I-T workers oppose outsourcing

Protesting the handing over of PAN cards allotment to a UTI subsidiary and moves to outsource processing of returns, the Joint Council of Action of Income Tax Employees and Officers on Tuesday demanded that the decision be withdrawn failing which the staff would resort to non-cooperation movement.

‘‘By outsourcing the allotment of PAN cards to UTI Investor Services Ltd (UTIISL), the assessees are being exposed to various hazards like extortionist and it is illegal since the information collected by the tax department is confidential in nature,’’ Income Tax Gazetted Officers Association secretary general Rajarshi Das Gupta said here. The federation also resented the government’s decision to outsource processing of IT returns. Even after one month of being entrusted with the work, UTIISL has not submitted one single card to Central Board of Direct Taxes, though it was supposed to do so in 15 days, he said.

Alleging that UTIISL was only ‘a facade’ for a number of small players engaged in data-base creations, he said the work of allotment had been subleased to many other small players in the market, thus putting the security of the information at risk, especially considering the instance of ‘extortions and misdemeanours’ in the society.

‘‘The joint council has decided that if the decisions are not rescinded before August 31, the members of the two federations will organise a total non-cooperation movement,’’ Gupta said. He also said there was a need to provide certain limited financial and functional autonomy to CBDT and allow unhindered investigation and intelligence operation to unearth evasion and consequent generation of black income.