| Early Days |
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Born on April 23, 1948 in Thakazhi Village in Alapuzha District of Kerala, I had my school education in the village government school. I passed SSLC in 1964 in 1st class and did my pre-degree (+2 course) in SD College, Allapuzha during 1964-66. I continued my higher education by securing top position in B.A. (History) in the University College, Trivandrum in 1969 and also did my M.A. Degree from there and was placed third in the Kerala University in 1971. My first appointment was as Junior Lecturer in the Union Christian College, Alwaye in Kerala in 1971. |
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| Entry into Government Service |
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I got qualified for Central Service (Indian Revenue Service – Customs and Central Excise) in 1974, which was followed by a two year training-cum-probation period in the LBS National Academy at Mussoorie and at the National Academy of the Department in New Delhi. I joined Custom House, Bombay as Assistant Collector of Customs. I won the appreciation of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) within a fortnight for successfully attacking the heavy pendency of duty drawback claims. I disposed of about 23,400 drawback claims in a single month of March, 1977 by disbursing about Rs.11 crores to the exporters of Bombay Sea and Air Ports. The Custom House, Bombay had hardly any drawback claims pending at the end of this drive and this brought further appreciation from the Administration and cheered the Trade. I was chosen for the Preventive work in Bombay Customs and also served in the Bombay International Airport in 1981. My best contribution as Assistant Collector at the International Airport was clearance of the Gulf passengers within couple of hours after landing at a time when Customs was criticized for keeping passengers for more than 12 hours in the baggage hall without facilitating their baggage clearance. This was the Gulf boom time when the passengers used to bring a lot of consumer items as baggage. As Assistant Collector of Central Excise, Kottayam Division in Kerala in 1981, I tackled most difficult tax disputes in Central Excise and earned the appreciation of the Collector of Central Excise & Customs, Kerala. I was promoted as Deputy Collector of Central Excise and Customs in 1983 and was given the charge of anti-smuggling work in the western coast, south of Mumbai and north of Goa, with headquarters at Pune. During my term, the Pune Central Excise and Customs Commissionerate recorded the best performance in detecting smuggling, evasion of duty and for the collection of revenue during the Prime Ministership of Mr.Rajiv Gandhi and the Finance Ministership of Mr.V.P. Singh. Pune Collectorate was given the best performance award in 1987. Meanwhile, I took my law degree by joining evening college in Symbiosis College, affiliated to the Pune University in 1988. I was transferred to the Finance Ministry in New Delhi for assisting the CBEC in policy matters. I worked in Tax Research Unit of CBEC during the 1989 Budget. Thereafter, I attended to the major cases against tobacco companies totally involving about Rs.1000 crores. I was awarded President’s Certificate for Meritorious and Distinguished Service on the Republic Day in 1989. I was the 2nd officer in the rank of Deputy Collector of the Customs and Central Excise Department (of the rank of Deputy Secretary to the Government of India) to receive this honour. In 1990, I was denied out-of-turn promotion by over-taking 1968 batch along with four others who were found constantly ‘out-standing’, due to the non-approval of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) list by the Chairman and Members of CBEC, though desired by UPSC. I would have superseded about 180 of my seniors. Denial frustrated my career-oriented Public Service. Subsequently, I was transferred and posted as Deputy Director, Revenue Intelligence, Chennai in 1992. During my three years’ tenure there, major tax evasion cases and smuggling cases were unearthed. Drug smuggling route to Sri Lanka through Tamil Nadu was detected and major cases were booked at my initiative. I represented India in International Customs Meeting at Kuala Lumpur in 1993 and in the Bilateral Drugs Control meeting in Sri Lanka in 1996. I was also deputed for meeting the officials of Customs in Singapore to contain drug trafficking from Chennai to Singapore. I was shifted from this important assignment when I commenced investigation into the fraud committed by a major businessman. I was given the charge of Additional Commissioner of Customs, Chennai in January 1995. Detection of a major smuggling case, in which a highly connected VIP was involved, caused my abrupt transfer back to Delhi, which was challenged by me by getting notice served on CBEC by the Central Administrative Tribunal Bench in Chennai in September 1995. Thereupon, CBEC cancelled my transfer order and asked me to continue in Chennai in the same post. |
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| Exit from Government Service |
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I took a bold step to opt for voluntary retirement with effect from November 1, 1995 because of the discouraging service atmosphere in the Department. I had taken the big risk of earning my livelihood as a consultant in tax and foreign trade matters even when my wife was unemployed and my both children were in the school. |
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| HRD Programmes |
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I took special interest in the problems faced by the Trade and believed that on remaining well-informed only the businessmen can resist corruption and red tapism, which can take our society and economy ahead, though belatedly after independence. I conducted training courses for the representatives of the Trade by setting up the Chennai Institute of Indirect Taxes which I still continue to do. Now the Institute is known as the Institute of International Trade & Tax Studies (IITT). I have trained about 2400 enthusiasts from the field of foreign trade and those concerned with tax assessment during the last 14 years. Many of them have acquired solid profiles in the business world in India and abroad. They have been emboldened to fight against the evil practices of the civil servants. My efforts have contributed to more transparency to public dealings in the areas I dealt with. |
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| Fight for Transparency |
