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| Taxpayers' Lounge |
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| Some of the demands of IRS officers |
Significantly, the CBDT chairman’s room has a historical bearing as 
For the record, CBDT chairman’s room in North Block used to be the office of Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of British Raj. (Picture on Right: Sudhir Chandra)
THE Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) advised imposition of major penalty against 70 officers including 11 from Public Sector Banks, eight from Central Board of Excise and Customs, seven from MCD, six from Department of Telecommunications, five each from United India Insurance Co. Ltd. & ministry of defence, four each from Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan & ministry of railways, three from Central Board of Direct Taxes, two each from National Insurance Co. Ltd., Central Coalfields Ltd., CPWD & DDA, a government release said.
The Commission disposed of 472 cases during September 2009 referred to it for advice. Of these, 987 complaints were sent for necessary action/ATR whereas 144 complaints were sent for investigation and report.
On the Commission’s recommendations, the competent authorities issued sanctions for prosecution against 26 officers including 18 from CBEC, 3 from ministry of personnel, public grievances & pensions, 2 from CBDT and one each from home affairs, BSNL & ministry of railways. Major penalty was imposed on 47 officers. These included 16 from Public Sector Banks, 14 from ministry of railways, 7 MCD and 3 from DDA.
Also, conducting of technical examination of some departments led to the recoveries to the tune of Rs 61.25 crore.
HIS room in North Block is one of the busiest places these days thanks to the Income Tax department's massive searches all over the country to trace over Rs 2000 cr allegedly unaccounted assets of former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda. Amid constant buzzing of at least one of his three mobile phones, he gives instructions to his visitors, all I-T officials who don't need to ask his permission before stepping into his room located in the same floor of India's all powerful finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. After all, he never allows his peons to switch on the red light outside his door even when he conducts very significant and sensitive meetings. And he gets upset only when a junior official takes his permission before entering his room!
That's Sudhir Chandra, Member, Investigation of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and a 1973 batch Indian Revenue Service official. Mr Chandra, who micro-managed the entire show witnessing over 400 taxmen taking part in the Koda operation, is a confirmed believer of divine strength. He has kept the photographs of his religious guru all around the wall of his official room, possibly to draw strength against any political interventions while handling such sensitive I-T search cases. He has asked his officials to be extremely polite in handling the operations, but at the same time wanted them to be as courageous as "Rani of Jhansi".
But what this tax hound does when he ends his busy day in North Block? He goes back his own little world and starts playing Lara’s Theme to Strangers in the Night... in his piano. Yes, he had public performances of playing piano during his time of probation 36 years ago. (Picture: 1973 batch IRS officers during training at NADT)
AS MANY as 112 top Indian diplomats heading Indian high commissions and embassies across the world, gave a patience hearing to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh who spelt out his expectation from the country’s top diplomats while addressing at the conference of Indian Heads of Missions on Tuesday. The three-day-long conference, organized by the ministry of external affairs (MEA) in New Delhi, began on Monday.
Prime Minister wanted the diplomats to link India’s foreign policy with domestic policies particularly economic policy, and stressed that the country’s foreign policy should be aimed at addressing the challenges of mass poverty, ignorance and disease in the country, which were the primary concern of the Indian state and polity.
So what should Indian diplomats do for the country now? Prime Minister identified three pillars of our global engagement -sustaining capital inflows to supplement domestic investment efforts, the need to take advantage of rapid scientific and technological developments in the world, and the need to ensure that the country’s growth is not constrained by scarcity of natural resources, an MEA release said. Read, "Doc’s prescription: Manmohan Singh asks PMO officials to think creatively" posted on June 12, 2009. Also read, "Dr Manmohan Singh’s prescription for IAS", posted on May 30, 2009.
Action & Appointments: Padamvir Singh is new LBSNAA director a) Padamvir Singh, a 1977 batch IAS of Madhya Pradesh cadre, and currently special director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) has been elevated as director of the academy in the rank and pay of additional secretary to the government of India. For those not so familiar with India’s civil servants and their training programmes, Mussoorie-based LBSNAA is the apex training institution in the country for senior members of the civil services. Mr Singh, who had earlier served as deputy secretary and director in department of personnel and training (DoPT) during the early 1990s, is known to be an expert of India’s public policy and administration. A graduate in economics, Mr Singh attended a 17 weeks long special program on urban affairs in an US university in 1992. b) N Gokulram, a 1974 batch Karnataka cadre IAS, and presently secretary in the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries under the ministry of agriculture, has been attached with the Cabinet Secretariat as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the rank and pay of a secretary. c) Rudhra Gangadharan, a 1975 batch Kerala cadre IAS and currently director, LBSNAA has been appointed as secretary in the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries in place of N Gokulram. d) Dr Ashok Kumar Amrohi, presently ambassador of India in Algeria, has been appointed as the next high commissioner of India to Mozambique in succession to Rajinder Bhagat.
