The Hindu : Massive cadre restructuring in excise, Customs depts.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 10, 2002

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National

Massive cadre restructuring in excise, Customs depts.

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI SEPT. 9 . The Union Finance Ministry will announce in a month a massive cadre restructuring exercise in the Central Excise and Customs departments, the Minister of State (Revenue), Gingee N. Ramachandran, said here today.

Once the restructuring was over, the strength of Group A officers would go up from 1,718 to 2,304 and of Group B executives from 7,901 to 12,766, he told a news conference after giving away "Samman awards" to top taxpayers in the Tamil Nadu region.

In Tamil Nadu, two posts of Chief Commissioner were being created. With these, there would be two Chief Commissioners in Chennai and one in Coimbatore. Ten new posts of Commissioner of Central Excise and three posts of Commissioner of Customs were being created. At present there were 8 and 4 posts respectively.

"The Government also plans to create a new Customs Commissionerate in Tuticorin and two Central Excise Commissionerates in Salem and Tirunelveli. The focus was ``on creating separate customs commissionerates for imports and exports at the Chennai port.'' The exercise was being carried out to tone up efficiency and transparency in the departments.

On the Income-Tax department, the Minister said the restructuring process had already been completed and the officers were posted. The number of executive functionaries, from the level of Chief Commissioners to I-T inspectors, had been increased from 14,317 to 17,598 to ensure close supervision and to bring about a taxpayer-friendly administration.

The Centre also proposed to embark on a Rs. 252-crore computerisation programme in the department. Special efforts would be made to provide hardware with facility for networking all offices.

Referring to search and seizure, Mr. Ramachandran noted that instructions had been issued to officials to deal with tax evaders sternly. Up to August this year, 1917 premises were searched, as against 587 last year, resulting in a seizure of assets worth Rs. 253.14 crores, up from a haul of assets worth Rs. 29.52 crores the previous year. Cash seizure alone amounted to Rs. 67.89 crores as against Rs. 8.86 crores last year.

Asked about the steps the Centre proposed to take for mitigating Tamil Nadu's fiscal crisis, Mr. Ramachandran said a high-power committee had been formed to suggest reforms and relief measures. As a follow-up, a Chief Ministers' meeting would be convened in New Delhi this month.

Asked whether any drought study team would visit Tamil Nadu, the Minister said the Centre would despatch one only after the Tamil Nadu Government declared the State drought-prone.

The Minister also gave break-up figures for non-utilisation of funds allocated to the Rural Development department. "I am not making a complaint against the Tamil Nadu Government but I am only appealing to it to optimally-utilise the allocated funds."

Asked about FERA violation cases filed against the AIADMK MP, T.T.V. Dinakaran, the Minister said the investigation was at an advanced stage.

When his attention was drawn to the arrest of the MDMK leader, Vaiko, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, Mr. Ramachandran said the introduction of the POTA and the party's support to it had to be viewed in the context of cross-border terrorism.

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