The Income Tax Department has decided to slap notices on 35 prominent Bihar politicians, including two ministers, 10 MLAs, 20 former ministers and legislators, for failing to file returns. The leaders belong to all political parties of the state except the Left.
The leaders belong to all political parties of the state except the Left
The notices are being served on the basis of the details unearthed by the investigation wing of the department, which carried out a massive exercise recently to scrutinise the assets of the politicians, who had contested the last Assembly elections in Bihar
Earlier, after receiving the affidavits filed by the candidates from the Election Commission of India, the department had selected about 100 cases and issued notices to them seeking details about their assets
The notices are being served on the basis of the details unearthed by the investigation wing of the department, which carried out a massive exercise recently to scrutinise the assets of the politicians, who had contested the last Assembly elections in Bihar. The notices are being issued under sections 142(1)/148 of the I-T Act asking them as to why actions should not be initiated against them for failing to file their I-T returns.
Earlier, after receiving the affidavits filed by the candidates during the OctoberNovember polls from the Election Commission of India, the department had selected about 100 cases and issued notices to them seeking details about their assets. Of them nearly 60 per cent complied with the queries of the directorate of investigation, 30 per cent did not reply even after repeated reminders and 10 per cent notices could not be served.
Among the politicians who did not reply are 10 sitting MLAs and many former ministers and legislators. The politicians, in whose case the notices were not served, were either in jail or returned the notices on one pretext or the other. A top source in the department said that the directorate could not succeed in ensuring full compliance even though it had approached the office of the Vidhan Sabha Speaker.
When contacted Director General of Investigation Ajay Singh told HT that the department was vigorously pursuing the case to bring it to its logical end. The onerous exercise (first time against Bihar politicians) is being carried out under the supervision of Director of Income Tax (investigation) SD Jha.
From: HT, DEC-12,2006
