Excise & taxation inspectors rue lack of promotions, seek change in policy

Raikot, November 17

Disappointment among excise and taxation inspectors (ETIs), who had since been identified as frontline warriors in the fight against liquor barons and tax evaders, may annul the success achieved due to coordinated efforts of various departments during the battle to check the production and flow of illicit liquor and theft of excise duty.

The GST collection is also stated to be major responsibility of teams of excise and taxation inspectors as they are directly keeping a check on uncounted business transactions involving huge amounts.

The Punjab Government’s reluctance to amend their promotion policy, which will have negligible financial burden on the state exchequer, has further spread discontentment among ETIs, particularly those, who have not even been promoted once since their appointment in 2009 and 2012.

Worried over widespread dissatisfaction the Excise and Taxation Inspectors Association, Punjab, has once again urged Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to enhance their promotional quota from existing 50 per cent to 75 per cent, which is much below than hundred per cent quota for their counterparts in other states.

They have also suggested that the government can review its policy to include rung of assistant excise and taxation officers in the ladder of promotion that can at lease boost the morale of unsung warriors.

ETIs led by association senior vice-president Hardeep Singh Ahuja and Surinder Pal Sofat regretted that the government, though had altered eligibility for the promotion from 10 years to 7 years, failed to comprehend fall in enthusiasm among inspectors, who had been risking their lives in expectation of bright career.

“One can well imagine our situation from single example the 2012 batch topper, who still has to wait for another two decades for his first promotion, if the present system is allowed to continue,” said Hardeep Singh Ahuja while maintaining that only 80 posts of ETOs were expected to fall vacant in the following 10 years.

Surinder Pal Sofat, association office-bearer, argued that stagnation at one cadre was dampened ability and skill of any employee as he or she did not see any hope for maintaining his status in society. “One can well imagine state of mind of 683-member force for whom only 197 seats of next cadre are available, which are not sufficient to guarantee a single promotion in complete service,” Sofat said while maintaining that restructuring policy or creation additional assistant excise and taxation officer cadre might resolve the issue. — OC