The Income Tax Gazetted Officers’ Association has written to the Central Board of Direct Taxes warning that mounting pressure to complete time-barring assessments is being imposed despite severe infrastructural and manpower constraints. The Association says officers in Faceless Units and jurisdictional charges face chronic ITBA dysfunction, inadequate laptops, acute staff shortages, and heavy additional charges, yet are being directed to meet compressed deadlines—such as issuing ILDPs by mid-February 2026 and passing final orders by end-February—allegedly due to anticipated system upgrades. It highlights contradictory expectations to maximise disposals while avoiding ex-parte and high-pitched assessments, intensifying stress and risk. The letter disputes claims that systems are functioning satisfactorily and notes growing panic among officers. While reaffirming professional commitment, the Association cautions that irrational directives could force members to disregard impracticable timelines. It urges immediate Board intervention to withdraw artificial deadlines, restrain supervisory pressure, and consider extending statutory time limits if system disruptions persist, to prevent institutional breakdown and safeguard assessment quality.
Income Tax Gazetted Officers’ Association
President
ARAVIND TRIVEDI
(7599101090)
trivediaravind@yahoo.co.in
Secretary General
BHASKAR BHATTACHARYA
(8902198888)
secgenitgoachq@gmail.com
Date: 02-02-2026
To
The Chairman,
Central Board of Direct Taxes,
North Block, New Delhi.
Respected Sir,
Sub: Pressure being created for early completion of time barring Assessments despite pathetic condition of infrastructure-reg.
Your kind attention is invited to our earlier communications dated 27-01-2026, through which the prevailing and longstanding operational difficulties being faced by the officers of Faceless Units and JAO charges were brought to notice in a clear and categorical manner. Those communications were intended to apprise your good self of an already strained ground reality, wherein officers continue to be subjected to persistent pressure at different supervisory levels to adhere to multiple artificial and impracticable time-barring timelines that are neither operationally feasible nor realistically achievable. In view of this, requests were made for kind intervention to sensitise the higher supervisory authorities. However, to our deep concern, a meeting has been convened by the Principal CCIT, NaFAC on 29.01.2026, merely two days after our latest representation, ostensibly for monitoring purposes, but which has, in effect, led to the communication of even more stringent deadlines than those earlier objected to, along with discussions of serious adverse consequences for the Assessing Officers.
Few major decisions conveyed therein, as leant, are placed below to highlight the gravity and urgency of the situation.
1. On the apprehension regarding non-availability of technical support from the ITBA team during March 2026 on account of the proposed upgradation of the ITBA system, it has been directed to issue all ILDPs by 16th February, 2026 and final assessment orders be passed by 28th February, 2026;
2. Dry run to be completed immediately;
3. While disposal rates have been directed to be maximised, ex-parte assessments have simultaneously been strictly discouraged and the greatest care has been emphasised to ensure that there is no scope for high-pitched assessments, thereby presenting inherently competing expectations in terms of time, process, and outcome.;
And, most importantly;
4. It appears that NaFAC to be persistently pressing for strict adherence to the above deadlines, without due cognisance of serious infrastructural constraints (such as chronic ITBA dysfunctionality and non-availability of laptops), acute manpower shortage, problems of additional charges etc.
During the meeting, NaFAC appears to remain in denial, placing reliance on the briefing provided by representatives of the Systems Directorate/CPC, to the fact that ITBA, CPC, AO-Helpdesk, etc., were not functioning satisfactorily from December, 2025. This position was, however, unequivocally and strongly contested during the meeting itself by several Pr. CCsIT/CCsIT and PCsIT, and is consistently being echoed by the field formations. Further, while prescribing severely compressed deadlines, NaFAC does not appear to have adequately factored in the multiple operational constraints faced by AU officers, including the non-provision of laptops to a significant number of officers, the acute workload and fatigue of officers holding additional charges but constrained to function through a single ITBA window, as well as the complete absence of even minimal staff support in several cases.
As information regarding the decisions conveyed during the meeting have begun to circulate, a growing sense of disbelief, gradually giving way to panic, has come to prevail among the members. In particular, the directive to complete ILDPs within a span of barely a fortnight and to conclude assessments within approximately one month has sent shockwaves across the AU officers, who are already functioning under severe operational stress arising from the constraints outlined above, especially persistent ITBA-related issues. Many officers have reasonably expected that NaFAC, upon an objective assessment of the prevailing circumstances, will consider appropriate relief measures to prevent institutional fatigue and breakdown. Instead, the decisions conveyed reflect a markedly contrary approach. This has led to a serious apprehension that NaFAC may be operating at a significant remove from ground realities, under certain misconceptions and may inadvertently be presenting an incomplete picture of the actual situation to the Board.
At the outset, it is unambiguously placed on record that our members continue to discharge their responsibilities with utmost sincerity and are making every possible effort to bring assessments to their logical conclusion while maintaining the highest attainable standards, despite the severe constraints outlined above. However, such professional commitment cannot be stretched to the point of physical and mental breakdown by the imposition of irrational, artificial and operationally untenable directives. In the absence of an immediate withdrawal of the artificial deadlines as conveyed during the meeting, the Association will be left with no option but to advise its members to disregard such deadlines and other directions that are illogical, impracticable or incapable of implementation on the ground.
At the same time, we remain hopeful that the Board will intervene forthwith to avert this impending flashpoint and restore a constructive and supportive working environment. An immediate and empathetic intervention, coupled with a clear restraint on NaFAC and other authorities from issuing artificial deadlines and similar directions, would go a long way in safeguarding both institutional outcomes and the well-being of AU officers. Further, if there exists even a remote possibility of substantial disruption or non-functioning of ITBA during the month of February and March, the Board may, in exercise of its statutory powers, consider extending the applicable time-barring limits by initiating appropriate and timely remedial measures.
This is for your kind consideration and necessary action.
Thanking You,
Yours Sincerely,
(Bhaskar Bhattacharya)
Secretary General
Copy for information to:
1. Member (S&FS), CBDT, New Delhi
