Senior-level appointments in income tax, customs and excise departments have been stalled for the time being after the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the cadre controlling authority of I-T, refused to submit a list of its annual general transfers to the revenue secretary.

Sources said revenue secretary Rajiv Takru had asked the chairmen of the two revenue boards — CBDT and Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) — to place lists of all commissioner-level and other senior postings in the two departments by May 7. This was objected by the CBDT as it maintained that preparing an exhaustive list would take time as the process was yet to begin.

The insistence of the revenue secretary for high-level postings had come at a time when the BJP had objected to any senior-level appointments days before the formation of a new government.

Meanwhile, the CBDT has sent a list of 1991-92 batch I-T officers, promoted to the rank of commissioners, to the finance minister for his approval while it is still in the process of finalizing list of annual general transfers.

The CBEC, the cadre controlling authority of the Customs and Excise officials, is also believed to have forwarded a list of senior officials for their transfers but the Revenue Board has not taken any decision on the two lists yet.

Sources said the revenue secretary had insisted that all Indian Revenue Service officers posted in Delhi for more than five years be shifted out of the capital to field formations.

"This was reversing the existing transfer rules where an officer depending on his place of postings could remain in the Delhi region for up to 15 years," a senior official pointed out.

Takru, a 1979 batch IAS of the Gujarat cadre, had taken over as revenue secretary after Sumit Bose retired on March 31. Takru was earlier secretary, department of financial services.