CBEC gets an OSD JS TRU just before Budget
TRU - Tax Research Unit is the most respected and envied wing of the CBEC. This is the unit that prepares the budget and is responsible for all legislation from simple notifications to complicated Acts.(no pun). The Joint Secretary JS TRU is the exalted head of this unit.
It was once considered a great honour to be selected to work in TRU, but nowadays they are finding it difficult to get capable and willing officers to work in TRU.
The present JSTRU, P K Mohanty was promoted as Chief Commissioner and posted as DG, ICCE on 13th January 2014. By an order dated 16.01.2014, he was asked to hold additional charge of JSTRU.
On 9th January 2014, CBEC called for applications from eligible officers (Commissioner rank) to apply for the post of JSTRU. Board wanted the applications latest by 21.01.2014.
Obviously nobody applied.
On April 28 2014, the Board again invited applications latest by 16th May 2014. On 6th May 2014, they issued a letter that they want the applications latest by 8th May 2014. Maybe Chidambaram wanted to appoint the new JS before the new Finance Minister could take over. Obviously this also did not happen.
Now they have appointed Alok Shukla as OSD. The Order issued yesterday says, With the approval of competent authority, ShriAlok Shukla, IRS (C&CE) is posted as OSD against the post of JS (TRU-I) till further orders. Shri P.K. Mohanty will continue to hold the additional charge of JS (TRU-I) till further orders.
Competent Authority: Who is this mysterious competent authority ? When the Government officers do not want to reveal as to who has taken a decision, they use this competent authority. The competent authority must be a senior officer or a minister - why can't they tell the world as to who this authority is who is competent to take a decision but is hesitant to reveal his identity. In the Coal Scam, the CBI FIR mentioned a competent authority and the former Secretary in the Coal Ministry said that usually the minister is the competent authority. Maybe it's time the bureaucratic veil over the competent authority is lifted so that we know that he was really competent and had the authority.
OSD: Is another popular sound in bureaucratic parlance meaning ‘Officer on Special Duty'. When you don't know what to call an officer, you call him an OSD. He doesn't have a particular rank - he can be anybody from an under secretary to a secretary. Delhi is full of OSDs - ministers and senior bureaucrats have OSDs - mostly to do unspecified jobs and often to bypass the hierarchy. The OSD to the Prime Minister can be a junior officer or even an outsider, who can report directly to the Prime Minister bypassing the Principal Secretary. Even our Revenue Boards Chairmen and Members appoint OSDs who are perhaps their trouble shooters. And now we have an OSD as JS TRU and a Chief Commissioner holding additional charge of JS TRU which is a Commissioner rank post.
The TRU is the Budget making body and the next Budget is hardly a month away with new ministers and a new OSD JS TRU. Maybe the present regular additional charge JS will get his well-deserved Chief Commissioner post after the budget.
CBEC Office Order No. 120/2014 Dated:June 12, 2014