Dilli ka babu | RAW and IB set to teach tax officers about ‘tradecraft’

Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers trying to nab economic offenders will now get an edge after undergoing training from spooks. Officers from the nation’s premier intelligence agencies, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Intelligence Bureau (IB), have been roped in to train them in intelligence “tradecraft”.

Sources say that revenue officers from the Enforcement Directorate, income tax, Serious Fraud Investigation Office, CBI and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence will be training in gathering intelligence and handling digital and forensic evidence. The training programme is being conducted by the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) of the finance ministry.

Apparently, nine course modules have been developed. While RAW and IB sleuths will conduct training of Group A officers of the Indian Revenue Service, some other modules are open to officers starting from superintendent level up to principal commissioners. Other courses include investigating economic crimes in the securities market, trade-based money laundering and also legal aspects. Hopefully, after training these “specialists” will make economic offenders think twice before violating the law.

Transfer travails of a senior cop

Frequent transfer is a fait accompli in government. But Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissioner Sandeep Bishnoi who was recently transferred has approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) challenging his transfer order. He was moved out from his post in less than a year. He has been succeeded by Krishna Prakash, a 1998-batch IPS officer.

Mr Bishnoi has stated that “such abrupt transfers without justification or valid reason is contrary to law and ought to be set aside”. Mr Bishnoi and Mr Prakash are part of a major reshuffle carried out by the state government in which around 50 officials were transferred.

Mr Prakash is the third police commissioner of Pimpri-Chinchwad in two years after the state government established the commissionerate in the industrial town, as law and order became a challenge following a rise in the number of street crimes and cases of vandalism. Mr Bishnoi’s predecessor, senior IPS officer R.K. Padmanabhan, too was transferred before completing two years in office.

Adhocism may undermine reforms

After the heady announcement heralding long-awaited reforms, Indian Railways is moving cautiously on the implementation. Some observers are surprised at the slow pace. From the time when Covid-19 struck and passenger rail traffic almost stopped, the Railways have had plenty of time on its hands to consider its internal rearrangement.

While all posts of Members of the Railway Board are ex-cadre now and should be filled with suitable officers, based on seniority and residual service, the railway ministry is edging ahead with great caution. Sources say that the post of director general of HR (DGGHR) was filled with an Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) officer, even though more senior officers from other cadres are eligible and available. It is also being reported that the post of member, traffic and rolling stock, is likely to be given to an officer from the Indian Railways Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE). Similarly, there seems to be a proposal to appoint the member (finance) from the Indian Railways Accounts Service (IRAS).

So far so good. But there is some grumbling among the Indian Railways Service of Engineers (IRSE) and Indian Railways Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), which seem to have lost out on apex grade posts to the other services in the new plan.

According to sources, the railway ministry is still not drafted the recruitment rules, which may explain the sense of ad-hocism prevailing in the ministry’s actions.

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