STAFF CRUNCH

Already grappling with staff crunch, the incometax (I-T) department is struggling to complete the verification of bank accounts where large sums of money have been deposited after the demonetisation announcement. The Income-Tax Employees Federation reports a shortage of staff in the I-T department at almost all levels across the country. The workforce crunch at the top level is less, but there is a huge scarcity at the middle and lower levels.

Meanwhile, sources say that at least 450 posts of joint commissioner or JAG level in the revenue department have been lying vacant. The apparent reason is there is no officer of IRS eligible to be promoted, as recruitment rules prescribe minimum residency of five years at deputy secretary level as eligibility criteria. Recently a delegation of IRS officers approached minister of state for personnel and PMO Jitendra Singh and sought an intervention by department of personnel and training for the clearance of backlog in promotions.

The delegation comprising officers such as Rajesh Menon (Mumbai), Anantharaman Aiyer (Delhi) C.K. Singh and B.K. Singh further appraised the minister that officers up to 2007 batch were promoted, and hence they requested for relaxation of nine months for gaining eligibility for the officers of 2007 batch who were left out.

Two months ago, a delegation of Central Secretariat Service officers also met Mr Singh to highlight their grievances, as about 1,600 under secretaries in GoI were waiting for a promotion and pay hikes for nearly four years since the submission of the CSS cadre review.