28 staffers of Delhi govt's Trade and Taxes Dept transferred for 'enhanced accountability', say officials

Those transferred will be sent to other departments, officials said.The transfers have been effected by the chief secretary at the instance of the LG, who has insisted on zero tolerance towards corruption, total probity, complete accountability and an enabling environment for ease of doing business in Delhi, they said.With an aim of objectivity in the transfers, the first in, first out principle was followed while shifting the staffers from other non-sensitive departments to the Trade and Taxes Department, they added.

Twenty-eight middle-level staff members of Delhi government's Trade and Taxes Department posted there for five to seven years have been transferred for enhanced accountability and transparency, officials said on Monday.

The move came following the directions of Lt Governor V K Saxena to the chief secretary in this regard, they said.

''Now, only those officials who have never worked in the Trade and Tax Department will be posted there. Those transferred will be sent to other departments,'' officials said.

''The transfers have been effected by the chief secretary at the instance of the LG, who has insisted on zero tolerance towards corruption, total probity, complete accountability and an enabling environment for ease of doing business in Delhi,'' they said.

With an aim of objectivity in the transfers, the 'first in, first out' principle was followed while shifting the staffers from other non-sensitive departments to the Trade and Taxes Department, they added. The exercise of transferring junior officials, including those of DASS cadre, posted in various departments of the Delhi government for more than five years was started earlier with the chief secretary seeking a list of such officials from heads of departments in June.

More than half of the Delhi government's lower bureaucracy, numbering around 8,000 personnel, were to be covered under the exercise, the officials said.

According to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines, the employees posted on sensitive posts need to be rotated every year, while those serving on non-sensitive posts should be transferred after five years, they said.

The transferred Trade and Taxes Department officials were involved in work related to assessment, supervision, inspection and enforcement functions of the department.