For good governance, Finance Ministry fires 72 tax officers, retires 33 more

The finance ministry has, for the first time, dismissed 72 tax officers, besides pre-maturely retiring another 33 for non-performance and disciplinary grounds in the last two years.

The action has been taken against officials harassing tax assesses to enforce principle of good governance in the functioning of the revenue department.

"There is a general perception that no action is taken against the defaulting tax officials for their non-performance as well as in case of harassing the tax assesses among others. The present Government has taken various steps to change this perception following the principle of good governance," the ministry of finance said on Thursday. After the present Government took over two years back, it has taken strict action against such revenue officers/officials in order to fix their accountability, it added.

For the first time 33 officers of the Indian Revenue Services including seven Group 'A' officers have been prematurely retired for non-performance. Additionally 72 officials have been dismissed including six Group 'A' officers in other departmental or disciplinary actions over the last two years.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the Parliament on Thursday "discretion of officers is not the only thing being reduced but action was also being taken against them."