(a) whether the Government has taken note of staff crunch in Income Tax Department;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the staff crunch has led to restrictions in undertaking of many important duties even raids on tax violators and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the staff is paid incentives on their catch during the raids; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE
(SHRI SHIV PRATAP SHUKLA)
(a) & (b). Yes, Madam. The vacancies falling in various grades are filled up through respective mode of recruitment by the concerned Cadre Controlling Authorities.
(c) Wherever credible information regarding tax evasion is received, the Income Tax Department (ITD) takes appropriate actions against such tax evaders as per the provisions of the Act. Despite the general shortage of staff against sanctioned strength, the search actions against tax evaders have not suffered as the staff is taken from other units for conducting search & seizure actions.
(d) & (e): Incentives are paid to the staff as per the reward scheme issued by the Income Tax Department in 1985. Since then the reward scheme has been revised from time to time. The scheme in force presently was issued in 2007.
Subject to the fulfilment of various conditions prescribed in the reward scheme, the whole team of staff involved / participating in a search & seizure action are eligible to get a maximum reward of upto 5% of the tax collected (subject to a maximum limit of Rs. 50 lakh for the whole group), on undisclosed income detected as a result of the search action and the consequent assessments of the entire group.
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