The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the state and central governments to take appropriate legal action on a representation submitted by the AP Government Employees Association. The association leveled serious allegations of irregularities in tax collection and harassment of employees against the Chief Commissioner of State Taxes, Ahmad Babu, including the failure to clear promotion files.
Court Observations and Directions
The court observed that nothing appears to be functioning correctly in the commercial taxes department under Ahmad Babu. After Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas submitted that the Chief Secretary is examining the representation, Justice Battu Devanand, without delving into the merits of the allegations, directed the Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the Establishment Officer, the Central Vigilance Commissioner, and the Chief Secretary to consider the representation and pass appropriate orders in accordance with the law within two months.
Consideration of Previous Representations
The High Court also instructed the Chief Secretary to consider earlier representations submitted on December 16 last year and March 27 this year. The court further directed that before making a decision on the March 27 representation, both the employees' association and Ahmad Babu must be given an opportunity to present their submissions.
Action-Taken Report and Further Proceedings
Justice Devanand directed the officials to submit a detailed action-taken report to the Registrar (Judicial) by the first week of July. The registry has been instructed to place the report before the court for further consideration.
