GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
DIRECTORATE OFINCOME TAX (HRD)
CENTRAL BOARD OF DIRECT TAXES
ICADR BUILDING, PLOT NO.6, VASANT KUNJ INSTITUTIONAL AREA-II
NEW DELHI-110070, PH. 26130594, FAX 26130594
F.NO.HRD/PM/425/2/2012-13/716 DATED: 22-06-2012
To
Shri Anil Uniyal
DS Hqrs (Admn-VlII)
Central Board of Direct Taxes
North Block. NewDelhi
Sir,
SUBJECT: AWARDS SCHEME FOR THE INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT
The Hon’ble Finance Minister has approved a scheme of awards to Officers and Staff of the Income Tax department who render exceptional meritorious service and display outstanding devotion to duty.
The awards would be called “Certificate of Appreciation” and “Certificate of Meritorius Service”. The “Certificate of Appreciation” would be conferred upon any employee for display of specific acts of exemplary devotion to duty including performance of an act of extremely arduous nature beyond the call of duty, Involving extreme effort and resulting in substantial/potential benefit to the Government and/or acts involving grave personal risk etc. While the “Certificate of Meritorius Service” would be conferred upon such employees, who have put in at least 15 years of service and who have rendered consistently high levels of meritorious service over this period,
The number of “Appreciation Certificates” and Merit Certificates awarded in one year shall not exceed thirty five but the Government would have the discretion to increase the number in any year if the circumstances so warrant.
A formal notification detailing the scheme would be forwarded shortly. It is requested that the same may be notified and put on the official website of Income Tax Department for information of all the employees of the Department
Yours faithfully
Sd/-
(Praveen Kumar)
DDlT (HRD)
NewDelhi.
I can bet my last rupee on the fact that every day, in India, there is and will be a new scam reported in any of our dailies involving a loss of public money. Is this new award for those revenue officials who bring this siphoned off revenue back to the treasury…… after all this is the job that requires most courage and persistance in India since our high and mighty have to be tackled. Surely, Praveen Kumar is not talking about going after common assesses that is a cakewalk for the officers of the department.
‘performance of an act of extremely arduous nature beyond the call of duty, Involving extreme effort, acts involving grave personal risk.’…….. these elements come into play when the high and mighty have to be tackled.
I will suggest that for a start scrutiny notices be sent to all MPs and MLAs that have agricultural land holdings and agricultural incomes in their own/ family members’ names…… strictly for a start.
The qustions raised are very valid but embarassingly unansweable. My point is, why create am unneceesary atmosphere of competitive jealousy and animosity among close friends and colleagues by instituting an award scheme?
To be very honest, most officers ans staff collect their daily awards direct from the tax payers and/or their representatives who actually spoil these people. And, compared to the ITAT, Sales Tax, etc., IT officers at least demand bribes decently, as is reported.
I think, this could be shelved. Instead, reward honest officers by giving them prestigious assignments and due considerations in matters of transfers/postings, promotions, etc. –that itself is a good jesture.
A few days back, I came to know from another similar website that there used to be a low profile Inspection Division in the IT deptt. One of the most influential (money and political powerwise, both) officers was very effectively exposed by this unit long ago and the officer was compulsorily retired. He was the main advisor of a Leftist and powerful CM of a state, had diplomatic passport even after being retired, the city’s most powerful “mover and shaker”in every field. In less than 5 years of hisbeing retired compulsorily by the govt., he won his cases and was reinstated and in 24 hours all his past dues were settled and honorably allowed to take VRS! Govt did not appeal against the acquittal. This is the real AWARD SCHEME in the govt., especially IT deptt. So, why are people giving so much publicity to this news when the corrupt, the most influential, the most well connected, etc., are already being rewarded by the dropping of vigilance cases against them (including prospective members of CBDT), in terms of giving best postings to them, by protecting their intersts all along? What will CBI do if the deptt has a built-in system to reward the corrupt and ignore real efficiency?
I more or less endorse the views of M.K.Gupta. It is a fact that, in the bygone decades, there were a handful of brilliant, dedicated, efficient and very honest officers who were punished for their good work and were not even given their choice of places before retirement. That was because they did not have the wherewithal to pay the high rates for transfers, payable and “demanded”by the highest in the administration! There is one case which I read in the paper. One officer was sent to head the investigation deptt to a state to handle one of the biggest cases of political loot in India’s history. That officer was sent back to the place from which he came in six months and posted in the lowest point in the totem pole! He had been banished from his place for 20 years, had no place to settle after his retirement, but failed to get even a pre-retirement posting to his place of choice (or near about), despite Home Ministry’s orders. Money is the only measure of success and efficiency, both making and “paying”.
I am against this scheme of awards to govt. servants, even to the honest officials. They get their salaries for doing their jobs. Why should they be awarded for doing their job properly? Moreover, all these rewards/awards schemes in all walks of life, be it politics or bureaucracy, breed corruption by natural process. Instead, let the inefficient and the corrupt be punished ruthlessly with an enabling law to confiscate all their properties–their öwn”as well as those created and acquired in their spouses’, childrens’relatives’benamis’names. That is the reward for the honest and efficient peoplke as the corrupt are the biggest enemies of the people of the country.
The officer concerned must be removed from service, especially the officers of the levels of Addl CIT asnd above, including those on deputation to/working in CBDT (even from CSS). In any case, these awards will most certainly be given to known corrupt officers alone, rest assured. Having worked in the deptt for more than three decades, though in a lower level, I know from my own experience of a few honest bosses suffering humiliation at the hands of the CBDT, I can swear that the best and the most coveted postings, foreign trainings, foreign trips/stints, deputations to lucrative posts, etc., are all to be bought with hard cash and that has been the established practice since the late seventies. And, there are no exceptions. Postings to Delhi-Bombay main line channels, and certain satelites of the mainline gold mines, like Pune, Indore, Coimbatore, Asansol, Meerut, Chandigarh, and so on are reserved for God’s own children, prepared to offer pujas of high value before the right Gods. This award scheme is going to be a veritable breeding ground of fresh corruption.
WHAT AWARDS WAITING FOR THE OFFICER OF THE INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT IN THE FOLLOEING SITUATION?
1. When the Officer violating the Act, Circulars and Instruction for harassing the tax payer
2. When the Officer violating the natural justice for harassing the tax payer
3. When refused to take personal appearance of the loan creditors and also deny the cross examination due to reasons best known to him.
4. When it appears from the assessment order of the Ld. Assessing Officer that false and vague statement has been introduced by the Ld. Assessing Officer in the assessment order for harassing the tax payer
5. When it appears from the appeal order of the Ld. Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) that false and vague statement has been introduced by the Ld. Commissioner in the appeal order for harassing the tax payer