CBEC - Presidential Awards - Why CESTAT DRs Ignored?
CBEC has announced its Presidential Appreciation Certificate Awards for 2011 for a record number of 35 officers for outstanding record of service. It is surprising that not even a single Departmental Representative in the CESTAT figures in the list of 35 awardees. The DRs in the CESTAT do so much of thankless work for the Department – always unheard and unsung. It is unfortunate that their work goes unrecognized. While officers routinely posted to NACEN get a 30 percent allowance, even if they cannot take a single class, the DRs in CESTAT who have to face brilliant lawyers and more brilliant judges with the badly drafted notices and pathetically written orders, are not given any incentive. Hard work, sincerity, passion, loyalty and erudition – all are discerningly visible when you see a DR arguing a case – often a bad one. Officers from the investigating agencies like DRI and CEI often corner many of the awards – but their cases are cases only when effectively defended by the DRs in the Tribunal Benches. Almost all the DRs richly deserve the Presidential award, but hardly anyone ever gets it. A DR once told me that she prays before appearing for a major case and one day she asked her daughter also to pray for her. “Mummy, what will you get if you win the case?”, asked the daughter. “Nothing, but satisfaction”, was the answer.
The CDR should prevail upon the Board to grant a few awards to the DRs every year. Even the DRI and CEI chiefs should recommend some DRs for the award. This is the least you can do to your most dedicated officers slogging it out in the Tribunal.