Jaitley snaps at I-T officials for protest

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has taken serious note of a resolution by officers of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), Mumbai branch, against the Department of Revenue (DoR). Tax officials have charged that there is  interference from the DoR in their day-to-day activities.

“The finance minister has taken a serious view of such a resolution by officers of the organised Group ‘A’ service to advise the government on what role it should play. This is an act of insubordination. Officers indulging in acts of indiscipline would be subject to conduct rules,” a statement issued by the ministry said.

According to media reports, the officials, in their resolution, have said that the DoR’s interference in “operational matters” have “hurt the morale” of several officials in the income tax department.

The officers have also spoken about severe differences with Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia’s views aired during the weekly video conference he conducts with officials.

Adhia, a Gujarat cadre IAS officer, is considered to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The all-powerful bureaucrat, who worked closely with Modi when he was the Gujarat chief minister, was brought to Delhi only in November 2014 and was made secretary, Financial Services.
 
He was subsequently moved to the DoR apparently to firm up measures that can enhance tax revenues for the government. Every Saturday, Adhia has a meeting of senior tax officials via video conferencing and is said to be “stern” with those not performing according to “set parameters”.

The tax officials, through the resolution, had sought to draw the attention of the prime minister and the finance minister to the functioning of the DoR. The finance ministry, however, appeared to have approved the functioning of the DoR and said, “No department of the government has absolute autonomy. It has to serve the larger goal of the government. The supervisory powers of the next higher authority ensures that there is no misuse of power by anyone in the government,” the statement said.