Observance of vigilance awareness week in Income Tax Dept.

To                                                                                                                               Date: 1-11-2011

The Commissioner of Income Tax

Ayakkar Bhavan
Nungampakkam
Chennai- 600034.

Sir,

              Sub: IT Dept.- vigilance week observance- participative vigilance- proposed      programme-                       details requested- reg.

                 The Central Vigilance Commission through its circular dt.27-10-11 has directed all the departments to observe Vigilance Awareness Week through active involvement of all stakeholders to ensure participative vigilance.

                 But the IT Department has narrowed down the scope of the above by just lending a call to all stakeholders to bring in the corrupt practices of errant officials. This approach will make the stake holders as a mere complainant. It will not display any participative role and there will be no scope for promoting transparency, fairness and equity in governance.

                 To ensure transparency, fairness and equity in governance, it requires permitting access to the information available with the department about the returns which contains evasion of tax. Nowadays the department is denying such information in the guise of protecting the privacy of individuals.

                If any lawfully and legally acquired income/asset is made public, it will not affect the privacy of anybody. On the other hand, there is possibility for the privacy getting affected when somebody has acquired amazing wealth through illegal means. Such illegal wealth could be brought out through participative vigilance. The role of IT department is vital in this aspect and hence it should come forward to reaffirm its commitment to fight corruption during this week and continue to maintain it.

                 Even after the come into existence of the RTI Act, the obstinacy of the department in denying the dissemination of information will speak ill of its commitment.

                To get rid of such bad practices, we earnestly look forward the department to arrange for participative programmes by involving all stakeholders who are fighting for eradicating corruption and corrupt practices, because “transparency eradicates corruption”.

                                                                                                                                                                C. Selvaraj