A friendly step towards the ‘Good Governance’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated that the Income Tax department will hold public meetings every Wednesday to resolve taxpayers grievances and tax issues.  

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 Wednesday and that too without prior appointment.

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.

During the hours prescribed for interaction with the public, the heads of local Income Tax offices will not fix any official meeting on Wednesday 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 redressing 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.

Public are at high hopes with this step towards the ‘Good Governance’.

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