CVC launches prosecution against 22 officers Central Vigilance Commission launched prosecution against 22 officers out of which seven were from Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) & ministry of home affairs (MHA). The Commission also advised initiations of major penalty proceedings against 135 officers of which 31 were from public sector banks, 29 from ministry of railways, 13 from MCD, 7 each from DDA, CBDT & FCI. Recoveries to the tune of Rs 90 lakh were effected after Commission conducted technical examination of some departments.
NARINDAR Singh, a 1972 batch of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer who is also known among his friends as a keen follower and practitioner of yoga, has become a Member, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Mr Singh, who was earlier director general of Income Tax (Exemptions) supervising taxation of trusts and NGOs in India, is likely to bring in his expertise to the Board when finance minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed in his Budget speech that the government would encourage formation of political trusts which could keep the donors’ identity secret.
Mr Singh, who served as chief commissioner of Income Tax in Kolkata and as commissioner of Income Tax in Haryana, Punjab and Gujarat, is one batch senior to present CBDT chairman S S N Moorthy. Here is babu blogger's discliamer: The picture above is symbolic and is not of Mr Singh
Meanwhile, P N Vittal Das, Sumit Dutt Majumdar and Y G Parande have joined as Members, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). Mr Vittal Das belongs to the 1974 batch of IRS (C&CE) and was chief commissioner of central excise at Vishakapatnam zone. Mr Majumdar, who also belongs to the 1974, was the director general, DGRI. Mr Parande is an IRS (C&CE) officer of 1975 batch, and was the director general, directorate general of systems and data management, prior to joining the Board.
Govt to amend RTI Act to give more power to Information Commissions
The government finally said it was considering suitable amendments to the RTI Act, 2005, in order to enable the Commissions to function through Benches. The issue is significant as babu blogger in the post dated June 25, 2009, pointed out how uneasy tension between India’s personnel ministry and Central Information Commission (CIC) was continuing, as department of personnel and training (DoPT) highlighted a circular which said that under the provision of Section 12(4) of the RTI Act, the chief information commissioner was not empowered to constitute Benches for taking decisions on complaints and appeals.
The department of personnel & training (DoPT) also initiated action on a proposal to review the Act which contains the names of security and intelligence organizations exempt from its purview, with a view to strengthen the RTI Act. It is being examined whether some of the organizations could be deleted from the Schedule. Also read, "Babus Under Check: Government finally gives clarification on disclosure of file noting by bureaucrats under RTI" dated June 25, 2009.
WILL 1978 batch IAS officer from Jharkhand and former IITian Ram Sewak Sharma don a formal designation of the CEO of Nandan Nilekani-led Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI) which would create a database of identity details of every Indian citizen?
Whereas department of personnel and training (DoPT) in its recent appointment notice said that Mr Sharma had been appointed as Director General & Mission Director of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI), in the rank and pay of additional secretary, Mr Nilekani while taking charge as the chairman of the Authority (See picture above) on Thursday said Mr Sharma would join as “secretary and CEO” of the organization.
Friends of babu blogger said that the corporate honcho, who was the co-chairman of Indian IT company Infosys Technologies, might have got confused with the sarkari ranks and dubbed a 1978 batch IAS a “secretary” whereas officers two years senior to him were yet to get the rank of a secretary. Though that could be a technical mistake of mixing up the posts of “secretary” and “additional secretary”, but it remains to be seen whether Mr Sharma is actually given a corporate title, “CEO” in the rank and pay of an additional secretary rather than continuing with the sarkari title, Director General or Mission Director as per DoPT’s earlier release.
CVC prosecutes against 10 officers; 6 from I-T department
The Central Vigilance Commission launched prosecution against 10 officers including six from Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), two from Department of Telecommunications and one each from Centra
l Board of excise and Customs (CBEC) and ministry of home affairs (MHA). The commission disposed of 485 cases during June 2009 and advised initiations of major penalty proceedings against 134 officers. Of these, 46 were from public sector banks, 25 from MCD, 13 from ministry of railways, 7 from Khadi & Village Industries Commission etc.
