Board Learns from Didi - Warns Officers Against Comments in Facebook
ONE of the qualities that anyone in Authority in India acquires is absolute contempt for dissidence. Remember Didi Mamta locking up a Professor for circulating a cartoon?
It has been brought to the notice of the CBEC that some officers are posting online comments relating to official matters on social networking sites such as Facebook, causing confusion and avoidable controversy among officers in different parts of the country.
Board cites two incidents.
Personal views have been posted on a Supreme Court judgement dated 30.3.2012 on an SLP filed by the Department, including adverse comments on the seniority list relied upon by the department for the recent DPC conducted for promotion to the grade of Commissioners. It has been reported that the said post created confusion regarding the Apex court's judgement among officers in different parts of the country, and also needless controversy over seniority issues as well as the officially valid DPC, conducted under the aegis of UPSC.
The details of the live case of alleged evasion of central excise duty by a gutkha manufacturer were posted online by an officer, including extracts of the SCN, and comments were sought from fellow officers. The said post evoked various responses on the merits of the case from other officers. Discussing details of investigation on social networking sites ad online comments on merits, when adjudication or appellate proceedings may be underway, is completely unwarranted.
Board has taken a serious view of the above incidents and states that the CCS (Conduct) Rules proscribe such conduct and wants the Chief Commissioners to advise their officers to refrain from posting online comments regarding official matters in the public domain in violation of conduct rules.
What era are we living in? Can the Board really prohibit flow of information in this hi-tech world? What will happen if the officers use pseudonyms to express their views and what can the Board do if hundreds of mails are sent?
Look at the two instances referred by the Board.
In the first case, there is a rumour all over the country that Board has really messed up the seniority issue and has gone ahead with a wrong list for the DPC for Commissioners, in spite of directions from the Supreme Court to recast the seniority lists. In a blog, it was stated,
The entire seniority list amongst appraisers has been manipulated and this has vitiated the 2005 List in as much as there are approximately 45-50 Appraisers who have jumped 6- 7 batches and been placed in the 2005 List in positions higher than the DR Group A officers. In fact, if we go by the Seniority List, which has been purportedly followed, in the recently concluded DPC by UPSC, there is one officer who was actually working as an Appraiser under an officer from the 1991 batch who had in 2002 been promoted as a Joint Commissioner. This appraiser is now in the consideration list for the DPC for promotion as a Commissioner and in all probability will be promoted as a Commissioner, while his erstwhile Boss from the 1991 batch who was the Joint Commissioner then still continues to work as an Additional Commissioner!!!!. And what is worse, we may have a reversal of roles and this Appraiser may actually become the Commissioner under whom this Additional Commissioner will be working!!!!.
This is the kind of a fraud which is being perpetrated and most of the DR, Group A officers are helpless to do anything about it, because, the Board remains adamant in not circulating the seniority list which is being followed by UPSC for making the promotions.
Maybe it was this blog that irked the Board.
And what is wrong in an officer discussing a case with his colleagues – will he not be benefitted by suggestions from perhaps better informed officers? In any case, many officers discuss these matters over phone and emails and Board has no objection!
Instead of killing the messenger, why can't they read the message?
CBEC F.No.Misc/P&V/2011 Dated: April 11, 2012