By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 28 May: Three suspended officers of the Uttarakhand State Tax Department have received significant relief after their reinstatement and they have now been given new postings. These officers, holding ranks of Joint Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Assistant Commissioner, had been previously suspended for alleged negligence in a tax evasion case. While their reinstatement happened after their suspension in 2023, their postings have only just been finalised.
After nearly two years of suspension, these three officers in the State Tax Department have finally been given new responsibilities. All three were suspended for negligence in a tax evasion case. In 2023, they were suspended in connection with an incident at the railway station where goods were being transported without proper tax documentation. These officers were deemed to have not adequately fulfilled their responsibilities, leading to their suspension following government orders.
It may also be reminded here even after a prolonged period with no decision on their suspension, these officers had sought redressal from the High Court. The High Court, in turn, reportedly admonished the government for keeping the officers without assigned duties, after which their reinstatement was ordered. Now, all three officers have been assigned new responsibilities within the department.
Joint Commissioner Vijay Prakash Singh was reinstated in the State Tax Department on February 19, 2025, and has been given the charge as Joint Commissioner, Data Analytics. Deputy Commissioner Yashpal Singh was also reinstated on February 19, 2025, and has now been assigned the responsibility of the Training Institute. Assistant Commissioner Kuldeep Singh, who was reinstated on March 20, has been appointed to the charge of Commissioner, State Tax Headquarters. Secretary Dilip Jawalkar issued the orders for the new postings of these three State Tax Department officers.
It may be recalled that Assistant Commissioner Kuldeep Singh, Deputy Commissioner Yashpal Singh, and Joint Commissioner VP Singh from the State Tax Department were suspended in July two years ago. Their suspension orders, issued by Secretary Dilip Jawalkar at the time, stemmed from an incident where they were found to have failed in their duties. The suspension orders from last July had stated that a joint team from the local administration and the State Tax Department conducted a surprise inspection at Dehradun Railway Station that very month. During this inspection, goods valued at approximately Rs 65.29 lakh were found to be transported with illegal invoices or incorrect documents. It had come to light that Assistant Commissioner Kuldeep Singh, who was then in charge of the mobile squad unit from the State Tax Headquarters for goods transportation, had not taken action regarding this illegal consignment. Consequently, he was suspended and was to remain attached to the Joint Commissioner’s office, Dehradun Division. Similarly, Deputy Commissioner Yashpal Singh was also suspended in connection with the same incident for failing to comply with directives. He too was attached to the Joint Commissioner’s office, Dehradun Division. The third officer, Joint Commissioner VP Singh, was also suspended for negligence in his duties. It was indicated at the time that an investigation into this tax evasion case was required, leading to the suspension of all three officers. All three have now been reinstated and given new responsibilities.
