CAT sets aside order, paves the way for promotion of tax assistants

Aneesha Sareen

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 3

Paving the way for promotions of tax assistants in the Income Tax Department, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) today set aside the order dated November 3, 2014, directing reversion of senior tax assistants to tax assistants. The CAT ruled that the Union of India through the Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxation (CBDT), the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax and Directorate of Income Tax, is directed to consider the claim of the applicants for promotion as per their eligibility keeping in view their service rendered as senior tax assistant.

In the petition filed by six applicants, it was stated that they joined the service of income tax assistant in 2007 and cleared the respective departmental ministerial staff examination for promotion as senior tax assistant.

The seniority list of tax assistants as on September 1, 2011, was finalised and circulated in which the applicants’ name was reflected.

It was stated that the departmental promotion committee was convened in 2012 to consider and promote the tax assistants as senior tax assistants based upon their eligibility for the posts. However, the applicants had been reverted to the post of tax assistants without any notice or opportunity by considering them ineligible for promotion as senior tax assistants as their service prior to the inter-charge transfer to the NW region under the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax had not been counted.