Gujarat : CGST officers organize lunch-hour protest, demand justice for Abhijat Srivastava

Vadodara : About 250 CGST officers gathered at the GST Bhavan, Vadodara donned with black ribbons at the lunch-hour protest, echoing their support for Abhijat Srivastava, Inspector of Lucknow Zone, who faced termination from service for daring to confront maladministration and other wrongful practices within the system on Friday.

The protest was organised under the aegis of Superintendent’s and Inspector’s Associations of Vadodara Zone. This gathering of CGST officers marked  a poignant moment in the ongoing struggle for accountability and transparency within the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) department.

CGST officers organize lunch-hour protest demanding justice for Abhijat Srivastava#Vadodara #GST @GST_Council @cgstdelhizone pic.twitter.com/bDfMAkCiPN

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GST officers rallied at the GST Bhawan, bedecked with black ribbons, to partake in a collective expression of support for Abhijat Srivastava, Inspector of Lucknow Zone. Srivastava’s unwavering commitment to upholding integrity and exposing malpractices within the system led to his termination by an arbitrary order issued on March 12, 2024, by K P Singh, Principal Commissioner, CGST & CX, Lucknow.

CGST officers said that the officers across India are observing March 18 to March 22 as ‘Black Week’ to denounce the denounce the unjust removal of Srivastava and to demand his rightful reinstatement.

In the eyes of the CGST officers, Srivastava epitomizes the role of a whistleblower, fearlessly shedding light on corruption and misuse of governmental resources within Lucknow. Despite facing mounting pressure, Srivastava remained resolute in his pursuit of justice, refusing to succumb to coercion.

The dismissal of Inspector Abhijat Srivastava, a prominent figure within the Lucknow division of Uttar Pradesh, has sparked outrage among the All India Inspectors Association. As the General Secretary of AICEIA Lucknow Circle, Srivastava’s actions reverberated beyond his immediate jurisdiction, drawing attention to systemic issues plaguing the CGST and CX Lucknow.

“Our fight for justice to Abhijat Srivastava will continue, until he is not reinstated by the CGST department in Lucknow” said a CGST officer. “On Friday, over 250 CGST officers in Vadodara donned with black ribbons organised a lunch-hour protest at GST Bhavan. This action against Inspector Srivastava is an affront to our collective efforts to combat corruption,”