Ministerial Examination 2018 : Grace Mark may be awarded in Paper IV

Amid protest from every corner throughout the country, Department finally agreed to consider the issue before publication of the result of Ministerial Examination 2018. It may be recalled that in the last examination, Question No 1 (50 Marks and a mandatory question) was dramatically changed from the conventional and exactly copied from ICAI website and was totally out of syllabus and very difficult in the level of the examinees.
Now the Directorate asked all CCIT(CCA)s to analysis pass percentage of this year with comparison to four previous years and the compiled data is to be used to consider awarding grace marks in this paper.

Laptop for Inspectors : CBDT working on it

In a welcome move, CBDT is considering to provide laptop to all Inspectors of the Department. Inspectors who have to carry out regular outdoor duties and perform search and survey operations, should have been provided laptop earlier as an essential tool for their work. But the demand has been ignored till now.
Now CBDT is actively considering to provide laptops to them at the cost of Rs 45 thousand each. Directorate of Infrastructure recently asked DG System to provide technical specification and compatibility with Dept. software within the monetary limit prescribed. It also asked DG (HRD) to provide the working strength of Inspectors for the above mentioned purpose.
Click here for details

Details of anomaly committee meeting on 4th Oct reg. upgradation of pay

Recently a whatsapp message has become viral in different groups regarding granting of enhanced Grade Pay to Inspectors and ITOs of the department. The message is reproduced below.
"... the 3rd Meeting of Departmental Anomaly  Committee which held on 4.10.2018 decided to recommend to increase the Grade Pay of Inspectors of Income Tax/Central Excise  from Rs.4600/- to Rs.4800 at par with CBI Inspectors and Head Havildar Grade Pay from Rs.1900/- to Rs.2000/- in Central Exice. It was also decided to revisit the demand of increase of Tax Assistants Grade Pay from Rs.2400/- to Rs.2800/- by both CBDT and CBEC. The Tax Assistants Pay Anamoly will be decided in the next Meeting. Now the Inspectors pay matter will go to department of expenditure for notification. If it is  notified the Grade Pay of ITO will also be revised from Rs Rs.4800/- to Rs.5400/- Our long pending demand of pay at par CBI will be settled. It is a great achievement..."

Simpleincometax inquired into the matter and procured a copy of the minutes of the said anomaly committee meeting held on 4th October 2018. The outcome of the meeting is reproduced below along with the minutes.

Laptop for ITO and above, nothing for others !

CBDT approved and issued order to procure more than 12,000 laptops for the officers starting from ITO and above under the 1% incentive scheme. As earlier, AO and P.S. category of officers are excluded again.
The laptops will be procured by Pr CCIT (CCA)s for the region through GeM.
There will be five varieties of laptops to be chosen by the respective user and each laptop costs nearly 1 Lac.
Though this is being procured and distributed from the fund of 1% incentive scheme, nothing is provided for Group C officials and A.O. and P.S. As the incentive is for achieving revenue target, there is significant role of all employees in the department but once again they are deprived of. The JCA, mostly dominated by ITGOA members will remain silent in this issue as earlier occasion.
Are the ITEF leaders listening ?
Click here for the procurement order.

18 posts diverted from West Bengal to Surat

As many as 18 posts diverted from West Bengal to Surat for the newly created ITAT Bench there. JCA West Bengal Unit staged protest in this regard earlier including observing one day's cease work but the authority did not pay heed to their demand and diverted those posts with immediate effect. It may be mentioned that in the last cadre restructuring West Bengal region did not get adequate number of new posts.