Not notice, but polite letters, says I-T department

RAIPUR: Amid reports about a shepherd and villagers getting an 'I-T notice', the income tax department has clarified "it was not a notice as per I-TAct 1961, but only a polite letter to encourage people to file income tax return and pay taxes as part of an outreach campaign in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh region".
Responding to a TOI report that a shepherd Awadh Ram Yadav received a notice directing him to file returns for two years, an I-T department spokesman said the letter merely makes him aware of the provisions of law under I-T Act 1961 and states that if his income is above the specified threshold, he is bound by law to file returns.
The spokesperson said that Awadh Ram Yadav has a valid PAN and PAN card is issued to taxpayers or potential tax payers on receiving application forms from such persons. Top I-T official also termed the report 'that IT department has issued such notices to nearly 40,000 such people' as unverified.
"As part of Aaykardata Vistaran Abhiyan which is being carried out in MP and Chhattisgarh, there is a push to expand taxpayer base and add approximately 1.87 lakh new tax payers to the existing tax payers base this year", he added.
He said the I-T department has been able to achieve success under the campaign.