ACCORDING to the data uploaded by the Directorate General of Human Resource Development (DGHRD), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), the sanctioned strength in CGST Nagpur Zone is 1,492 while the working strength is just 838 and vacant posts are surprisingly 654. Apart from this, in the SEZ the sanctioned strength is 81, working strength 9 and unbelievably 72 vacant posts. At present CGST Nagpur Zone is heavily understaffed in comparison to the work load in the various departments. These vacant posts need to be filled up by the Government at the earliest for the efficient and smooth 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. Most of the vacancies are in the posts of Inspectors, Superintendents and Tax Assistants, he said.

“The present officers and staff working in the department is highly overloaded and facing huge work pressure because of the shortage of staff. Trade is also facing difficulties due to the shortage of staff,” he said. In some Ranges where only one Superintendent and one Inspector is working, the total number of allotted taxpayers is running in to several thousands, making the monitoring work meaningless. A lot of important work, such as maintaining database for the purpose of reports, making correspondences with the erring taxpayers, issuance of demand notices and compliances of objections etc., is not being properly attended because of the shortage of manpower. “Even at headquarters level of the divisions and commissionerates, there is no manpower available for the formation of special task forces to undertake anti-evasion operations such as E-way bills squads, monitoring of variations in various returns filed by the taxpayers etc., Thul said.

Thul feels that with adequate workforce the average monthly GST collections can increase to Rs 2 lakh crore from the present Rs 1.50 lakh crore in the country. Shortage of staff is one of the main reasons for the rise in fake GST registrations and fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) claims, causing revenue loss to the Government. Also, a large number of employees have taken voluntary retirement from service (VRS) because of the huge work load and mental stress, Thul mentioned. Regarding this issue, numerous letters have been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister and Chairman of Directorate General of Human Resource Development, for immediate action, he added.

“A large number of youths in our country are facing problem of unemployment and they should be given jobs in the various departments which are facing acute shortage. This would provide them stable employment and economic support to their families. They can also contribute in building the country,” he said. The Commissionerates in Nagpur Zone consists of Nagpur I, Nagpur II, Audit Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nashik, Audit Nashik, CCO, Appeal Nagpur, Appeal Nashik and SEZ.