Head-hunting time

With the retirement of CISF director-general, 1980-batch IPS officer Surender Singh and NSG DG R.C. Tayal, two major Central forces have been rendered headless, since the government has not named full-time successors to these posts. For the time being, ITBP DG Krishna Chaudhary will officiate as the CISF DG in an additional capacity and BSF DG K.K. Sharma will do the same at NSG “until further orders”.

But buzz has already started on who will fill these positions. Among all the names doing the rounds is that of Ashok Patnaik, CEO of the National Intelligence Grid, the government’s intelligence gathering unit for counter-terrorism. The buzz grew stronger since it was reported that Mr Patnaik, a 1983-batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer was seen closeted with Mr Singh for long on the day he retired. What’s puzzling observers is Mr Patnaik, who is also former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s son-in-law, was named NATGRID chief just last month and has been appointed for a tenure ending in December 2018.

Why would Mr Patnaik want to shift now It’s a question that’s on the minds of many. But with the government not giving any indication of its plans, the rumour bazaar will remain lively.

No second report The Prakash Singh Committee’s 450-page first report on the Jat reservation agitation riots carried scathing remarks on the failure of the civil administration and police in controlling the rampaging mob.

Embarrassed by the findings, the Haryana government has asked the head of the probe panel, Prakash Singh, a former director-general of BSF and former DGP (Uttar Pradesh), not to go ahead with the second part of the report — which was to be on police reforms.

Mr Singh says that he received a formal letter from the state government thanking him for a “commendable job” but also informing him that there’s “no need” for the second report.

Mr Singh had indicted officers from the additional state secretary to the DGP in his first report faulting them for inaction and caste bias.

At the time, the government had transferred several officers, but has shied away from taking action. The “indicted” officers had contested the panel’s findings and probably will be even more relieved to learn that the second part of Mr Singh’s report will not see the light of the day.

Taxmen’s blues During an interactive session with taxmen a couple of months ago Prime Minister Narendra Modi had exhorted them to double the tax base to '10 crores while also urging them to build a bridge of trust with taxpayers. Although no deadline was given to achieve this laudable goal, this noble intention may not be realised soon.

According to sources, while the work of the department has increased to include services to taxpayers, like speedier refunds, there has been no commensurate upgradation of training, technology or infrastructure. Furthermore, the 20,000 posts sanctioned in 2013 have only been partially filled. The result is that at the higher levels, a lot of posts are lying vacant. For instance, as against 91 chief commissioner posts, only 31 have been filled; 113 of the 300 posts of principal commissioner are lying vacant; there are 30 per cent vacancies in joint commissioner posts and in the supporting staff and inspector level posts, there are up to 50 per cent vacancies.

That may be just one part of the problem. It seems taxmen also object to undue interference from top revenue babus. Recently an awkward situation developed when taxmen objected to the presence of revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia at their weekly videoconferences. The matter became serious enough to be elevated to the attention of finance minister Arun Jaitley. Fortunately, the appointment of Rani Nair as the new chairperson of CBDT has nipped a potentially harmful situation in the bud. But the woes of the taxmen will need to be addressed in a more attentive manner.