Clouds over Customs transfers again

MUMBAI, JUNE 3: Once again the Central Board of Excise and Customs CBEC has exposed itself to allegations that the exercise of annual t...

MUMBAI, JUNE 3: Once again the Central Board of Excise and Customs CBEC has exposed itself to allegations that the exercise of annual transfers of officers is vulnerable to pressures from various quarters.

Unaffected by a clutch of top-level transfers effected on May 18 was Capt Virendra Singh who manages to stay in Delhi where he has been for most of the two-and-a-half decades of his service. This, in spite of the fact that rules clearly prohibit more than eight years in the same city and that too with rotation between Customs to Excise every two years.

But Singh, who was Commissioner, Central Excise-I, Delhi, has now been posted as Customs Commissioner, Air Cargo, Delhi, and has hardly left the city in his career. The only exceptions being his posting as Customs Commissioner, Ahmedabad, and once CCE, Meerut where he spent about 22 months.

Further, this is not the first time that Singh will be serving at Delhi airport, considered an important posting. In fact, he8217;s been there at least twice sincehe started there as assistant commissioner when he joined the department in 1971.

The transfer of Customs Commissioner Imports, Mumbai, Y G Parande, is another mystery that begs an explanation. Parande has been transferred as Commissioner, Central Excise-III, Mumbai. His position has been taken by K P Singh, who was till last month, CCE-II, Mumbai. Considered an unbending officers, this is the second transfer for Parande in the last one year. He was posted as Customs Commissioner, Sahar airport on December 26, 1997. On 28 September, 1998, he was brought to Custom House as Commissioner, Imports.

The last two names in the May 18 order are of Parande and K P Singh, indicating that these orders were most contentious, till the last minute.

The name of a prominent north Indian politician is being mentioned in connection with K P Singh8217;s appointment.

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It is no surprise therefore that some officers have not yet taken their new posts. While some are resisting their transfers, others are waiting because theirnew posts are not vacant.

Routinely, senior officers and members of the board insist 8220;all postings are equally important or unimportant.8221; But Nhava Sheva Port, for instance, is one highly sought-after station. Last year, K P Singh was posted as Customs Commissioner there in May, his order was changed in two days, and Ramesh Ramchandran was posted only to be shifted again in December to Central Excise IV to make way for S S Bedi.