ISLAMABAD, Oct 15: As many as 42 officials of the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) have been asked to apply for long leave until they were cleared by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), reliable sources told Dawn on Monday.

They have been advised to seek at least three months leave otherwise they would be sent on forced leave, the sources said.

These officials were among the 1,063 employees, who were suspended from service on May 28, 2000. But on court order, CBR reinstated them with warning that any extension in their suspension period or other action would be taken on case to case basis.

According to the sources, four officials of grade 19 and 20, two each from income tax and customs, were asked to apply for long leave. They were recently posted at the CBR.

Relevant officials confirmed that CBR had granted them at least three months leave to get themselves cleared of the charges pending against them in the NAB.

Out of 42, 19 officials are from income tax group — six of them commissioners, two of grade 21 and 11 are the officers of BPS 19. The remaining 23 officers are collectors, additional collectors, deputy collectors and assistant collectors of customs, sales tax and central excise group.

The sources were of the opinion that, instead of posting them for a month, it would have been better had the CBR given them option to proceed on retirement or quit the job.

Initial suspension period of the employees was six months, which was extended for six months. Again in May this year, the suspension period was further extended by three months, which lapsed on September 1.

Official sources told Dawn that during the suspension period, 71 employees remained no longer in service due to retirement. Disciplinary proceedings have been completed against 119 employees, resulting in dismissal or removal from service or compulsory retirement of 25 employees, while 94 employees were re-instated after imposition of various types of penalties, they said.

They said that till now action has been pending against 873 employees with the CBR, who were re-instated in September, 2001. However, according to the sources no extension would be made in their period of suspension but, they said, action would be taken on individual basis on merit.