IRS, IT dept to be agencies of social change

In the future, the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and Income Tax Department will become agencies of social change. They will bring about social change by ridding the system of corruption, money laundering and creating a value system wherein the honest are respected and the dishonest are frowned down upon. Such progressive change is already taking place in Uttarakhand where the tax collection in the first quarter this year was 43 per cent higher than in the previous year. The state’s chief commissioner of income tax Pramod Kumar Gupta said this while addressing the media on the occasion of Income Tax Day here on Tuesday.

Addressing the media, Gupta said that avoiding payment of tax does not help one grow and prosper. He said, “It is a shame that in a nation of 130 crore there are only about 10 crore tax payers whereas this number should be about 25 crore. In Uttarakhand the number of assessees has increased from about 4.5 lakh to six lakh. The tax collection in the state during the first quarter this year has registered an increase of about 43 per cent from Rs 1543 crore to 2198 crore which is a major achievement.” Referring to the previous meeting of the Regional Economic Intelligence Council (REIC) meeting, he said that he had expressed dissatisfaction at lack of timely information sharing by other institutions. Officials of the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation should share important data with the Income Tax department on time, he said.

Gupta also said that the Income Tax department would also look into the tax-related financial anomalies in the national highway 74 scam. Earlier, a cyclothon was organised in the morning in addition to which tree saplings were also planted at various locations to mark the occasion.