Parliamentary panel asks I-T deptt to look at the possibility of issuing PAN cards based on biometric identification

NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has asked the income tax department to look at the possibility of issuing permanent account number (PAN) cards based on biometric identification using finger print, iris scan of face photo. It has also suggested creation of a National Economic Information Sharing System with legal backing.

Public Accounts Committee headed by K V Thomas in its second report batted for state-of the art IT system by the tax department to ensure better tax administration.

The panel recommendation on PAN follows evidence that the matter of duplicate or multiple invalid PAN cards remained unresolved. On National Economic Information Sharing System, the panel said it is needed to establish set of data sharing standards to enable data sharing among agencies such as Central Board of Excise and Customs, Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Reserve Bank of India.

The ministry in its reply submitted details on the existing information sharing arrangement followed among various departments and agencies.

The panel said the multiplicity of these departments sharing arrangements with the Central Board of Direct Taxes itself underlined the need for a single system.

"The idea is not only to facilitate information exchange among government agencies but also to build a national authorised repository of economic data or intelligence of considerable depth and scope," it said reiterating its recommendation.