Tightening of Income-Tax (IT) noose around some senior officers of Uttarakhand has sent shockwaves in the State bureaucracy. It is learnt that the IT department has served notices to five officers, including a retired Chief Secretary and two serving Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officers.
The action of IT department has created uneasiness among many serving and retired officers of State administration. In a statement which could give add to the discomfiture of these officers, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said on Thursday the agencies are doing their work and the Government would provide necessary support to them. He went on to add that in last one year the state Government has taken serious measures against corruption.
The present action of IT department against the top officials of State Government has its origin in the IT raid on the then General Manager of Uttar Pradesh Rajkeeya Nirman Nigam Limited (UPRNNL) SA Sharma and a contractor in April 2017. While going through the records of the contractor and the GM, names of some of officers of Uttarakhand Government surfaced. These officers have invested the ‘commission’ amount in the companies of the contractor.
The IT sleuths are learnt to have taken the cash deposited by these officers into their accounts during the demonetisation into scope of their investigation.
The department has also taken the IT returns of the relatives and family members of the officers under its scanner. The IT department is learnt to have served notice to a IAS officer who is working as Additional Secretary in the state administration. This officer is said to have amassed wealth in excess of Rs 16 crore and has invested close to Rs 1 crore in diamonds alone.