Telecommunication

Background

The Telecommunication wing of the Directorate of Logistics was created in 1974 to provide secure and real time communication to officers engaged in anti-smuggling operations. The Communication network comprises of Wireless Radio Sets, procured by the Directorate, dedicated manpower (for operation and maintenance of wireless radio sets) and Licenses to operate the HF & VHF wireless sets, obtained from Wireless Planning & Co-ordination (WPC) Wing, Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communication, in the year 1983. As on date there are 14 such licences, held by various Commissionerates, each consisting of a number of stations/schedules, which form the basis for Royalty/licenses fees.

A. MANPOWER

1. The sanctioned strength was approved by the Ministry in the year 2009 and the present Staff Position is tabulated below: -

   Grade	Sanctioned Strength	Working Strength	Vacancy
   Group 'A'	20	3	17
   Group 'B'	42	4	38
   Group 'C'	372	65	308
   Total	434	72	363

   As per the Organisational hierarchy, the Telecommunication wing is to be headed by Director (Communications) and the post has been vacant since 2003. With no Group ‘A’ officer of Telecommunication Cadre being appointed at the Directorate, Additional Director (Marine) has been assigned duties of the Additional Director (Communication), to enable administrative functioning of Communication Wing at DoL. He is assisted by one AAD (from GST cadre) and one STA (Communication cadre). The three appointed at Chennai, Jamnagar and Mangaluru.

2. ADRE RE-STRUCTURING

   Work Measurement Study of the Telecommunication Wing was undertaken by the Staff Inspection Unit (SIU) in the Department of Expenditure, in July, 2008 and in view of the increased availability of communication facilities like cellular phones, e-mail, fax etc., it was recommended to wind up the Wing. Ministry did not accept the recommendations and decided, in 2009, to retain the Telecommunication wing with a reduced sanctioned strength. Subsequently, the Committee of Secretaries (CoS), in 2010, directed to re-work the staffing requirements, strictly on the functional consideration. Accordingly, proposals for Cadre Restructuring were submitted in 2010, 2011 and 2013. With no decision conveyed by the Ministry, a fresh proposal was submitted on 14.02.2020 and observations received were also replied. However, the Board vide letter dated 02.11.2021 has requested to re-examine the proposal in the light of changed scenario on the technology front, the wireless network etc. not being put to use anywhere and make a detailed proposal with justification and place it before the Board, for taking a policy call as regards to the proposal for Cadre Restructuring.

   All India Federation of Customs & Central Excise Telecommunication Staff vide letter dated 05.11.2021, addressed to JS(Admin), has requested for career growth and opportunity to serve the department with grace and dignity by considering merger of Telecommunication staff in the Main stream cadres of Customs & Central Excise. In support of their request, the federation has brought out that almost entire telecommunication staff stands redeployed for other works in different areas of work since 2003, with meagre strength of 71 staff, it is not viable to continue the wing when there is no recruitment after 2002 and there is no further demand of telecommunication from any field formation/Commissionerates so the restructuring at this stage will be prove vague, if implemented,

3. Recruitment

   In response to the representation submitted by All India Federation of Custom and Central Excise Telecommunication staff in 2010, the Ministry, in consultation with Department of Expenditure, had clarified vide letter F. No. A-11019/10/2010-Ad.IV dated 25.08.2010 that keeping the overall levels of different posts in line with the restructuring proposal under finalisation, promotions may be conducted as due and the corresponding feeder posts or those at induction level, may be surrendered. Since, the last instructions regarding promotions in Telecommunication Wing was issued in 2010 and considerable time has elapsed with fresh cadre restructuring proposal (2020) is under consideration at the Ministry, it was considered necessary that suitable amplifying instructions regarding the promotions in the Telecommunication Wing is required. Accordingly, Ministry has been approached by DoL vide letter dated 22.07.2021 for promulgating amplifying instructions regarding way ahead on promotions and reply to queries received from the Board vide letter dated 30.09.2021, is being prepared. Details of action taken with regard to promotions at various levels in the cadre are as under: -

