Will CGST Officers wear Uniform?

By Vijay Kumar

MORE than six years ago in DDT 1414 on 02.08.2010, I wrote:

ONE of the relics which the Central Excise and Service Tax Department should perhaps get rid of in the GST regime is the funny uniform that you see Inspectors, Superintendents and Assistant Commissioners in.

In a recent order, the CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION, observed, "It is seen that the CBEC has not formulated clear guidelines about the use of uniform by officers, Equipment Advances and its relationship with the uniform usage, etc. Apparently, these rules did exist a long time ago before Independence and had been followed more in the form of conventions than any set written directions. Now that this point has been raised, CBEC may consider issuing detailed and clear guidelines in this regard."

This order was given by the Commission in January 2010 and apparently, so far nobody in the Board has considered this issue. This should be an important issue for consideration for GST Implementation-It will be ridiculous if the CGST officers wear uniform and the SGST officers don't. Any way the uniform in Central Excise commands more ridicule than respect.

Sometime back Dr. DD Rishi, Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise (now retired), writing in the irsonline observed,

"About 27 years ago, while being posted as the Senior Superintendent of Central Excise, I was attending a meeting with the Commissioner. I saw another Senior Superintendent there. To my surprise she was wearing an Ashoka Emblem along with a star on her shoulder while I was wearing only an Ashoka Emblem. "Madam, Senior Superintendent's uniform should have only the Ashoka Emblem while that of Assistant Collector (now Assistant Commissioner) has a star in addition". "Is it so? But nobody told although I have been wearing it for last one year!" "Are you sure?" "I am not sure but I think so.". "OK, then, let us be uniform", she stripped the star off her shoulders mercilessly. A sacrifice for the sake of uniformity of uniform.

Recently I was attending a function organized for Presidential Awards in Delhi. Some of the awardees were wearing uniforms while others were wearing what they considered to be "uniform". Anyhow, no two uniforms matched in colour, shade or style. But that is what we call 'Unity in Diversity'. Yesterday, from the latest batch of probationers, some were wearing Ashoka Emblem plus a star, while others were wearing just a star. Those wearing just a star explained that they had been under the impression that they could wear Ashoka Emblem plus a star only on completion of their probation. I don't know who will make the sacrifice for the sake of uniformity of uniform this time.

Impressions determine the rules. And the impressions are as mysterious as the uniform of a uniformed service."

Let us not take this archaic joke into the GST.