[Marxistindia] Rescind Moves for Disciplinary Action Against IRS Officers

[news from the cpi(m)]

April 29, 2020

Press Statement
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued  
the following statement:

Rescind Moves for Disciplinary Action Against IRS Officers

The Polit Bureau of the CPI (M) strongly condemns the Modi  
Government’s reported move to initiate disciplinary action against a  
group of Indian Revenue Service officers for unauthorized  publication  
  of their proposal to enhance the income tax rates for  the super  
rich to 40% and imposing a 4% Covid Cess.  Reportedly, these proposals  
were prepared in response to Government’s proposal of seeking inputs  
for drawing up a fiscal roadmap in rebuilding the economy in the midst  
of the Covid impact.

The paper prepared by the officers FORCE, an acronym for Fiscal  
Options and Responses to Covid-19 Epidemic has obviously angered the  
Government to act viciously, betraying their brazen  intention to  
protect the rich . The government has formally stated that these  
proposals will trigger uncertainties in the ‘market’, clearly  
suggesting that the super rich are ‘holy cows’ for the ruling  
dispensation.

This government’s class approach of being pro rich, anti poor and anti  
working people  is evident with its unilateral decision to freeze the  
dearness allowance for its employees and pensioners, retrospectively  
and prospectively, which by some calculation will fetch a stupendous  
amount. The government’s effort to stonewall queries on write offs for  
willful defaulters and absconders in Parliament, have now come to  
nought with authenticated RTI replies exposing the government-  
corporate nexus, which is looting the country and the people.

The Polit Bureau demands that the government  rescind disciplinary  
actions against the IRS officers forthwith. It must  initiate steps  
for a free and transparent discourse on the revival of the economy.  
The PB also unambiguously expresses its resolve to resist moves to  
unilaterally burden the poor and the working people for shouldering   
the Covid impact, while the super rich continue to loot and amass  
greater wealth.


For CPI(M) Central Committee Office