RAWALPINDI, Sept 21: Punjab and the district governments have separately started probing large scale controversial transfers in the excise and taxation department, sources said on Wednesday. They alleged that director excise and taxation Rawalpindi had exceeded his authority while transferring 69 employees of the department. Those transferred included assistant excise and taxation officers, excise and taxation inspectors, junior clerks and constables.

These transfers, in the first instance, were not permitted during the election period. Moreover, the director was not empowered to order these transfers, as it was the prerogative of the district government, the sources said quoting rules.

The massive reshuffle prompted an inquiry by the district government. The inquiry is being conducted by the revenue department on the instruction of district coordination officer (DCO).

Subsequently, Punjab government’s director general excise and taxation also sprang into action and sought explanation from the director about the issue.

According to the sources, he has been asked to explain as to under what authority he had ordered these transfers; whether he had sought permission from the district government for these transfers or if he had requested the Punjab government to seek permission from the election commission.

The move was undertaken so secretively that even copies of the transfer orders were not circulated among the affected personnel, rather they were shown the original orders and asked to acknowledge on the reverse side of the notification.

Through another controversial order, the excise and taxation director withdrew the charge of motor branch from Ahmed Ali Razam without consulting the district government.

The officer had been given the assignment on the directives of the DCO to dispose of backlog in the Motor Registration Authority.

The excise and taxation department had hit headlines a couple of days ago when DIG Rawalpindi Moravat Shah caught red-handed the department’s personnel extorting money from vehicles plying on the GT Road. Criminal cases were registered against six officials of the department.