CBDT directs Income Tax department to comply with CIC orders invariably

NEW DELHI: Citing some cases of non- compliance of Central Information Commission's orders to the Income Tax department, CBDT has said the taxman should strictly comply with them and non-compliance will be taken "adversely".

Officials said Central Board of Direct Taxes, the policy- making body of the department, had to issue a directive to all tax offices and their Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs) after CIC made its unhappiness known to it, stating the orders passed by the central transparency watchdog are not being "complied with" by the IT department in certain cases.

They said CIC recently wrote to CBDT Chairman Atulesh Jindal, citing some specific cases where the field offices of the department did not take required action after it ordered them to do so.

They said that after obtaining a field report in this regard, CBDT issued directions that CPIOs and officers should be issued instructions to "ensure that the orders passed by CIC in appeals and complaints under the Right to Information Act are invariably complied with, within the time fixed by CIC, unless they are stayed or reversed by higher courts."

An order issued by CBDT, said, "Any deviation (in this regard) will be viewed adversely."

The officials said CIC in its letter has said it fears that such non-compliance of orders by the IT department's CPIOs and officials will only go on to "embolden" other departments and offices to take a cue and defy its orders and "damage the effectiveness and image of the Commission."

While there are only a few number of cases of non- compliances by departmental CPIOs, they are, however, important directives vis-a-vis ensuring better services to taxpayers, a senior official said.