The Income Tax chief recently made surprise visits to some offices in the department and found to his dismay their poor maintenance and the "indifferent attitude" of senior officers towards their juniors.
During his visit to have a first hand feel of the condition in the I-T offices, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) chairman Sudhir Chandra was shocked to see obsolete furniture, dilapidated coolers, broken tubelights -- all covered under thick layers of dust.
In a highly critical letter to the officers of the I-T department, Chandra said he was "pained and hurt" to find the lower staff of the department ignorant of the CBDT's advice to issue all refunds to tax-payers by April 20.
The CBDT has initiated a major exercise for issuing refunds and has also written a number of letters to field offices to expedite the process.
Chandra pointed out that top officials of the department apparently did not visit these offices, which are thronged by taxpayers everyday for tax related grievances and complaints.
"Offices were cluttered with old and obsolete furniture and typewriters, dilapidated coolers, broken tubelights - all covered with thick layers of dust, and basic amenities like water coolers were not functioning," he wrote in his letter.
Expressing displeasure over the "indifferent attitude" of some senior officers towards junior colleagues, he asked them to "assume leadership role".
Chandra also rapped top I-T officials for not visiting mofussil offices under their jurisdiction and for the "total disconnect" between the Chief Commissioners of I-T and their subordinate staff.
He advised all the chief commissioners and commissioners to "regularly visit all their mofussil offices, establish a connect with the officers and staff posted there and motivate and provide them with the best of office conditions to enable them to give their very best to the nation."
Chandra was also upset to learn that many offices had not been provided with operational vehicles sanctioned by the CBDT.
