convenient to staff and trade. The new seven storied building is situated in a good locality and having enough space and facilities like lift, canteen and parking for vehicles.
Legal Corner Icon — the image was hosted by the publisher and was not captured.CONTROL ROOM
There is a Control Room situated on the ground floor. On one side facing entry towards the building, there is a window of the Control Room with the board “Reception”. Whereas, on another wall inside the building, there is a board “Control Room”. The Inspector posted in Control Room has to perform both duties, i.e. as a Receptionist and as a Control Room officer! There is round the clock posting of Inspectors in Control Room. Around One lakh rupees per month is being spent towards salary of the Inspectors posted at Control Room.
It was noticed that Inspectors posted at Control Room were not in uniform and spending time on telephone or talking with their colleagues. So a strict higher officer has issued several office orders regarding Control Room. Some of the salient features are as under:
++ Inspectors posted at Control Room must wear proper uniform and they have to give proper respect (i.e. salute) to their higher officers when they take entry or exist to/from the building. (There is large number of officers of higher cadres than the cadre of Inspector. However, it was verbally informed that Control Room Inspector should salute at least to the Chief Commissioner, Commissioners and Additional Commissioners. There is one Chief Commissioner, six Commissioners and twelve Additional/Joint Commissioners sitting in the building.) There was much protest from Inspectors because it is not always possible to immediately come out from the Control Room to give respect, i.e. salute, these officers. There may be other reasons also. However, finally it was decided that Control Room officer, can express their ‘respect' from inside the Control Room also!
++ Gate Pass for each and every visitor should be prepared by the Control Room officer himself.
++ A register containing particulars of the visitors has to be maintained.
++ The baggage of the visitors should be checked by the Sepoys posted at Guard duty under supervision of the Control Room officer.
Advocates appearing for the Hearings have expressed their protest against the system of taking Gate Pass by standing in queue with common men. Therefore, now there is a separate register for Advocates and they are not required to obtain Gate Pass.
LIFT
There are two elevators and both are running throughout the day. Due to heavy electricity bills, it was decided that one lift will stop at odd number of floors and another will stop at even number of floors. Indeed a very good decision. Staff members, who were not climbing a single step, have to do a little exercise of stepping up or down one floor, if they got into the lift not stopping at their floor.
However, at the time of beginning and closing of officer hours, one lift is always reserved for Honourable Commissioners only. The lift-man locks the lift and waits for the Commissioner to arrive or depart. If one lift (locked) is available at Ground floor, another lift would not come to Ground floor by pressing the button to call it. The electronic mechanism of lifts does not understand that one lift has been reserved for honorable Commissioner and so the ordinary staff members require another lift! Who says now there are no Kings in India?
TOILET
Top officers have chosen to sit on the top floor. Earlier there were common toilets for all persons (of course separate for men and women!) at every floor. When any lower staff member was standing at urinal, some higher officer like Commissioner has to stand in the adjacent urinal, which was causing embarrassment to both. So, a new toilet block has been constructed at 7 th floor for ‘Officers only' and the same is being used by class I officers.
Thereafter, while working at the 7 th floor, staff members (below the class I rank) are now coming to 6 th floor for toilet. On being inquired, it reveals that the toilet block meant for common staff members at 7 th floor has now been converted into ‘wash area' and it has been reserved for the use of the lady Chief Commissioner only! (Though there is a separate toilet for ladies at 7 th floor). So, now there is no toilet left for common men at 7 th floor and they have to use the toilet situated at 6 th floor.
No doubt, senior officers deserve respect and toilet. But, simultaneously it should be also ensured that the ordinary staff should not be put to inconvenience.
CANTEEN
The canteen is being run by a private contractor. In Income Tax office, food in the Canteen is available at subsidized rates. No subsidy is available for this canteen. It is learnt that for availing subsidy, canteen has to be run on co-operative basis. A lot of paper work and correspondence has to be done for availing government subsidy. No one is interested in getting the subsidy. If canteen food will available at subsidized rates, it will be more beneficial of lower staff members, who are coming from outside the city and regularly taking food in canteen.
AIR CONDITIONERS
No doubt, chambers of all class I officers are air conditioned. There is one Conference Room and one Seminar Hall; both are air conditioned. Statistics Section has to do timely and accurate work and so, it is air conditioned. Officers working in ‘non sensitive' Chief Commissioner's unit should have some ease of working and therefore, Chief Commissioner's Unit is air conditioned. CAAP Audit Section is air conditioned so that their computers remain cool. Few other sections have also managed to get A.C.
The remaining staff members have to sit under the fans. Fans are provided by CPWD and some of the fans are not having proper speed to provide good air. The room height is much higher than the ordinary room height. So, the officers working under the fans do not get much air flow to tolerate the heat of 42 o to 48 o C in summer.
If false ceilings are made and the large number of single A.C.s are replaced by a central air conditioning plant, all staff members can efficiently work in air conditioned environment without much increase in electricity bill.