Streamlining the work of Central Registry Unit (CRU) and creation of Central Dispatch Unit (CDU). - Customs - Public Notice No. 19/2023-24

Government of India Ministry of Finance Office of the Commissioner of Customs ( General ) Air Cargo Complex, Sahar, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400099 Date : 12-04-2023 Public Notice No. 19/2023-24 Subject : Streamlining the work of Central Registry Unit (CRU) and creation of Central Dispatch Unit (CDU). The e-office has been made mandatory in the General Commissionerate, Air Cargo Complex, in terms of the Board letter to launch e-office in all Zones and Directorates vide D.O. No. 1025/03/2019 dated 20.05.2020. The Commissionerate of Customs (General) has fully transitioned to e-office. The Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure (CSMOP), 2019 Appendix 5.2 specifies functions of Central Registry Unit (CRU). The CRU is functional in General Commissionerate. It is reiterated that all documents relating to this Commissionerate shall be received only by CRU. However, confidential and secret letters shall be received by the CRU and sent to the concerned officer in sealed cover to ensure confidentiality and secrecy. The concerned section shall place these documents in e-office, if so required. It has been noted that even though all incoming documents are received by the CRU, dispatch is done by the individual sections. Under Customs Act, 1962 delivery of documents or dispatches of documents are very important for the purposes of provisions of the act and rules which provide limitations. It has also been noted that it becomes very difficult for the department to defend cases of non-receipt of Show Cause Notices, adjudication orders, summons or other documents in absence of the available proof. Central Dispatch Unit (CDU): Therefore, in order to protect the interest of revenue as well as compliance of the law and procedures, it is ordered that Central Dispatch Unit (CDU) shall be constituted. The CDU shall function at the same place as of CRU. There shall be posted sufficient number of staff for CDU. The CDU shall be responsible for dispatch of all documents from the Commissionerate. The CDU shall be responsible only for dispatch in manual mode i.e. the dispatch not being done through e-office. All dispatch which can be done through e-office shall be done by the concerned section through e-office. The CDU shall maintain a manual register where dispatch number shall be serially recorded. The letters being dispatched shall also contain the centralised dispatch number. After dispatch of the letter, the proof of dispatch shall be sent to the concerned section through e-office. Any person whose address is changed shall intimate their change in address to the CRU. A copy of the letter of the change in address shall be marked by the CRU in e-office to CDU besides the concerned section. Handling of undelivered letter: There are some occasions when letters dispatched return undelivered. Such undelivered letters shall be handled by the CDU. The CDU shall record the details of undelivered letters in the Central Dispatch Register and handover these letters to the concerned section. Delivery of letters by posting on the notice board: To serve and order, decision, summons, notice or any other communication by posting it on notice board, the section 153 of the Customs Act provide that: 153. Service of order, decision, etc. Any order or decision passed or any summons or notice issued under this Act, shall be served, (a) by tendering the order, decision, summons or notice or sending it by registered post to the person for whom it is intended or to his agent; or (b) if the order, decision, summons of notice cannot be served in the manner provided in clause (a), by affixing it on the notice board of the customs house. . Thus, any letter which 1s also marked with a copy to notice board shall be placed on the notice board by the CDU. The CDU shall also maintain a separate register for the letters which are placed on the notice board, as proof of being placed on the notice board. Maintenance of Guard File : The CDU shall maintain guard file of the Public Notices, Office Orders, all Policy Orders, Establishment Orders or any other order which are meant for general public or officers in general. The CDU shall collect all the past Public Notices, Office Orders, Circulars etc. and keep these in guard file. This guard file shall be maintained in the e-office and the index and details shall be maintained in the note-sheet of the e-file so that these orders are available for all concerned. Further, the CDU shall also maintain the register through which public notices, policy orders, circulars etc. are issued. All sections shall handover the registers to CDU through which public notices, office orders, policy orders etc. have been issued. (Ranjit Kumar) Commissioner of Customs (General) ACC, Mumbai Zone-III