   1. GROUP ‘A’ & ‘B’ POSTS

      No promotions have taken place at the level of Group A & B posts during the last five year years. Proposal for filling up of 2 posts of JD (Telecom) by way of promotion was forwarded to Ministry on 23.12.2019, however, no further progress in the matter has been intimated. In order to proceed with promotion to Group ‘B’ posts from Group ‘C’ feeder cadre, instructions were sought from the Board and queries received are being replied. Post receipt of firm instructions from the Board, DPC (chaired by DG DRI) would be convened and for promotion to the post of Supdt. (Maintenance) and Supdt. (Operations).

   2. GROUP ‘C‘ POSTS

      Cadre Controlling Authority for Group ‘C’ officers are the respective Commissionerates and it is reported that Commissionerates are undertaking promotion of eligible candidates as per RRs.

4. RECRUITMENT RULES

   Proposal for amendment to RRs in respect of Group 'A' 'B' and 'C' post was taken up in 2013 and DGHRM intimated vide letter dated 26.11.2015 that draft RRs in respect of Group 'A' post was sent to Board on 23.04.2013 and for Group 'B' posts on 14.03.2013 and for Group 'C' on 22.07.2015. Subsequently, a clarification received was also replied by DoL on 26.09.2016 and a reminder was last forwarded by DoL to DGHRM on 13.02.2020. In response, DGHRM requested Commissioner (Coordination) on 02.03.2020 to intimate the present status on Revision/reframing of RRs for the posts of Group 'B' and 'C' staff cadres Ministerial, Executives (non-Tech) and Technical of all directorates under CBIC. Thereafter, no correspondence received from Board or DGHRM.

   After internal examination of the inputs, a proposal was submitted to the Ministry on 05.05.2021 recommending surrender of all Wireless operating licenses held at DoL and allowing Commissionerates to obtain fresh Licences directly from WPC. Subsequently, observations received from the Ministry have been forwarded to Commissionerates for inputs/clarifications and reply is awaited. Commissionerates were reminded by DoL vide letter dated 23.09.2021 to submit inputs at the earliest. Reply to queries by the Board is being prepared.

B. EQUIPMENT

1. WIRELESS RADIO SETS

   The Wireless Radio sets held with the Commissionerates are about two decades old and have outlived their useful electronic life and are old/ outdated/ obsolete. Accordingly, these sets are being progressively condemned as per extant procedure. Also, no new sets have been procured by the Directorate as replacement since 2004 onwards. It has been observed that the Communication network is not being effectively utilised by the Commissionerates as hardly any messages are being transmitted and existing Radio sets are also being reported as unserviceable. The field Formations are carrying out condemnation of this old & obsolete equipment.

2. SURRENDER OF WIRELESS OPERATING LICENSES

   Based on the reports received from the Commissionerates regarding the status of payment of Royalty / License fees, functional status of the stations and their recommendation for surrender of the Licenses, it was seen that only six Commissionerates have proposed retention of Licences held by them with drastically reduced stations/ schedules. Reports also indicates large payment is pending towards Royalty / Licences Fee / Late Fee.

3. SPECTRUM FEES

   Earlier, Royalty/License fees was not being charged from the government departments in respect of Licences issued to them, however, the same has become payable even by the governments departments since 01.06.2004. Initially, these charges were being paid by the concerned Commissionerates against the Demand Notes issued to them by the WPC Wing. However, after the discontinuation of the practice of issuance of Demand Notes by WPC in 2007-08 and substitution of the same with the suo moto payment of charges, the Commissionerates failed to make the payments on time and subsequently at much later date, the WPC Wing issued Demand Notes to Commissionerates with pending Royalty / Licence fees along with late fee. The matter regarding waiver of late fees has been taken up by the Directorate with WPC Wing in 2019. The matter would be pursued with WPC again after decision by the Ministry regarding surrender of Wireless Operating Licenses is received.