I-T dept staff on strike today; taxpayer services bound to fail, unions warn

New Delhi - Over 50,000 employees of the income tax department will go on a day-long countrywide strike today to press for their service-related demands.

"As no action has been taken by the CBDT on the demands given by the central joint action committee (of the associations), the employees have decided to go on a one-day strike tomorrow, 8 October.

"More than 50,000 officers and staff of the department will participate in the strike as a result of which normal work in all I-T offices of the country will be stalled,” a statement issued by two major associations of the department said on Wednesday.

The two prominent groups - Income Tax Employees Federation (ITEF) and Income Tax Gazetted Officers' Association (ITGOA) - represent about 97% of the department's workforce and have already notified the decision to the apex-policy making body of the department, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). The remaining 3% work force of the department comprises of officers drawn from the Indian Revenue Service.

The associations said if their demands for timely promotion in cadres and providing required infrastructure are not met, the work of budget collection and taxpayer services are "bound to fail” in the coming days.

"Our demands have been put before the CBDT and the government many times. Now we are talking of decisive action and if the government does not help us we will take the agitation further,” ITEF president A K Kanojia told PTI.

He said the associations will hold 'dharnas' (sit-ins) and demonstrations outside their respective offices in the country, the central body in the national capital here will submit memoranda to the finance ministry and the CBDT.