Excise staff decry
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 03 2011:
Raising strong objection against the Government's plan to abolish Excise Department and absorb the existing staff in Relief and Disaster Management Department as Disaster Response Force, staff and personnel of Excise Department staged a protest demonstration today.
On account of the protest demonstration staged at the gate of Excise Commissioner's office at Lamphelpat, the department's work was disrupted.
Talking to media persons, general secretary of the Excise Employees Welfare Association L Bole said that as a new policy of the Government of India and as per a decision of the State Cabinet, an order has been issued to absorb the existing 502 staff of Excise Department in Relief and Disaster Management Department.
Out of the total 537 staff, only 17 would be retained in Excise Department and others would be absorbed as Disaster Response Force as per the Cabinet decision.
But after filing a complaint at Court, it has been arrange to retain 18 staff in Excise Department.
A release order issued by the Excise Commissioner on October 29 directed the 502 Excise staff to join Relief and Disaster Management Department immediately.
Saying that the Excise personnel were not trained like army, para-military forces, police or firemen, Bole asserted that the Government's plan to re-deploy the untrained Excise personnel as Disaster Response Force would be disastrous.
It is also a serious question whether the Excise staff would enjoy their line of promotion, service protection and job satisfaction in their new department.
By 2015, 90 per cent of the existing Excise staff would be retiring, he said.
There are 39 Excise check-posts in the State whereas country made liquor, IMFL, ganja, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances have been identified as excisable items.