Guard of Honour for Chief Commissioner!

By Vijay Kumar

DDT reported yesterday about a Deputy Commissioner in a written official communication ordering Inspectors to escort senior officers up to the rank of Joint Commissioner to their respective cabins.

A more interesting communication has come to our notice. By an Office order in F. No. II/39-10/Office Order/2007-Estt, dated 11.01.2016, three Additional Commissioners of Surat Central Excise Commissionerates have given the following missive.

It is to inform that the Chief Commissioner, Central Excise, Customs & Service Tax, Vadodara Zone is visiting Surat on 12.01.2016.

The officers of Surat-I & II, audit-II Vadodara, appeals-II Vadodara Commissionerate located in Surat listed in the Annexure, are hereby directed to remain present in the office compound to participate in the Guard of Honour Ceremony, in full uniform without fail at 08:30 hrs on 12.01.2016. Officers may note that attendance will be taken after the parade and strict action will be taken against the absentees.

Legal Corner Icon — the image was hosted by the publisher and was not captured.What is happening in the Department? Are they meant for tax collection or ceremonies and guard of honour? And in any case are the Inspectors in the department trained for performing such ceremonial functions?

Just because some officers in the Department are provided with a uniform, does it mean that their services should be misutilised for this kind of farce. The Income Tax department is able to collect their taxes without uniform and without control rooms and guard of honour for their senior officers.

Writing in our Message Board on 30.10.2014, Advocate Gururaj commented,

The photo of the CBEC Chairperson with hand raised in salute makes an anachronistic picture. Is she saluting someone, or is she receiving guard of honour? In either case, this gesture is out of place in a taxation department. Central Excise and Customs departments are not paramilitary forces. Why do they need uniform, why should they salute when they see a superior? The uniform, saluting etc seem like a hangover of British Raj. The moment a person wears uniform, he feels like bossing over citizens who are in mufti. These are out of place and out of time, when the tax departments are consciously trying to cultivate customer oriented approach towards tax payers. In my view, only customs officers who deal with passengers either in ports or airports need to wear uniform, so that the passengers can readily identify them as customs officers.

Are the taxpayers impressed with these activities of the department?

When GST comes will there be a guard of honour only for the CGST Chief Commissioner or will the SGST Chief Commissioner also get the honour?