I often wonder what would have happened to my career if Mr Ravanna Bhairam, the consultant, was not around. I must confess that I used his brilliance and problem-solving capabilities in my personal matters too!
Whenever I thought of going on trek, my boss created the first hurdle by denying leave, which I could somehow cross with the guidance of Mr. Bhairam. But, then, for creating a complete hell, if boss is not enough, wife would certainly be. My wife too, belonging to the same species - who have remained unchanged since the times of King Dashrath's wife Kaikayee - would raise such a hue and cry, and create such a racket that I would have to think about abandoning the trek. Finally, and with some reluctance, I decided to seek Mr. Bhairam's advice in this matter too.
++ Mr. Bhairam, I have a small problem of personal nature. Would you mind helping me out?
++ Yes, sir, it will be my privilege.
++ Mr. Bhairam, please don't call me ‘sir'. It's so embarrassing.
++ I am sorry. I thought it would be the other way round.
++ Now, Mr. Bhairam, you are pulling my leg …
++ OK. OK. Tell me your problem.
++ Now my wife does not permit me to go on trek …
++ Why did you disturb me for such a petty problem? Anyway it will be solved in 15 minutes.
++ 15 minutes? Are you joking, Mr. Bhairam…
I realized that Mr. Bhairam was no more on the line to listen to my doubts. I was disheartened that Mr. Bhairam had not seriously heard my problem. A problem which I could not solve in 30 years, how could it be solved in 15 minutes! Even by Mr Bhairam!
Twelve minutes later, a person knocked at my door and introduced himself as the High Risk Insurer sent by Mr. Bhairam. He asked me a few questions, filled up a form, told me to sign it, asked for a cheque for hefty premium, issued a receipt which he told me to show to my wife as per Mr. Bhairam's advice. Following the advice strictly, I entered my home with this receipt. I don't know how it happened but the problem was solved instantly. She asked me when I intended to go for trekking and told me that she was proud of her husband undertaking such risk-taking adventurous activities. Now, like Maharani Jodha of the old Hindi film ‘Mughal-e-Azam' who had put ‘tilak' on Akbar's forehead and had handed him the mighty sword with wishes for success in the battle, my wife too ceremoniously presents me the trekking bag with a smile which I used to see during our courtship days and never expected to see again since tying the knot. Mr. Bhairam, tussi great ho!
There are any number of official matters too where Mr. Ravanna Bhairam has been my saviour. Just to recall one such matter, a subordinate officer had jacked the assessable value of watches imported from Switzerland from 40 dollars each to 200 dollars each on the ground that watches from that country were quite expensive according to contemporaneous imports report. When the importer came crying to me, I enquired from the assessing officer whether the brand which was imported by this importer was the same which had been imported in the past at the rate of 200 dollars each. The experienced assessing officer told me that there had been no import of exactly same brand but watches from Switzerland were so costly that the price of the watches in the instant case could not be less than 200 dollars each. He said that he had been doing assessment for 20 years. It was a subtle dig at my experience of just 20 days on the job! However, I found his reasoning to be far from just and legal. As only my boss had the power to over-rule any unjust or illegal decision, I thought I must brief him and let him do justice to this poor trader.
++ Sir, I just wanted to bring a case to your notice where the assessing officer has unjustly hiked the assessable value of watches from 40 dollars to 200 dollars.
++ Then what? Why are you bothered?
++ Sir, I feel that injustice is being done to the importer without any justifiable reason and we should remedy it.
++ Now you will speak on behalf of smugglers! What type of revenue officer are you, protesting against a pro-revenue decision? I had never come across such attitude in our times. Listen, we are already behind revenue target. Every penny that we can collect must be collected. By the way,…
He did not complete the sentence but I knew that by raising this issue, I had put my own integrity in doubt. The conversation ended at that point.
My conscience started pricking me again for my inability to get justice for a person who had come to me with such big hopes. Now, nobody is going to believe that a bureaucrat too can have a conscience. In fact, Mr. Ravanna Bhairam often says that it takes 5 to 7 years for a bureaucrat's conscience to die peacefully, and if it still survives that period, there is an inbuilt mechanism to kill it as its prolonged life is threat to the sheer survival of the system as well as the officer.
Seeing no other option available, I thought of Mr. Ravanna Bhairam. I was wondering what he would think of my strange problem. Would he believe that I had no personal interest in this matter? These thoughts were driving me mad but ultimately I decided that whatever my boss thought and whatever Mr. Ravanna Bhairam thought, I had to help.
I called Mr. Ravanna Bhairam and gave him the details of the case. To my surprise, I found that the importer for whom I was looking for solution had already approached him. It seemed that I was not the only one who had immense faith in Mr. Bhairam's competence. Mr. Bhairam told me that I did not have to worry as the problem at hand would be solved in another 15 minutes or so. 15 minutes? Was he mad? What did he think of himself? Did he have a magic wand? Which authority dispenses such quick justice!
While I was still speculating about what all Mr. Ravanna Bhairam could do, my boss called me for an important matter – a statistical report to be sent about our achievements. While he was talking to me, the phone rang. On hearing the voice on the other side, he stood up as a mark of respect to the speaker on the other end. By the time conversation ended, he was badly shaken. “Bring me the watches case file at once”, he said breathlessly. After the file had been brought, the shouting session started:
++ All of you are out to kill my career! Why has the value been enhanced in this case from 40 dollars to 200 dollars? Are you not even aware of the Customs Valuation Rules according to which transaction value should be accepted unless there is evidence to disprove it?
++ Yes, sir, I am aware.
++ If you were aware, how did you let your assessing officer do this patently illegal act? Does it not show the lack of supervision on your part?
++ Sir, I wanted to discuss the matter with you yesterday..
++ Don't make silly excuses now for this serious lapse. You are not going to go far if you have such an attitude. We are not here to extract revenue through illegal means. Are you not aware of the Govt. instructions on the subject?
++ Sir, I…
++ Now stop this irresponsible behavior. I want this wrong rectified at once.
++ Yes, sir. It shall be done.
The whole exercise of undoing the wrong done by the assessing officer was completed within the time specified by Mr. Ravanna Bhairam.
After leaving my boss's chamber, I dialed Mr. Bhairam's number.
++ Hello, Mr. Bhairam. Thank you. The problem has been resolved.
++ No mention please. It was not a problem at all.
++ You are a real genius Mr. Bhairam. But how did you manage this? Somebody rang up the boss and beat him into a reasonable and considerate pulp. Who on earth was that and how did you---
++ Simple. It was the boss of your boss. He is one of the many officers who have been seeking my innovative solutions before every AGT for staying put at the same station for last twenty years or even more! Obviously, when I ring up one of them, they are bound to oblige!
I wish Dholpur House starts recruiting at least one consultant like him for every hundred officers like my boss, including, of course, me.
Source:- Taxindiaonline.com Article by Sri DD Rishi,IRS[C&CE]
