Shri. Atulesh Jindal, the Chairman of the CBDT has addressed a strongly worded letter dated 05.02.2016 to the Chief Commissioners and Directors Generals of Income-tax in which he has pulled up the department for unsatisfactory disposal of taxpayers’ grievances.
The CBDT Chief expressed dismay that repeated instructions from the CBDT had fallen on deaf ears. He stated that out of the total grievances of 7,863, 1696 grievances are pending for more than 6 months and 81 grievances are pending for more than a year. The learned Chairman reminded the department of the Citizens’ Charter which requires that all grievances should be disposed off within a period of two months.
The CBDT Chairman has directed the Chief Commissioners and Directors Generals to look into the matter personally and ensure that the grievances are disposed off on a priority basis. The Chairman has also directed that a ATR should be submitted to him in respect of grievances pending for more than six months.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Direct Taxes
North Block, New Delhi-110001
E-mail : chairmancbdt@nic.inD.O. F. No. Dir .(Hqrs.) / Ch.(DT) /39(2) /2015/93007
MOST IMMEDIATE
Dated 5th February, 2016
Dear Principal Chief Commissioner / Director General
Sub: Disposal of Public Grievances on priority
As you are aware, the Centralised Public Grievance Redress And Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) is a citizen-centric initiative for online receipts and redressal of public grievances. It is one of the key result areas being constantly monitored by the Government at the highest level. Currently around 1600 public grievances are being registered every month in the centralized grievance cell at CBDT. The Honble PM while reviewing the status of pending grievances with the CBEC in the last PRAGATI Meeting (held on 27.01.2016) had directed for early redressal of public grievances within the timelines prescribed by the Government.
The total number of grievances pending in all jurisdictions in CBDT as on date is 7863 out of which 81 grievances are pending for more than one year and 1696 grievances are pending for more than six months. Considering the fact that our Citizens’ Charter clearly lays down that all grievances should be disposed off within a period of two months, it is obvious that the overall progress on disposal of grievances is unsatisfactory and that in spite of repeated instructions from the Board from time to time, a large number of grievances have not been disposed off within the prescribed timeline of 60 days from the date of their receipt.
In view of the above position, it is all the more necessary that you look in to this area of work personally and direct the officers concerned under your jurisdiction to attend to the public grievances ON PRIORITY. The grievances are required to be redressed within a maximum period of two months of their receipt. Further, if the finalization of a decision on a particular grievance IS expected to take longer than two months, an interim reply is required to be given with reasons for delay in redressal of the grievance. After redressal, the position may also to be upgraded simultaneously on CPGRAMS. An action taken report in respect of grievances pending within your respective jurisdiction for more than six months may be sent to me by 15th February, 2016.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
(Atulesh Jindal)
Chairperson CBDT &
Special Secretary to the Govt. of India
Practically officers also not bother abount CBDT Instructions/circulars etc. Untill & unless some positive action is taken by CBDT nothing will change. See there are crores of demand raised for TDS/Challan mismatch. Even after issuing several circulars the authorities below are reluctant to delete the infractious demands. None the less it is a welcome step. Hope for the positive outcome.
I had the opportunity to represent a case before the Chairman of CBDT once Dr.N.R. Sivaswamy in regard to the high handedness of the Officers. His reply was shocking. He said How could I deal with the field officers who is 7 or steps down to me. This is the grip they have over the field staff and how they avoided the responsibility of controlling the staff. I am glad the current Chairman recognised this weakness and is trying to remedy the situation., I wish him all success.
The only solution to the problem is that all applications should be filed either on line or in the office of concerned CIT, whose office should forward to concerned officer and officer should be under obligation to respond within a period of say 15 days, if any thing further is required from the assessee, with copy to CIT, otherwise needful be done under intimation to CIT within the period provided in Citizen’s Charter. CIT should be responsible to get the things done within the prescribed time.
Guptaji, the top most authority i.e. Directorate of Central Grievance Mechanism which is the top monitoring authority of all grievance petitions is doing a simple post business i.e. forwarding the petition and dropping it after a considerable time say about 1 year. This is exactly what happened to my series monthly reminders of grievance petition filed online.
Your suggestion will hit the hearts of positive minded people but not the sleeping dogs.
Where there is a will We need not have a grievance cell .The people who man the cell needs to be proactive.Not with an attitude what’s there for me in it.CBDT needs to be revamped from its grass roots.like weeds in a lawn they need to be just be rooted out.The Board should be manned by youngsters and not by people who have reached their height of incompetence.We need to learn from multinationals …people like Pitchai…..The government of the day has to have their own in the administrative set up
At least 150 grivance petitions are pending for the past 20 years.the saddest part is that that board is completely aware of this pendency but prefers to turn a blind eye.mine and prasads is pending for at least 5 years and the stoic silence speaks volumes of the inefficiency of the board.yes Board feels that it need not respond to any mail received by it.The Revenue Secretary is a person who.is of a different mind set.Despite th fact the RS has apologised the kumbakarna (CBDT)has not woken up but finds deficiency of work ethics in the lower rung of officials Those who sit and stare also serve.An old saying .The Board is of that genre
I filed a grievance petition right to the e-mail address of the Chairman after seeing his circular. I have to wait in how much time he himself would respond to my grievance petition. He did not acknowledge through system generated facility.
some time back it was Ray who was fuming at officers for not adhering to the guide lines . Then the Revenue Secretary apologizing on inaction of the CBDT(how can any one who is inefficient as the CBDT carry out the threats. Impossible . They are epitome of inefficiency.They are very good at sitting on files.
sir no body will send correct data to CBDT
The CBDT FURNISHES INCORRECT DETAILS TO THE PARLIAMENT.
respected sir in practice i have observed no body take care of CBDT instruction in spite of repeated reminder because no monitoring system by surprise visit even not maintain proper register &records matter is very sad
NEEDS ACTIONS.NO PAPER TIGERS.
GO OUT AND SEAT WITH CONCERNED OFFICERS AND SEE THAT THE CUSTOMER IS PROPERLY ATTENDED.
The Chairman is fuming at the field
Level officers.why is it that he does not see things that are just under his nose for the past 14 years. It is easier for a camel to gp throughthe eye of a needle than the chairmanwho.is sitting on files for more than 20 years
Instead of giving SERMONS , why the Chairman is not taking action against the Erring Officers under Rule 56(j) of the Fundamental Rules ? My humble request to Revenue Secretary to start process of FR 56(j) right from the Chairman and other Board members ; then only they may work?
It is amazing that CBDT chief is expressing anguish against the pending attitude of grievance petitions. But he is forgetting that there are grievance petitions pending before the CBDT itself right from the year 2004 and it had not been attended to even till date. The pendency is causing the CBDT in the form of interest to the group of tax payers who filed the irrelevance petition to the tune about Rs. 30 Crores. Is it not the lead torch to the subordinate officers to follow suit?
At the same time the CBDT is pending for more than 8 years the inquiry proceedings in case of its own employees? Is it not a lead torch light for the subordinate officers to ignore the directions of CBDT itself?
Such a directive is timely. The chalta-hai attitude should be severely dealt with. A copy of every grievance petition should be sent to CCIT and CBDT without fail.
Sri. Ashwani Joshiji. I beg to differ with you. The CBDT had issued these instructions after the PM expressed his anguish in March 2015 and the Chairman CBDT had issued the instructions in February 2016. Can any one call it is timely? Even the statistics given by him in the said circular are not reliable.