New Delhi (PTI): Three years after setting up of the office of Income Tax Ombudsman for taxpayers to address grievances against the IT department, the government is yet to find enough suitable persons to fill up the posts which are lying vacant across the country.

The Department of Revenue, which looks after the appointments at the Ombudsman, has been asking for more representations from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) after the names recommended by it did not qualify as they had retired by the time their names came in for considerations.

The office of the I-T Ombudsman has been designated to 12 Indian cities — New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kanpur, Chandigarh, Bhopal and Kochi — to look into public grievances and facilitate settlement of tax-related complaints.

"The primary reason for non-availability of officers from the I-T department to these posts is unwillingness on part of the officers. The Ombudsman is not considered a powerful post as the authority derives its powers from a set of separate guidelines and not the I-T Act," a senior Revenue department officer said.

The Revenue department has recently cleared names of five senior I-T officers to take charge of the posts at New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Mumbai and Banglaore, the vacancies of which had been anticipated since early 2008.

Vacancies at other places are anticipated now and the search for new names is still on with the department writing to the CBDT for the same.

"At a number of places including Delhi, the incumbent Ombudsman continue to hold the post more than the stipulated period of two years as no suitable officer was shortlisted," the officer said.

The CBDT is supposed to send nominations of senior officers under its control with a vigilance clearance along with history of postings and Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs).

The Ombudsman is a vital functionary between the tax department and the taxpayer as it deals with grievances related to issue of refunds, lack of transparency, delay in giving effect to the appellate orders and even complaints of rude behaviour by an I-T officer, a retired Ombudsman said.

The Ombudsman is also authorised to report his observations regarding a tax practice or of an tax officer to the CBDT Chairman while dealing with a case.

The Ombudsman functions under the guidelines laid down in 2006 and is independent of the I-T department. The jurisdiction of a particular office is decided on a timely basis by the CBDT.