The Modi government seems to have taken a firm resolve to revolutionise the Indian bureaucracy and has taken several steps to bring an element of professionalism.
Continuing with its efforts to rid the bureaucracy of tainted officials, the Modi government has compulsorily retired 15 senior Income tax officials holding ranks of Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, Commissioner of Income Tax, Joint Commissioner of Income Tax, Additional Commissioner of Income Tax and Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax.
According to sources, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has compulsorily retired the 15 senior officials on corruption and other charges under Fundamental Rule 15 (j).
As per sources, a Principal Commissioner of Income Tax has been compulsorily retired over a serious conflict of interest. He had decided an appeal of an advocate who had also been representing him a case of the senior tax official before the Central Administrative Tribunal Bench. Another Principal Commissioner of Income Tax has been compulsorily retired over several allegations of seeking illegal gratification.
Sources have also provided details of similar action taken against a Commissioner of Income Tax who was facing allegations of taking the bribe. He was also alleged of appearing in person in several legal proceedings without seeking any kind of leave. Another tax official, a Joint Commissioner of Income Tax was alleged to have demanded bribe from a taxpayer for passing favourable assessment order.
Rs. 3.50 lakh is said to have been recovered from his office drawer. Apart from this, an Additional Commissioner of Income Tax had also been compulsorily retired in connection with bribe allegations to the tune of Rs. 25 lakhs.
Yet another Additional Commissioner of Income Tax among the 15 tax officials who have been compulsorily retired was accused of having assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The list also included an Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, who faces allegations of taking a bribe of Rs. 15,000 when he was an Income Tax officer (ITO).
As per details provided by sources, the list also included some Deputy Income Tax Commissioner (DCIT) level officials. One of them faced allegations of demanding a bribe for not imposing heavy penalities. Yet another official was alleged to have entered into a conspiracy to pay/ receive bribe and make a favourable assessment order.
One of the DCIT level officials faced allegations relating to overwriting in Demand & Collection register. Two assessment orders had been passed and this was taken to have suggested that after the first assessment order was passed, another order on the same date with a new lower total income was passed.
Two ACIT level officials are alleged to have been involved in a conspiracy to demand Rs. 10 lakh as bribe from the directors of a company. Few other officials who have been alleged to have received/ demanded bribes from assesses as consideration for either favourable assessment orders or other similar favours.
This is the fourth round of action that the Modi government has taken against tainted tax officials.
According to sources, this is in line with PM Modi said during his Independence Speech when he made it clear that some black sheep in the tax administration might have misused their powers and harassed taxpayers, either by targeting honest assesses or by taking excessive actions in cases involving minor or procedural violations. He had said, “We have recently taken the bold step of compulsorily retiring a significant number of tax officials, and we will not tolerate this type of behaviour.”
The topmost priority of the government seems to ensure that there are no blemished officials in the top brass of the bureaucracy. It wants to rid the bureaucracy of officers facing serious graft allegations.