Govt considering restructuring proposal of I-T dept

The I-T department, which has a sanctioned manpower of 58,000 personnel, has currently 8,000 unoccupied ranks.

It has also projected a requirement of 22,000 personnel in view of its role for increasing tax collection and curbing evasions.

"The cadre re-structuring of the Income Tax department is under active consideration and is at an advanced stage in front of the government," Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Sudhir Chandra said here today.

Chandra said he has also expedited the process of holding promtion-related meetings of tax officials to boost the "morale of his workforce to be so high that revenue collection should not come down."

The department has huge vacancies in the ranks of Chief Commissioners, Commissioners, Additional and Joint Commissioners and even in the operational ranks of Income Tax Officers (ITO) and Income Tax Inspector (ITI).

The Department, which is racing to meet the budgeted target of Rs 4.30 lakh crore tax collection in this fiscal, has recently been ordered by the CBDT to immediately transfer officials at Additional and Joint Commissioners rank-level from other directorates for revenue collection duties.

The Additional and Joint Commissioners of the I-T department ensure and regulate tax collection and other functions of the Department like issuing refunds and carrying out investigations against tax evaders.