A large number of posts are lying vacant in the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Department which is entrusted with the important task of collecting taxes for the Government. According to the data recently uploaded by the Directorate General of Human Resource Development, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (DGHRD, CBIC) as on July 1, 2022, the total sanctioned strength in CGST Nagpur Zone is 1,492 but the working strength is just 822 and remaing 670 are vacant. “The vacant posts have to be filled up immediatly for the efficient working of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Nagpur Zone,” said Sanjay Thul, President of All India Federation of Customs, Central Excise and GST SC/ST Employees Welfare Organisations. “Over the years we have written numerous letters and taken up this issue with the Prime Minister and Finance Minister to urgently fill up the vacant posts in the interest of the CGST Department. Now the things should improve as the Prime Minister has recently instructed the Central Government Departments to fill all vacant posts within one and half year,” he said. Surprisingly, within a short span of two years the number of vacant posts have increased by 93 posts from 577 in 2020 to 670 in 2022. Most of the vacancies are in the posts of Inspectors, Superintendents and Tax Assistants, he said. The Commissionerates in Nagpur Zone comprises CCO, Nagpur I, Nagpur II, Audit Nagpur, Appeal Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nashik, Audit Nashik, Appeal Nashik and SEZ. “The present officers and staff working in the department are overloaded and facing huge work pressure because of the shortage of staff. Trade is also facing difficulties due to this issue,” he said. At some places there are only one Superintendent and one Inspector handeling the offices. It is important to note that in many such places the number of taxpayers is as high as several thousands.

 

‘CGST Deptt has 43,392 posts lying vacant across country’ As per the data uploaded by the Directorate General of Human Resource Development (DGHRD), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) on its website, the sanctioned strength of the staff in CBIC across the country is 91,744, whereas the working strength is merely 48,352 as on July 1, 2022. Thus, the total posts lying vacant are 43,392, which is about 47 per cent of the sanctioned strength, Sanjay Thul, President of All India Federation of Customs, Central Excise and GST SC/ST Employees Welfare Organisations pointed out. The shortage in the working staff strength has a direct impact on lower collection of Goods and Services Tax (GST), he added. “The CBIC should fill up these posts at the earliest as the evasion in GST is increasing day by day. The current workforce is not sufficient to control the tax evasion. To make matters worse arrears of crores of rupees are pending against the tax evaders. Also, there are large number of cases pending for adjudication. Lack of adequate workforce is hampering the working of the CGST department,” he added.