The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) is suffering from top slots vacant ahead of the overnment’s first full-year Budget for 2015-16 on February 28.

CBEC Chairman Kaushal Srivastava , who is retiring in June.The reason for no movement on the appointments is that a review of the selection process for the top slots as sought by finance minister Arun Jaitley is yet to be undertaken.

The CBEC comprises of seven members. In the absence of the appointments of full body, it is functioning with three members, including the chairman, Kaushal Srivastava. Others two members are Ms Joy Kumari Chander and Shashi Bhushan Singh.

All of them have been overburdened with additional charges. The shortage of four members badly affected the overall functioning of the CBEC.

It’s interesting to note that Chairman Srivastava, members Chander and Singh are retiring in June, May and February of this year respectively and the total 14 posts of Principal Chief Commissioner are lying vacant since October 15, the date of implementation of cadre restructuring.

The CBEC is the apex body of customs, central excise and service tax departments and oversees collection machinery of these departments, which are the largest revenue collector for India government.

The board provides critical inputs to the Budget process. The CBEC also faces revenue shortfall around Rs 70,000 crore till date.Not filling up vacant slots of top brass in the CBEC that will hit post budget revenue target and collection.

Source:- tkbsen.in