PROBES INTO CASES OF INCOME TAX EVASION
Total ban on info not good: CIC
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOINEW/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIBG&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI
New Delhi: Voicing concern that a blanket ban on disclosure of information
related to action taken on tax evasion complaints was not advisable, the
Central Information Commission (CIC) said it was not in the best interest of
transparency or state revenues.
Acknowledging that the investigation wing of income tax department was exempted
from the purview of RTI Act, CIC said such blanket ban would “dis-enthuse”
whistleblowers. The case relates to RTI applicant Brij Ballabh Singh who had
sought information about the action taken on a complaint made by him on a
tax evasion case at the Lucknow office of investigative wing of Director
General Income Tax (DGIT) which rejected it citing the exemption clause.
While agreeing that the exemption sought was correct, information commissioner
M L Sharma said, “It is also to be noted that blanket ban on disclosure of
information regarding action taken on tax evasion complaints may not always be
in the best interest of state revenues.”
He added, “Information-givers are generally keen to know whether the
information provided by them has been of some value to the authorities or
not... Feedback in this regard would motivate the information-givers and
thereby enable them to curb tax”.