Action & Appointments
a) Lok Ranjan, a 1989 batch IAS from Manipur Tripura cadre, presently working as director in the department of revenue has been appointed as joint secretary in the same department, in the pay band of Rs 37400-67000/- (PB-4) plus grade pay of Rs 10000.
b) The proposal of the ministry of home affairs for inter-cadre transfer of Bharat Rahul Manhardan, IPS (AP, 2007) from Andhra Pradesh to Rajasthan on the ground of his marriage to Ms Mamta Bishnoi, IPS (RJ, 2007) has been approved.
c) The proposal for inter cadre transfer of Nitish Kumar Jha, IAS (Manipur-Tripura, 2002) and Ms Radhika Jha, IAS (Sikkim, 2002) from their respective parent cadres to Uttarakhand cadre has been approved.
d) Vijay Anand, IRS (C&CE, 1980) has been appointed as joint secretary in the department of space, in the pay band of Rs 37400-67000/- (PB-4) plus grade pay of Rs 10000, for a period of five years or until further orders.
THE door is virtually open if you wish to meet one of the country’s top taxmen --- Sudhir Chandra, member (investigation) of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Unlike all his predecessors in North Block, Mr Chandra has made it a point to keep his door light on a green mode even when he is in a meeting on serious tax matters.
Many government officials prefer keeping the door light on a “red” mode even if they are relatively free, thereby discouraging other visitors to enter their rooms.
However, Mr Chandra’s logic of not switching on the red light is to facilitate junior officers of the department to walk up to him without any hesitation, officials in the department have confirmed. A 1973 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) official and batch-mate of CBDT chairman S S N Moorthy, he holds the rank of a special secretary to the government of India. No wonder, many junior officials of the revenue department find themselves quite comfortable now to enter into Mr Chandra’s room and take up serious matters. As the Member, investigation, he monitors all searches conducted by I-T department.
Mr Chandra was chief commissioner of Income-Tax in Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) for over two years becoming moving to the North Block.
BoI Extraa… It’s past 12 midnight now, but not dark as yet. I can still see the outside world from my hotel room located in the heart of Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden which witnesses the long days in summer and equally long nights during winter thanks to its proximity to the North Pole. I am told that if I travel 200 km north of Stockholm, I will be able to see the midnight sun! Anyway, I may or may not go further north, but I will definitely give you a sense of Swedish babudom, and common men’s perception towards bureaucracy here.
THE taxman who has been deeply involved in the preparation of the forthcoming general Budget scheduled to be presented in the first week of July this year will retire by the end of this month. And there is no replacement till now as there has been no approved panel of successors.
Member of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Ajay Singh, a 1972 batch Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officer, looking after legislation and computerization in the North Block office will retire on May 31, 2009, at least a month before the Budget preparation ends. He is also involved in matters relating to tax planning and legislation of various direct tax issues and Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Act, 1988.
In fact, CBDT’s one wicket is already down as member, revenue Saroj Bala, also an IRS officer of 1972 batch retired, but the government has so far failed to get her successor. A member of the CBDT has the rank of an additional secretary to the government of India with a monthly salary of Rs 80,000.
The new members in place of Mr Singh and Ms Bala would be chosen from 116 chief commissioners of income tax posted in various places across the country.
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) launched prosecution against 25 officers out of which five each were from Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), ministry of personnel, public grievances & pensions, four from EPFO, three from ministry of urban development, two each from ministry of railways and Indian Council of Medical Research and one each from LIC of India Ltd., ministries of textiles, labour and CPWD. It was stated in a press release issued by the ministry of personnel, public grievances & pensions on Friday.
The Commission further advised initiations of major penalty proceedings against 78 officers. Of these, 12 were from ministry of railways, 11 each from public sector banks and national co-operative consumer, seven from Chennai Port Trust, six from Bharat Coking Coal Ltd.
The commission disposed of 391 cases during March 2009 referred to it, the press release said.
The Commission also advised imposition of major penalty against 35 officers including seven from ministry of railways, six from the public sector banks, four from DDA, three from CBDT and two each from BHEL and ICAR. The remaining eleven cases pertained to various other departments. The Commission disposed 616 complaints during the month. Of these, 531 complaints were sent for necessary action/ATR, whereas 85 complaints were sent for investigation and report.
On Commission’s recommendations, the administrative authorities imposed major penalty on 44 officers including 10 from telecommunications, four from the insurance companies, three each from BSNL and CSIR, two each from ITDC, department of steel, DDA and one each from CBEC, SAIL, Development Commissioner (Small Scale Industries), STC India Ltd. and MCD, the press release said.
Recoveries to the tune of Rs 6.54 crore were effected after Commission conducted technical examination of some departments, the release further said.