The Most Famous Indian Customs Officer Retires - Human Intelligence Network Never Fails
ONE of the most knowledgeable, responsive and workaholic Chairman that CBEC had in recent times, Mr Dutt Majumder is retiring today after more than 37 eventful years in the Department, leaving his indelible mark in and adding value to, every post he held. He was the most popular and famous face of Indian Customs in the World Customs arena. Though very kind, responsive and concerned , he could be very firm when the need arose. He was the natural choice to head the super sleuth agency DRI. As the DRI Chief, he once told us, “ Human Intelligence Network never fails”.
When he became a Board Member, he brought to the Board over 30 years of exemplary experience in Customs and a big fat authoritative book on Customs valuation to his credit - And they made him Member, Central Excise! He had practically no experience in Central Excise when he became a Member of the CBEC. In two years time, he became an authority on Central Excise and Service Tax. It was a visual treat to see him face volleys of questions from informed assessees with great aplomb and dexterity, in our seminar in Mumbai.
He was a leader who has a great fan following. Every officer who had worked with him would fondly recall his humility, leadership and the courage to defend and protect his staff. He was a super PRO for his department all over the world. No other Chairman interacted with the Press and got as good copy as he did. Wherever he went, the Press followed him and he always answered all their questions patiently. In a CBDT function, a colleague found him surrounded by TV cameras and pressmen and wondered whether he had walked into the wrong function.
As Chairman of the Board, he was constantly trying to get several things done for the welfare of his staff and the facilitation of his assessees. He tried his best to push through promotions for his staff. Letters addressed to him were promptly replied to – with solutions and explanations. In our Mumbai Seminar, there was a request to postpone the implementation of Point of Taxation Rules, which he readily obliged. Recently there was a persistent demand through our columns to extend the last date for filing Service Tax returns, which also he obliged.
But there were certain things, which even he could not do. However much he tried, the cadre review is still an elusive oasis for his staff.
Of course, some of the changes brought in during his regime were not well received. The Self Assessment and Post Clearance Audit in Customs, which he believes are facilitatory measures are perceived as demonic. The Point of Taxation Rules have attracted pointed criticism.
But as he said in our Mumbai Seminar, “at the end of the day, we are Revenue officers” – and he was a Revenue Officer to the core. It is sad that he could not preside over the administration of GST, for which he had done so much work.
In a meeting with the CVC, when they were discussing about the list of “Officers of Doubtful Integrity (ODI)”, I heard him telling the CVC to maintain a list of officers of integrity - officers of doubtless integrity. If they had maintained such a list, his name would have been right on the top.
I am reminded of a poem