Streamlining the work of Central Registry Unit (CRU) and creation of Central Dispatch Unit (CDU). - Customs - Public Notice No. 18/2023

Government of India Ministry of Finance Office of the Commissioner of Customs(Export) Air Cargo Complex, Sahar, Andheri (E), Mumbai-4000 99 Email: - [email protected] F. No. GEN/AG/PN/5/2023-Estt Tech Date: 01-04-2023 Public Notice No. 18/2023 Subject: Streamlining the work of Central Registry Unit (CRU) and creation of Central Dispatch Unit (CDU). 1. The e-office has been made mandatory in the Export Commissionerate, Air Cargo Complex, in terms of the Board letter to launch the e-office in all Zones and Directorates vide D.O. No. 1025/03/2019 dated 20.05.2020. The Commissionerate of Customs (Export) has fully transitioned to an e-office. The Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure (CSMOP), 2019 Appendix 5.2 specifies the functions of the Central Registry Unit (CRU). The CRU is functional in Export 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 a sealed cover to ensure confidentiality and secrecy. The concerned section shall place these documents in the e-office if so required. 2. 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 the absence of the available proof. Central Dispatch Unit (CDU): 3. Therefore, in order to protect the interest of revenue as well as compliance with the law and procedures, it is ordered that a Central Dispatch Unit (CDU) shall be constituted. The CDU shall function in the same place as CRU. There shall be posted a sufficient number of staff for CDU. The CDU shall be responsible for the dispatch of all documents in manual mode from the Commissionerate. In other words, the CDU shall be responsible only for dispatches not being done through the e-office. All dispatch that can be done through the e-office shall be done by the concerned section through the e-office. 4. The CDU shall maintain a manual register where the dispatch numbers are serially recorded. The letters being dispatched shall also contain the centralized dispatch number. After dispatching of the letter, the proof of dispatch shall be sent to the concerned section through the e-office. 5. 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 the e-office to CDU beside the concerned section. Handling of the undelivered letters: 6. There would be some occasions when letters dispatched might 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 hand over these letters to the concerned section. Delivery of letters by posting on the notice board : 7. To serve an order, decision, summons, notice, or any other communication by posting it on a notice board, section 153 of the Customs Act provides 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. . 8. Thus, any letter which is also marked with a copy to the 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 : 9. The CDU shall maintain the guard file of the Public Notices, Office Orders, Policy Orders, Establishment Orders, or any other order which are meant for the general public or officers in general. The CDU shall collect all past Public Notices, Office Orders, Circulars, etc., and keep these in the 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 hand over the registers to CDU through which public notices, office orders, policy orders, etc. have been issued. ( Ranjit Kumar ) Commissioner of Customs ( Export ) ACC, Mumbai Zone-III