The Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, has issued an Office Memorabdum dated 18.12.2015 stating that some posts of Members in the Central Board of Direct Taxes in the Department of Revenue in the pay scale of Rs. 80,000/- (Fixed) are likely to fall vacant in the next financial year i.e. 2016-17. The criteria for selection is set out. One of the conditions is that the applicants should have “high professional merit and excellence” and “impeccable reputation of integrity”. Eligible officers are required to forward their applications by 19.01.2016.
The latest post is an deep seated grievance that envelopes the members of the ministerial staff and those who were not lucky to get recruited at a higher levels of administrative cadre.When Mrs Sudha Sharma came down to Hyderabad to inquire into the progress of disciplinary proceeding in some cases Mr H Srinivasulu told her , I am informed ,told her that in order to keep the lower officials under leash few more staff members need to be issued with charge memos . She was not pleased with what he had suggested and immediately shot back at him that he created more issues than solving.
There is a streak in many IRS officials to create a fear psychosis in the minds of the lower staff who meekly surrender to the illegal directions of the cream of the administrative cadre.This move of selection of officers of high integrity and clarity of thought to man a highly sensitive posts will definitely go a long way to reduce the invisible barrier of mistrust in the minds of the citizens of the country that has crept up in the last 20 years. The high pitched assessments was a tool in the hands of these officers .They could keep the I T proceedings in an animated suspension for a period of 25 years .That is the period of delivery of justice in India . By which time the officers would retire and are not there to face the rigours of disciplinary proceedings.
I acted as Presenting Officer in as many as 6 cases and as defense assistant in as many as 8 cases in the departmental proceedings. What I found was that if one fears for the departmental proceedings, they will try to frighten the officials / officers. If one analyses the concepts and principles of vigilance manual, there are lot of safeguarding provisions for the charged officers and there are principles of natural justice. So one need not worry about the disciplinary proceedings as long as he did not commit any cognizable misdeed etc. It is also not out of place to mention that I am facing disciplinary proceedings even after my retirement and I am not frightened. Already 8 years have passed but they did not conclude the proceedings. Had there been an iota of fact they would have concluded and levied a penalty.
The so called IRS babus are not at all taking any decisions whatever the lowest in authority. They are controlled by their IRS bosses in delaying things more than implementing. Inquiry Officers are appointed independent of the hierarchy to decide the charges whether true or not. But the IRS bosses control the independent inquiry officers for not processing the inquiry proceedings and also intervene into the independent functioning of the inquiry officers. So some of the duty conscious inquiry officers just delay the matters so as not to put to hard ship to the charged officers. Thus the very purpose of the charge sheets and consequent harassment is achieved those mischievous IRS bosses. The sad part of it is that even the CBDT which is the appointing authority is also following the methods of those IRS mischievous bosses. I hope the Revenue Secretary will also review all such pending cases and make the persons accountable to such delays.
During the past 15 to twenty years the senior cadre of officials have been busy changing the nomenclature of their designation.When I joined the service the designations were only ITO IAC CIT and members.Now we have ITO ACIT DCIT JCIT ADDL.CIT CIT (A) PrCIT and two more.They just built their ego and no decision making .The decision was always left to the CIT (A).ITAT HC SC.What were the senior officers with quasi judicial powers appointed for if the decision was more often than not left to the appeal auhorities.Even the Revenue Secretary was made to issue a public appology for the inefficient handling OF ISSUES by the members of the CBDT.I just wanted to mention here the top revenue official of UK IS DESIGNATED Chief inspector of income tax.Here the officials like fancy designations with no responsibility which is attached to the post.The revenue auhorities rise up the ececutive ladder by sheer dint of hard work and not on buttering the bossesxor political gurus .
The effective functioning of the Revenue Secretary is visible from actions like these. I hope this sort of moves prove that the promotion / upliftment to Board level is not automatic and it should be selective and service oriented. I also join Mr. Bobjee Kurien to congratulate the Revenue Secretary and Finance Ministry for such bold steps being taken.
Very good move by the Finance Ministry. Hope lobbing by the politicians may stop; and only FITTEST will survive. We have seen what havoc the principle of seniority has played and how the corrupt have became Members/Chairmen.
A very good deviation from the existing one.Thank you Revenue Secretary.