BHUBANESWAR: The members of OT&AS (Odisha Taxation & Accounts Service) Officers’ Association have urged the State Government to fill up Additional Commercial Tax Officer (Additional CTO) posts, which have been lying vacant since long.
As many as 753 posts under OT&AS were created by Odisha Government for smooth management of State’s economy as per a decision taken in the Cabinet meeting on June 18, 2012.
The posts included that of Accounts Officer in Panchayati Raj Department, Sub-Treasury Officer in Finance Department, Accounts Officer at block level and other important offices besides Additional CTO in the Commercial Tax Department. Accordingly, 144 posts of Sub-Treasury Officer were created in the Finance Department, 220 Additional CTO posts in Commercial Tax Department and 389 Accounts Officer posts for block and other important offices.
Even as all Sub-Treasury Officer posts and Accounts Officer posts were filled up over a period of time by the State Government, that for the Commercial Tax Department has not been done till now. In fact, of 220 posts, only one was filled up in Balasore two months back. One Gunadhar Mallick was appointed against the vacancy in April.
Members of OT&AS Officers’ Association said the delay in making appointment to Additional CTO posts has taken a toll on day-to-day functioning of the Commercial Tax Department. It has also been affecting collection of tax by the Department. The Commercial Tax Department contributes 73 per cent of the State’s tax revenue.
