The Income
Tax department will hold public meetings every Wednesday to resolve
taxpayers grievances and tax issues as part of the 'Good Governance' initiative
mooted by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
The Central Board of Direct
Taxes, the apex policy making body of the I-T department, has issued latest
instructions in this regard under which senior officials of the department
across the country have been tasked to meet taxpayers between 10 AM-1 PM on one
day in a week, without prior appointment.
"As a part of Prime Minister's 'Good
Governance Day' promise to provide an open and accountable administration it
has been decided that all field offices of the I-T department will observe
'public meeting day' during 10am to 1pm every Wednesday to listen to and try to
resolve the grievances of the members of the public," the CBDT wrote in
its December 6 circular to all Principal
Chief Commissioners and Directors General of I-T across the country.
It added that the "heads of local Income
Tax offices will not fix any official meeting on Wednesdays during the hours
prescribed for interaction with the public and will ensure that their staff
including staff at the reception and security personnel are suitably instructed
to allow the members of the public to meet the officers without prior
appointment."
The CBDT has asked the top officers of each I-T zone to also keep a record of grievances attended to and solved during these sessions and apprise the CBDT in this regard every month.
It also asked the I-T field formations to "identify the deficiencies (with regard to solving public grievances) with a view to suggesting systemic changes required to avoid recurrence of delays in redressal of grievances."
The CBDT has asked the top officers of each I-T zone to also keep a record of grievances attended to and solved during these sessions and apprise the CBDT in this regard every month.
It also asked the I-T field formations to "identify the deficiencies (with regard to solving public grievances) with a view to suggesting systemic changes required to avoid recurrence of delays in redressal of grievances."
A senior
official said only those Wednesdays, on which a public holiday falls,
will be exempted from this exercise as the offices remain closed on these days
and the administrative staff is on leave.
Source:-The Economic Times