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I have consistently fought against corruption and inefficiency of the field formations under CBEC and the Ministry of Commerce and thus faced a lot of opposition even from the Members of Customs, Central Excise and Gold Control Appellate Tribunal (CEGAT). I had to boycott the proceedings in CEGAT, Chennai Bench during the whole of 1997 because of my strong resistance to undesirable practices observed there, against which I complained to the President of the CEGAT, but without any result. This adversely affected my livelihood, but I had the determination of institutionalizing the fight by causing the publication of a weekly tabloid “Talk of the Trade” from June 1997. I am the Chief Editor from the start, and my wife Smt. T. Radhika is the publisher. The paper is now in its 12th year of publication and is widely appreciated by responsible citizens, especially those who are in the business in various parts of India and abroad. |
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| Publications |
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I have been concerned about the hardship caused to the society due to the lackadaisical attitude of different administrative agencies. I have been fighting for transparency in public life through “Talk of the Trade”, for which 613 editorials have been so far written on public issues and a page has been exclusively devoted for reporting corruption cases against the government and public sector officials and for RTI related matters. The paper, otherwise, is a weekly up-date on Foreign Trade, Taxation and other general business matters. My paper, which carries an endorsement on top of the front page ‘For Bread with Dignity’, helps to educate, up-date and to up-grade businessmen so as to get them liberated from the colonial hangovers. I have authored three books: 1. Introducing You to Central Excise (1991) 2. Manufacture and Excisability (1992) 3. Introducing You to Indian Customs (1996) Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, who happened to see my first book, wrote to me: “Public servants rarely remember to serve the public except in the narrow sphere of their official duties…Shri S.S. Radhakrishnan of the Indian Revenue Service belongs to the exceptional category.” |
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| Fight against Global Warming |
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I took initiative to plant shade giving trees in Besant Nagar, Chennai from 2004. The Corporation of Chennai had given me permission to plant 100 trees in Besant Nagar. Trees planted have now fully grown, and are giving full shade to the street. I have been campaigning for saving water, power and fuel. I gave suggestions to the electricity board chiefs of the States in South India in November, 2008 with copies of the letter to the concerned Ministers and also to the Minister of Power and Secretary of Power of the Union Government to declare a scheme for giving incentive to the electricity consumers who bring down their consumption voluntarily by 50%. None of them have responded nor have they made use of my suggestion. Instead, they continue to resort to power shedding, which also adversely affects our industrial production. Talk of the Trade regularly carries campaign advertisements for containing global warming. I had also taken initiative to offer saplings at cost price especially with an intention to bring up maximum number of fruit-bearing trees, so that food scarcity in the country could also be addressed simultaneously. Saplings of fruit bearing trees are presently being freely distributed by growing them around my house built in a 2200 sq.feet plot in Besant Nagar, South Chennai. I purchased a Maruti van for spreading the message against global warming in the neighborhood which is still engaged in the said assignment. |
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| Efforts to improve Hygiene |
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I was anguished over the lack of toilet facilities for many in Chennai city. I commenced the publication of yet another weekly tabloid ‘Talk of Chennai’ in 2004 for creating awareness in the city for hygiene and greenery. The scheme was to find resources through advertisements by local business undertakings and to use the money for setting up toilets and for afforestation work. I had taken up the work of providing toilet facilities in the Housing Board Shopping Complex, Besant Nagar by spending Rs.65,000/- in 2004. I could not do more due to paucity of funds and the publication of ‘Talk of Chennai’, discontinued after 20 weeks of publication, is being resumed now. |
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| Efforts to tone up Public Administration |
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I am constantly making use of the Right to Information Act so as to safeguard the public interest and to drive the public servants to optimum performance level. Public Interest Litigation (PIL) route is also taken for making the public functionaries accountable to their assigned jobs. |
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| Village Development Programme |
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I selected a village by name ‘Panthadu’ in Villupuram District of Tamil Nadu for training them to earn extra income by farming mushroom and by planting fruit bearing trees all over their spare land. Mango saplings were gifted to all the houses there and also got their primary school premises cleaned up free of cost for ensuring the safety of small kids studying there. Drinking water facility was also restored by carrying out necessary repairs. My village development scheme remains dormant due to the indifference of the Indian Overseas Bank, who have not supported the scheme in spite of my meeting with high level officials of the Bank. |
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| My office, house and family |
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I live in a semi-independent house in Besant Nagar, Chennai – 600090. My wife helps me in my profession and social activities. My daughter R. Devika and her husband M. Balagopal are practising law at Kochi. My son, Hari Radhakrishnan, Advocate assists me in my profession and social activities. My office is in the ground floor of my residence and has a working strength of 15, including advocates, consultants and the supporting staff |
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| My Contact Details |
Address: No.17, 1st Cross Street, 4th Avenue Besant Nagar, Chennai 600 090 Land line 044-24917821, 2446 4587 Fax 044-2446 3670 Cell Number 98410-23448 Residence 044-2490 3457 Email contact@iitt.ac.in; contact@agol.in; ssr@iitt.ac.in Websites www.totonnet.com; www.agol.in; www.iitt.ac.in |
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