Pensioners in Coimbatore request banks to send Form 16 via email or post

COIMBATORE: Coimbatore Consumer Cause and a few pensioners associations have appealed to the public grievances and pensions department to ensure pensioners get their Form 16 via post or mail.
Form 16 is the document which lists pension income along with tax deductions. Pensioners require this document to file their income tax returns. As of now, pensioners have to go to a bank in person to collect their Form 16.
R Sreedharan, regional secretary of State Bank of India Pensioners Association, said nearly 3,000 members in Coimbatore zone approach their banks to collect their signed Form 16.
“This is because they have not opted for digital signatures yet. It is difficult for many old people to travel to banks as there is no public transport,” he added.
He said pensioners Form 16 was yet to arrive in many banks. The form hasn’t been generated for their own employees and other government employees too. P N Rajan, joint secretary of Government Pensioners Association, said that Form 16 usually is generated by June 15. It hasn’t arrived as of July15 too.
“It is stressful for old people to take all precautions and keep visiting banks and return without the form,” he said. The association with 250 people in Coimbatore also wrote to the department demanding that form 16 should be emailed or sent by post to pensioners.
Coimbatore Consumer Cause also wrote to the pensions department stating that sur to Covid-19, public health authorities have asked senior citizens to stay indoors. However, banks are compelling pensioners to visit the branch for Form 16.
“In an era of digitisation, when income tax can be filed and paid online, banks haven’t started using the email or post facilities to ensure the form reaches senior citizens,” said R Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause.