Pathetic State of Authorised Representatives in CESTAT
THE Authorised Representatives are the lawyers of the department before the CESTAT - they can be from Chief Commissioner to Superintendent. A posting in this office is a big leveller - you don't have uniformed escort and protocol officers to attend to your beck and call - you don't have even a sepoy. You don't have fancy offices; you don't spend the day attending chai samosa meetings AND YOU HAVE TO ARGUE COMPLICATED CASES BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL ON A DAILY BASIS.
What do you get for this? Nothing - absolutely nothing! DDT understands that the office of the Authorised Representative has to depend on a local Commissioner for funds for paying their bills and for the jurisdictional Commissioners these Authorised Representatives are a big nuisance at best. DDT had written about a Superintendent (AR) who got a Presidential Award - you won't find her in the Tribunal now a days - she is transferred to a Range.
DDT is informed by an AR that his bills have not been paid for more than two years - even stationery charges are not reimbursed. ARs who have been directed to attend before other Benches and Circuit Benches are not paid their Travelling expenses which amount to more than a lakh of rupees.
Some sort of special allowance has been granted to ARs in CESTAT, but it remains only in promise and no cash is paid so far.
Why should anyone work under these pathetic conditions and why this apathy towards your most hardworking and important officers?
How do you expect to defend your cases in the Tribunal when you have no concern for your ARs?
Madam Chairperson, Can you do something?