The Income Tax Dept is suffering from a shortage of senior functionaries.  Against the sanctioned posts of 26 Principal Chief Commissioner (PCCIT post in Apex Scale), it has currently only two functional posts, of which one may fall vacant on August 31 with the retirement of K C Jain (PCCIT). In case the empanelment of 1982 batch of IRS (IT) is not cleared in the next 48 hours, the IT administration may be severely compromised. Even if the empanelment is cleared in the next few weeks or months, it may have only 13 PCCIT rank officers - half of the sanctioned strength. Indianmandarins had on Tuesday reported that 12 IRS (IT) officers from the 1982 batch may soon be empanelled to hold the post of PCCIT for which the DPC was held on 31 July 2017.