The Hindu Business Line : I-T staff decry CBDT's stance on outsourcing

THE buzzword could be `outsource,' but the members of the Income Tax Employees Federation (ITEF) have taken offence to the Central Board of Direct Taxes' (CBDT) stance on outsourcing departmental functions.

Alleging that `outsourcing' was a total failure, in so far, as the Income Tax Department was concerned, the ITEF Zonal Secretary (Southern States), Mr K.P. Raj Gopal, said that it had not helped in improving the efficiency of the department. `There are more applications pending for allotment of the Permanent Account Number (PAN) today than in the past. And the discrepancies and illegal claims are mounting, though the department claims to have achieved record performance," he said.

Condemning the anti-employee attitude of the department, the ITEF observed a `Protest Week,' which concluded on Friday. Mr Raj Gopal later observed that the Central Secretariat of the ITEF had decided to intensify its ongoing agitation programme, even at the cost of revenue collection, as it saw no progress in the attitude of the department. "More serious problems have crept in," he added.

According to him, there were over 8,000 posts to be filled in the Group C and D categories. While the CBDT resorted to direct recruitment to fill up the Group A vacancies, in recruitment of lower level staff, the department engaged casual labourers instead of recruiting through employment exchange. "There are over 40 such labourers working in Coimbatore itself. They are paid around Rs 60 per day. Instead of engaging casual workers, the department can impart computer training to its own staff," he said.

Stating that there were no economic issues involved in its charter of demands, he said that the working committee had concluded that the demands and issues pursued hitherto were not capable of settlement through persuasion and negotiation and decided to intensify their agitation.

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