New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Wednesday, expressed satisfaction that the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) is upgrading its benches for virtual hearing and said that the Cuttack bench of ITAT would provide modern facilities to millions of taxpayers in the eastern and north-eastern part of the country.
The Prime Minister, while inaugurating office-cum-residential complex of Cuttack Bench of ITAT through a videoconference, said that this bench would help in disposing of all the pending cases in this region.
He stressed that more and more use of technology, especially in the judiciary, has started giving more convenience to the citizens.
“The country is moving from ‘tax terrorism’ to ‘tax transparency’. This change has come due to the approach of Reform, Perform and Transform. We are performing with clear intentions and at the same time transforming the mindset of the tax administration,” Modi said.
He also said that when the difficulties of the country’s wealth creators are reduced and they get protection, their trust grows in the country’s systems. He added the result of this growing trust is that more and more partners are coming forward to join the tax system for the development of the country.
The Prime Minister said the thought process in the government is to trust the income tax return completely after being filed. “As a result of this, 99.75 per cent of the returns filed in the country today are accepted without any objection.”
Modi attributed zero tax on income up to Rs 5 lakh in the country as a huge benefit being given to the youth of lower middle class. He added that the new option of income tax given in the Budget this year, has simplified the lives of the taxpayers. He said ease of doing business has improved in the country as a result of reducing the burden of disputes by increasing the limit of appeal from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 50 lakh in ITAT and to Rs 2 crore in Supreme Court.
Significantly, the ITAT, Cuttack has been functioning from rented premises since 1970 for almost 50 years and has jurisdiction for appeals arising from Odisha. The newly-built office-cum-residential complex at Cuttack is spread over an area of 1.60-acre land allotted by the state government free of cost in 2015. The total built-up area of the office complex is 1938 sq mtrs over 3 floors including, inter alia, the spacious courtroom, ultra-modern record room, well-equipped chambers for the Members of the Bench, library room, well-equipped modern conference hall, with sufficient space for the litigants, bar room for lawyers and chartered accountants, the ministry said.
Naveen happy about new ITAT building
Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his happiness over the inauguration of the ITAT office-cum-residential complex at Cuttack Wednesday.
“I understand this is the third building complex for ITAT benches in India, and first in eastern part of our country. It may be recalled that the Cuttack Bench was established way back in 1970, with active involvement of Late Biju Patnaik. The Odisha government has always been supportive of the development of ITAT, Cuttack Bench, which includes provision of free land for this complex. In last 50 years, the Cuttack Bench of ITAT has been playing an important role in disposal of cases.”
Patnaik also said, “With the new infrastructure and IT facilities of E-courts, I believe, we will have quick disposal of Income Tax Appeal cases not only from Odisha but also cases belonging to Ranchi, Patna and Guwahati Benches.”
