End Training Exam for ITOs : Different CAT stays Exam, JCA to boycott

After Chandigarh, Allahabad and Mumbai, CAT Kolkata Bench has also stayed the proposed exam for newly promoted ITOs after training. 
Click here for the Kolkata CAT order 
All India JCA in the meantime wrote a letter to Chairman CBDT to withdraw the instruction . 
"..e Central JCA has given a call to its members all over the Country, who are/ will be participating in the Orientation Course for the newly promoted ITOs, not to appear in the said examinations at the end of the Course till the Instruction dated 28‐02‐2017 is withdrawn. We would therefore like to request your honour once again to kindly withdraw the Instruction dated 28‐02‐2017 immediately."
Click here for the JCA letter
It may be mentioned that DTRTI Kolkata proposed to conduct the exam on 31st July 2017 and the CAT order is a timely intervention at the crucial juncture.

ITBA training for officers and staff of the department

Department is going to conduct ITBA training for all officers and staff of the department for Tax Assistants and onward under the "Project Prashikshan".
Officers/staff will be imparted a 2-day training on HRMS/ITBA modules at different training centres spread across 40 locations in the country.
Training will be imparted at TCS facilities in Tata-ION centres in batches of 100. ii. To meet different training needs for different levels of officers/staffs batches are grouped into three categories viz. (a) employees upto ITI, (b) all AOs and equivalent (ITO through DCIT) and (c) Supervisory Officers from JCIT and above.
Project Prashikshan has been divided into four phases: a. Train the Trainer Program- In this phase around 100-150 Departmental employees out of those from NADT/RTI/MSTU/EDP will be trained at New Delhi on 24th, 25st and 26nd July, 2017.
 b. Pilot training for employees : To be conducted at Delhi 27th and 28th July to fine tune the training methodology
 c. Training program at 9 big locations-: During this phase major centres like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Chandigarh will be covered starting from 31st July 2017.
 d. Training at the remaining 31 centres will be carried out- This phase will commence in August and will continue in parallel with the training program at 9 big locations mentioned above. 
Click here for details

Relaxation of Recruitment Rule for promotion from T.A. to Sr T.A. and MTS to T.A.

A one time relaxation from 3 years to 2 years in the regular service rendered in the post of Tax Assistant for the purpose of promotion from T.A. (Grade Pay 2400) to Sr T.A. (Grade Pay 4200) is granted subject to fulfillment on the remaining eligibility conditions required for promotion as per the existing Recruitment Rules.
Click here for the O.M. dated 14.07.2017 

Similar one time relaxation from 5 years to 4 years  is granted for the promotion from MTS (Grade Pay 1800) to Tax Assistant (Grade Pay 2400).
Click here for the O.M. dated 14.07.2017

Post Training Exam for newly promoted ITOs : JCA wrote to CBDT for immediate withdrawal

"...The issue was also discussed with your honour in the meeting dated 27‐05‐2017 and you had assured us to look into the matter. The decision of not giving executive posting involving assessment work before passing the course‐ending examination, that too for a single cadre in the entire hierarchy, has already caused widespread resentment amongst the officers/officials of the Department. The aim to increase the efficiency level of an officer can be undertaken by adopting the measures enumerated above instead of dealing the same in a negative manner. We would therefore like to request your honour to kindly withdraw the Instruction dt. 28‐02‐2017 immediately and also, the measures for enhancing the efficiency/skill of officers, in all cadres, may be introduced as suggested above as early as possible.  "

Click here for the full text of the letter

Central JCA withdraws agitation

The same old drama and the same conclusion !
Central JCA suspended it's ongoing agitation "to pave the way for settlement. Our members are advised to bring about normalcy in the functioning of the Department forthwith. It is to mention here that if positive steps are not taken by the CBDT as per the discussion in the meeting dated 27‐05‐ 2017 within a short period, the JCA will be compelled to re‐launch the agitation immediately with more intense vigor."
Click here for JCA circular

The official minute of the discussion provided by CBDT does not reveal any fruitful outcome till the leadership who were much eager than the administration to withdraw the agitation and the annual festival is now over.
Click here for the minutes of the meeting held on 27.05.17

This year' agitation though did not create any effect on the day to day functioning of the department and many members did not actually know when the agitation started, when intensified or withdrawn.
None of the demands met, for example, the issue of providing laptop is still waiting in DOE. This update is being received for at least four long years !
So, let us wait for next year's agitation !