Media Release

Mangaluru, Mar 1: Kotekar Sheik Abdul Kareem, assistant chief accounts officer in the commissionerate of customs, Mangaluru, has been conferred the Presidential Award Certificate of Appreciation for Specially Distinguished Record of Service. He received the honour from union finance minister Arun Jaitley recently in New Delhi.

Kareem is a differently-abled person, having been afflicted by polio in childhood. Despite his limitations, he worked very hard and became a role model to other junior officers. As a senior officer, he has contributed much to the welfare of the staff at the customs offfice.

Kareem began his career as lower divisional clerk in customs on December 26, 1973 and got promoted to deputy office superintendent LII in 1987. He was then transferred to central excise, Belgaum in 1987. A few months later Kareem was transferred to Mangaluru.

Three years later a promotion got him to the office of central excise, Mangaluru for some months. From 1992 to 1994 he worked at central excise audit department, Mangaluru and then placed in customs. On his promotion to office superintendent, Kareem was posted to Belgaum Central Excise Commissionerate in 1995 and transferred back to customs, Mangaluru in 1996. He was made administrative officer in 1996 and appointed assistant chief accounts officer in 2002. He has been working at the commissionerate headquarters since 1996. He also took on the additional responsibility of administrative officer in the customs.

In recognition of his sincere and efficient work, he was honoured with a commendation certificate by M Ajit Kumar, commissioner on February 25, 2011.