Senior bureaucrat Sushil Chandra was today given one-year extension as the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) till May next year.

This is his second extension after taking over as the chief of the CBDT, the apex policy making body of the Income Tax department, on November 1, 2016. He was given a one-year extension in last year till May 31, this year.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension in re-employment of the CBDT chairman, Sushil Chandra, for a further period of one year, upto May 31, 2019, an order issued by Personnel Ministry said.

Chandra, an IIT graduate, is a 1980 batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax cadre).

It is understood that the decision to extend the incumbent's term was taken in order to provide continuity as the CBDT is at the forefront of combating black money and ushering in a taxpayer-friendly regime.