GUWAHATI: The Union Minister of State for Finance Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla said that during the Financial Year 2015-16 onwards, the Department in the Northeastern Region (NER) had shown a steady growth in collection ranging from 15% to 16.5% from year to year against all India growth rate of 18.3%.
The Net Collection in the Region during the Financial Year 2017-18 has risen to Rs.7,097Crores from Rs.5,200 Crores during the Financial Year 2015-16 and Rs 6093 Crore for the F.Y 2016-17 said minster after review meeting on the performance of the Income Tax Department in the North Eastern Region(NER) on 3rd June, 2018 at Guwahati.
The Minister also said that, though large areas of the Region and its populace are exempted from paying Income Tax under Section 10(26) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, the Department is doing its utmost to expand the tax-payer base and during the Financial Year 2017-18 alone, 1,89,784 new assesses have been added to raise the number of assesses to 7,37,815 as on 31/03/2018 although there is internet connectivity problem faced by the Region.
Union Minister of State for Finance has assured to improve the connectivity in the North Eastern Region. He has also mentioned about the exemption u/s 10(26) of the IT Act 1961 available to certain section of the population of the Region for non-filing of income tax return.
The Minister has also reviewed performances of Banking sector and different Insurance companies and NABARD of North East Region in General and Assam in particular. Different schemes launched in North East such as Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyothi Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyothi Suraksha Bhima Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana and other Prime Minister’s security schemes were discussed in the meeting.
It was informed that 142. 32 lakhs bank accounts have been opened in Assam Under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. It was further informed that under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana during 2017-18, loans to the tune of Rs. 3443 crores were disbursed.
The Minister also reviewed the status of different financial helps to the people of fourteen aspirational district in North East out of which seven are in Assam and one each in the remaining seven states of North East Region.
The representative of NABARD informed that the farmers are being helped to double their income by 2022 as promised by the Prime Minister to the nation. It is further informed that water management and conservation programmes are being helped financially by different banks. NABARD is also helping skill development of about two thousand women weavers in Assam.
The Income Department has dedicated a fortnight w.e.f 1st June, 2018 to 15th June, 2018 to resolve long pending rectifications and grievances to ensure better tax payer services. The Department is committed to provide better and tax-payer friendly service to the accesses and accordingly, a lot of emphasis is being laid on redressal of grievances.
The Income Tax Department has issued 1.24 Lakh notices out of 1.36 Lakh identified non-filers, and also initiated penal proceeding as well as prosecution under different sections of the Income Tax Act 1961.