Reward for junior revenue officials

The government has decided to reward 20,000 junior revenue department officials, for their role in having pushed the total tax collection of the Centre to beyond the revised estimates for 2003-04.

An office memorandum issued by the finance ministry this week, has in effect given about a Rs 1,000 per month jump to each Group B officers of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)and the Central Board of Excise and Customs.

The memorandum says, the pay scales of the posts of Income Tax officers and Inspectors under the CBDT, and posts of appraisers, superintendents (Central Excise), superintendent ( customs preventive), inspector (Central Excise) examiners, customs and preventive officers (Customs) have been revised with immediate effect. The decision is significant as it comes in the middle of the election season.

Election Commission officials said while there is no ban on carrying on of government activities, major decisions should be kept in abeyance as far as possible.

After the announcement of the schedule for general elections, the revenue department has decided to postpone all transfer and posting orders for its Group A officers, though a bulk of such orders are usually served in April and May.

The Election Commission has sent a letter addressed to the Cabinet Secretary today, questioning a press conference held by the top brass of the finance ministry on Tuesday, to announce the record tax collection figures for the fiscal.

It has said showcasing of the government's achievements in such manner was a violation of the model code of conduct for elections.

Finance Secretary DC Gupta, Revenue Secretary Vineeta Rai along with Chief Economic Advisor Ashok Lahiri said the total direct tax collections for 2003-04 had for the first time crossed the Rs 1,00,000-crore mark to touch Rs 1,04,678 crore till April 15.

The revision in the pay scales of the revenue service officials had been pending for quite some time with the government. The officials had also gone to court on the issue.

According to finance ministry figures, there are about 5,900 officials of this grade in CBDT and the rest are in CBEC.

The demand of these officials were based on the decision of the fifth Pay Commission, which had raised the starting salary of several cadres of Group B officials from Rs 6,500 per month to Rs 7,500.

But the exceptionally strong performance of the department in 2003-04 in terms of tax receipts and clearing refunds has swung the decision in their favour.