Income Tax Dept — Income Tax Refund not received for the Assessment year 2008-09

You may please send your grievance in writing, with all the facts/copies of documents, to the Income Tax Ombudsman, Bangalore. It is not certain, but one can hope that the authority will show an attempt at settling the issue.

A.Banerjee appears to be unaware of the realities. Ombudsman in IT department is not expected to do any work though this is a after-retirement post and the salary is very fat. In addition, Ombudsman gets free office vehicle for 24 hours for himself and his family. He need not and does not attend office regularly. In fact most of the time he is not at all available. In Delhi, the present officer is never seen and does not see any tax payer. The appointment as Ombudsman depends on what is the clout of the appointee. In one case, a lady officer sat tight in office till 11 AM on the next day of her retirement to receive the information on phone about her appointment and to join. The rule is that a person appointed as Ombudsman must retire first and then join. So, the appointment and the joining must take place BEFORE the date and time when the Ombudsman can join. If the date/office time on the date of retirement expires, and the officer retires from regular job, he/she cannot legally join. But thr government does not follow this rule. As a result, the Ombudsman does not render any work at all. Their letters are only signed by them, but never actually written by them. On all matters the Delhi's Ombudsman informs the tax payer to contact the ITO so that ITOs are not angry. Because the practice of getting "SEVA" from subordinates continues. So this institution is also steeped in corruption like any other income tax department office.

Ms. Tira is not wholly correct. It is true that Ombudsman has become a very big drag on the exchequer. But till recently there was one exception. Mrs. B. Matiyani was IT Ombudsman for 3 years in Delhi and performed her job so efficiently that tax payers used to wonder. She was always in office in time even if there was not one person in the building. She met every tax payer and listened to all. She received grievances and took notes. Many times, she used to ask for records and herself wrote letters so that tax payers never had a reason to lose faith in the system. The Income Tax department people from top to the lowest hated her. They created too many hurdles. Minister was angry because she used to levy fines on officers since they harass tax payers by never acting on their letters and refund claims. But Mrs. Matiyani kept doing her job till the date of her retirement. Totally unlike her successor. But such people like her are not wanted by the government. That is why the staff, peons and officers in the CR building used to insult and cut jokes at her. We tax payers were very safe with her. The present position at least in Delhi is an extension of office of ITO.