Candle Light protest and New Year greetings from CBI
The CBI greeted the Customs and Central Excise Department on the New Year by arresting an Assistant Commissioner, a Superintendent and an Inspector on charges of demanding and accepting bribe on January 1 st . The officers are charged with demanding a bribe of Rs. 10 Lakhs and receiving an advance of Rs. 2.5 lakhs. With all the liberalization and simplification, it is surprising that there is scope for asking such kind of money.
And today 11480 Superintendents of Central Excise across the country are to protest against acute stagnation and pay anomaly, in lunch hour by lighting candles in front of the chambers of the Chief Commissioners and Commissioners throughout India followed by silent procession with different placards, as informed to us by the All India Association of Superintendents. Their grouse is that an Inspector who joined the Income tax Department in 1975 is now an Additional Commissioner, while the one who joined Central Excise is only a Superintendent.