The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Director General of Income Tax (Investigation Wing) to conduct a detailed inquiry into a complaint filed by one R.C.Cyril Thiagaraj against the Railway Employees Cooperative Credit Society Ltd (RECCS).

In the order passed by information commissioner Bimal Julka on May 29, the commission noted that Thiagaraj submitted a complaint to the income tax department in July 2015.

In the complaint, he alleged that employees of the society were paid salaries in violation of the Income Tax Act and Rules. Loans to members of the society had been paid in cash instead of crediting in their bank account, the complaint said.

Thiagaraj filed a Right to Information (RTI) petition regarding the action taken on the complaint, for which the IT department did not give a reply even after the first appeal was filed.

In the order, Julka stated that the income tax department submitted that IT assessment relating to the society for 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2014-15 were pending for completion when the complaint was sent. The assessment was completed only on December 29, 2016 and the IT department said that clarifications were given. However, the Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the income tax department did not appear for the hearing to clarify the submissions made by Thiagaraj, Julka noted in the order.

Considering the facts in the case, the CIC has directed the director general of income tax to submit an inquiry report within 30 days in accordance with the RTI Act, 2005.