NEW DELHI: Senior IRS officers of customs and central excise departments are the most corrupt officials, the media has found.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley can concentrate on recovering black money within customs and central excise department before bringing black money back into the country from foreign banks.
The corruption is high in customs and central excise departments with officials enjoying unfettered discretion. The level of corruption soars still higher with officials having powers to harass, humiliate, search and detain the citizens.
The level of corruption in Indian Customs and Central Excise Service (IRS) is organised in a such manner that you can’t expect any thing from senior officials who are equally corrupt.
The image and reputation of Indian Customs and Central Excise Service in the public is not high or bright so to say.
The public may still not have forgotten the case of nabbing of following officers of Indian Customs and Central Excise Service on corruption charges.
There are thousands of such types examples of involvement of several high level Indian Customs and Central Excise Service officials in corruption related cases, which came in light through the media.
Indian Customs and Central Excise Service officers may not like to focus on prevention of tax evasion, but ask importers exporters or Customs House Agent or an advocate who are important players in the `corruption game’ for their graft.
Indian Customs and Central Excise Service officers also function as quasi-judicial authorities, so some of the officers misuse this power to get black money and to loss government revenue. As quasi-judicial authorities, they are enjoying some degree of immunity.
The larger corruption relating to transfers and postings in the grades of Superintendents and Inspector prevails in central excise and customs department. An officer of this grades has to pay bribe Rs. 2 to 5 Lakh to their posting authority through his fixer (middleman) for honey posting.
The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley can concentrate on recovering black money within customs and central excise department before bringing black money back into the country from foreign banks.
