CBDT forms panel to trace ‘absconding’ I-T Dept officials

There could be about 100 officials of the income tax department across the country who have been on unauthorised leave and not reported to work for years.

These officials, without resigning from the government, have either gone ahead with other ventures or have not reported to work after being sent on deputation, sources said.

In an effort to identify such “absconding” officers, a three-member committee has been formed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to carry out a one-time account of the officers. The report is expected by May-end.

A senior government official said accumulated dues that have not been paid by the officials will have to be cleared.

“However, at this point, there is no estimate of the amount (of dues),” he said.

“There is a case where an official has been sent on deputation to a multilateral agency but on completion of the project, he has not reported back to work without any information... there is also another one where the official has not reported to work for more than 23 years. He has joined something else but has not resigned from the tax department. However, they have not been drawing any salary from the government,” a source privy to the development said.

Sources, however, said the department will not be in any position to take any stringent action against those officers who have no dues to clear. “What can the department do? At the most, they can be sacked. But in any case, their absence shows that they are not interested in working with the department,” the official said.

However, CBDT could chalk out stringent guidelines to ensure that officials, in the future, do not indulge in absence or leave without appropriate approvals.