Transparent Commissioner (Appeals)?
JUST two days ago, in – 22.09.2009, we remarked,
The Commissioner (Appeals) should function like a Court and more transparently. Proceedings should be open to public and orders – at least the operative part, should be dictated in the open court.
A very senior Advocate and a pioneer in the field called me up and shared his experience on this subject.
It seems he appeared before a lady Commissioner (Appeals) in a case and as he was about to begin his arguments, a relative of the lady walked into her office. She asked him to sit in the sofa for two minutes.
The lawyer protested that he would not be able to finish his arguments in two minutes and in any case there was no point in arguing when the Commissioner (Appeals) was more attentive towards her relative than the lawyer.
The lawyer took up the matter with the Board and urged for open hearings by the Commissioner (Appeals). The Chairman of the CBEC agreed and it was decided that the Commissioner (Appeals) would sit in an open Court and the proceedings would be open to the public. The Chairman even inaugurated an open Court of the Commissioner (Appeals).
But there was a hitch – the sepoy would not allow anyone into the Court Hall unless he gets a pass from the Superintendent in the office of the Commissioner (Appeals). And the pass was really elusive. So the Commissioner (Appeals) slowly crept back to the solitary confines of an office room from the open Court Room.