New Delhi: In a first of its kind exercise, Income Tax sleuths in the country will get lessons on adopting a more friendly approach towards taxpayers from none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Under this one-of-a-kind initiative, the PM will conduct a Rajasva Gyan Sangam, which is a two-day conference with country's top 421 tax officials. The idea is being taken up at a time when the government is being criticised by individuals as well as companies of harassment.
The criticism is ongoing despite efforts taken by both Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) as well as Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) to rework rules.
According to the Finance ministry, the PM will motivate revenue officers towards achieving high standards in taxpayer-friendly service. Also, the PM will address some of the challenges that the direct and indirect taxes department face in this scenario.
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Besides tips from PM Modi, officials will also get lessons on "Taxing with Love" from author Chetan Bhagat. There will be a panel discussion conducted by DG Adil Zainulbhai, market research consultant Rama Bijapurkar and social media expert Shalini Narayanan. The meeting will convey lessons on improving taxpayer services, leveraging social media and brand building by Quality Council of India.
Usually every year, there are annual meetings with senior officers from CBDT and CBEC in attendance. This year though, PM Modi will inaugurate the joint conference on Thursday.
Recently, Modi had a similar interaction with bankers giving a clear message that his government will not interfere in their day-to-day functioning.
