The government has sacked 22 more tax officials accused of corruption and serious irregularities in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to purge the ‘black sheep’ in the tax department, the government announced on Monday. The finance ministry had earlier sacked 27 senior Indian Revenue Service officers including 12 from the income tax department.

‘The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has compulsorily retired yet another 22 senior officers of the rank of Superintendent/Administrative Officer under Fundamental Rule 56 (J)… due to corruption and other charges and CBI traps,’ the CBIC said.

The crackdown on officials facing corruption and other serious charges comes against the backdrop of a concerted effort by the government to end any possibility of tax officials issuing notices and summons to individuals and businesses on the sly to make money.

From 1 October, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced, the all notices, summons and orders by the income-tax authorities will be issued through a centralised computer system and will contain a computer-generated unique Document Identification Number.

‘Any communication issued without computer-generated DIN shall be non est in law’, she told a news conference last week. If the tax department doesn’t decide a case within three months of a company’s response, the tax notice shall lapse.