CBEC Cadre Review- Changes in ACES - Not Single Chief Commissioner responds to Board Member's Directions
AS part of the re-organisation, the CBEC Member SB Singh had in a letter dated 19.9.2014 given detailed instructions on what all things are to be done regarding ACES. He wanted the Chief Commissioner to send the information latest by 30.9.2014. But on 10.10.2014, he finds that not a single Chief Commissioner has complied with his instructions.
Now he wants the information by 25-10-2014. This time if the information is not submitted - delay in submission of information would be viewed seriously and Chief Commissioners held personally responsible for delay and incorrect submission of information.
The assessees are to get new CDR (Commissionerate Division and Range) Code - but obviously this is not going to happen by 15th October; so the Board Member clarifies that after 15th October, 2014 and till the process of migration to new CDR is completed, assessees would continue to pay duty using their existing CDR code (Commissionerate, Division and Range Code.)
He also clarifies that Show Cause Notices where necessary would be issued as per new jurisdictions after 15th October, 2014 as new jurisdictions come into effect from that date.
For service tax cases, the last date for SCN will be 25th October - By this time many Show Cause Notices might have been approved and ready for issue - tough task to change them all in last minute.
Once the new codes are allotted, auto-generated emails would be sent to the assessees by the Directorate General of Systems informing them of the new location codes. The Member expects the whole system to be in place by 30th of November, 2014.
But the Board is not able to promote about 400 Superintendents, many of whom are in the same cadre for more than twenty years. Now there is a 27-year gap between the senior-most and junior-most Superintendent. They are not able to promote even 14 Chief Commissioners.
In such a chaotic situation, why do they want to go for a more chaotic reorganisation and create hell for the assessees?
Now none of the new zones will have a regular Chief Commissioner and similarly no new Commissionerate will have a regular Commissioner. They will all be run by additional charge officers.
Can't they postpone this massive exercise till they are fully ready?
CBEC Member's D.O.F.No.96/42/2014-CX.1, Dated: October 10, 2014