New Delhi: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs pulled off something impressive this October. In a month-long cleanliness campaign, officers across the country safely destroyed around 250 kilograms of narcotics, 26 lakh foreign cigarettes, gutkha, pan masala, and e-cigarettes – all together worth about Rs 1,011 crore.
The destroyed drugs included heroin, cocaine, ganja, and charas. All of this was seized contraband that had been caught during various smuggling operations. Proper disposal procedures were followed to ensure nothing went back into circulation.
Electronic waste disposal was another major achievement. CBIC’s Faridabad offices got rid of 178 monitors, 70 CPUs, 88 printers, 37 UPS units, and 7 air conditioners – all following the E-Waste Management Rules. Overall, they disposed of 8,801 kg of e-waste and 22,728 kg of scrap material, generating Rs 5.29 lakh in revenue.
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The paperwork cleanup was equally dramatic. Officers reviewed 41,055 files across 606 offices and weeded out 23,743 outdated ones. This freed up over 43,000 square feet of office space that was previously occupied by dusty old files.
But the campaign wasn’t limited to office interiors. The department organized 1,200 cleanliness events nationwide. In Ahmedabad, officers cleaned the Sarkhej Roja heritage site. Delhi’s Purana Qila got attention, as did Sinhagad Fort near Pune.
Beach cleaning drives took place at Karwar, Panambur, and Chinchani beaches. Bangalore organized a Swachhata rally while Pune held a cyclothon to promote the importance of cleanliness. Staff residential colonies in Jamnagar, Rajkot, Vizag, Tuticorin, and Mumbai were also spruced up.
Officers planted trees at 15 locations and distributed eco-friendly items like dustbins, garbage bags, gloves, and jute bags to promote sustainable practices among staff and citizens.
CBIC has something else to celebrate – for the third consecutive time, they’ve topped the grievance redressal rankings in the CPGRAMS system. The department works with the motto “Championing Clarity, Credibility and Care in Grievance Redressal.”
Over 250 posts were shared on social media to spread awareness about the campaign. Officials say they’re committed to maintaining this momentum throughout the year, making cleanliness a permanent feature rather than just a monthly campaign.
The numbers tell the story – from destroying billion-rupee contraband to freeing up office space and cleaning heritage sites, this was one busy October for India’s customs officers.
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