Mumbai, Feb 7: The central Joint Council for Action (JCA) of the Income-Tax Employees Federation and the Income-Tax Gazetted Services Federation, has called for total non-cooperation with the department. The council said this step was taken due to the non-fulfilment of their long-standing demands.The council, which met in Bhopal last month, has framed a charter of demands which it claims have been long pending with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
The union employees staged a walk-out on Friday afternoon and shouted slogans against the CBDT chairman Ravi Kant. "Ours is a large family and some differences are bound to exist," Ravikant told The Financial Express. The CBDT has decided to meet the union leaders on Monday, he added.
the council has contended that the CBDT, contrary to the assurances given earlier, has unilaterally extended the area of computerisation in the department. The unions also alleged that the board has also not worked on its assurances to train qualified group-Demployees in computer operations and subsequently, give preference to them in recruitment.
The council has alleged that the board is spending crores of rupees on purchasing computers and training the income-tax officers with the ulterior motive of reducing the work force.
According to council, the non-sanctioning of complimentary staff to the 77 posts of commissioners created recently is an indication of reducing the work force in the Income-Tax Department.
"The workload in the department had increased tremendously and has been admitted by the CBDT, but still no adequate manpower is provided to meet the increased workload," a council release said.
The CBDT is also accused of favouring the IRS cadre by ordering ad-hoc promotions. It has also been accused that contrary to the declared policy of the department, employees are chargesheeted within six months of retirement date.
The JCA, in its charter of demands, have asked the CBDT to issue notification revising the pay scale of notice servers,restructuring the cadre of stenographers and supervisors as per the Fifth Pay Commission. A change in the recruitment rules of tax assistants have been demanded in addition to releasing the cadre-review posts held back by the department of expenditure.
The CBDT has also been urged to dispose of all vigilance cases within one year and provide necessary manpower to reduce workload and adequate infrastructure facilities.
The board has been urged to relax the eligibilty condition of five years service for appearing in the lower-division clerks (LDCs) examination by group D employees to three years.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
