What triggers American media praising Internal Revenue Service

THE American media has begun to shower praise on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) saying it was highly successful in transforming its bureaucracy. One of the major features highlighted is the implementation of an Internet service that answers the question “Where’s my refund?” that has had over one billion hits, according to a report “Innovating Around a Bureaucracy” published in…

Taxmen demand apology from Nitin Gadkari; ask security for its officers

A bird’s eye view of Rajpath leading to Raisina Hills

THE apex body of Income-Tax officers on Sunday condemned the use of “intemperate language” by former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari and demanded an “unconditional apology” over his alleged remark that…

FM wants IRS officers to think beyond Chanakya's Koso Moolo Dandah theory

INDIA’S finance minister Pranab Mukherjee quoted Arthasaastra’s author Chanakya while addressing the 64th batch of Indian Revenue Service (IRS) probationers in New Delhi recently, but wanted them not to blindly follow what has been practiced in tax collections. He wanted the young I-T officers to keep in mind that the assessee is not an adversary and committed taxpayers are the engines of the nation’s economy and hence they are important clients of the revenue department.

Mukherjee said, “When Chanakya says Koso Moolo Dandah in the Arthasaastra, he makes the important point that the treasury and its inflows are the source of a nation’s might. Historically, the focus of the direct tax administration has been on maximal enforcement of the Statute so as to maximize tax revenue and the collections. Both theory and practice has shown that this did not bring in the intended results.”

Mukherjee reminded the probationers that tax assesses need to be treated as clients, but deliberate evaders and offenders must be punished. “We need to constantly adapt to ongoing changes and update, improve and innovate our systems and practices as well as adopt the best from the rest of the world”, he says.

Also, Mukherjee asked the IRS probationers to remain consistently creative throughout their life in public service. Creativity is one attribute that enhances the quality of leadership, and willingness to learn and humility is imperative for the ready acquisition of effective knowledge and skills, he added.

So what’s the final take away? Has the FM advised IRS probationers to go beyond Chanakya and his Koso Moolo Dandah theory of 23 hundred years ago?
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Video Conferencing: FM motivates I-T officials from CBDT chairman’s office

AHEAD of the annual budget, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee motivated chief commissioners of Income Tax and other senior I-T officials from across India to maximize direct tax collections. I-T officials from 48 cities in India listened to FM on Wednesday through video conferencing organized by the office of new CBDT chairman Sudhir Chandra.

FM was specially invited to the chairman’s office, also located in North Block, to address senior I-T officials through video conferencing and also to release a 30-page “Vision 2020” document of the I-T department. The vision document along with the new Direct Taxes Code (DTC) could form the core of the department’s strategic planning in coming years. While talking to I-T officials, Mukherjee stressed the need for adopting tax payer friendly approach. It was an interactive session in which I-T officials posed questions and narrated the challenges before them.

For the record, CBDT chairman’s room in North Block used to be the office of Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of British Raj. (Picture on Right: Sudhir Chandra)

ICAI award for Surat Municipal Corporation

Call it yet another distinction for the city of Surat and its commissioner S Aparna, a 1988 batch IAS. The Surat Municipal Corporation has figured among 17 companies or entities which were awarded the prestigious ICAI Awards for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the year 2009-10. Surat has been awarded the Plaque for Commended Annual Report for the year ended March 31, 2010. A year ago, Surat’s municipal commissioner S Aparna along with the city’s Mayor received the best JNNURM city award from Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

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Who is S Aparna?