COMMERCIAL TAX DEPT RELAXES TARGETS FOR STAFF AMID COVID

LUCKNOW : The state commercial tax department has relaxed monthly revenue collection targets, checking and physical verification in view of the pandemic that has infected a large number of its personnel as well traders.

Commercial tax commissioner Ministhy S issued directions in this regard last week after commercial tax officials’ association wrote a letter to her demanding relaxation in revenue targets and other related work in view of the new challenges.

“There is a Covid patient in each division, in each unit, in each section and almost in each family. We have already lost many of our colleagues to the pandemic even as we face work pressure also,” UP Vanijyakar Adhikari Sangh president Sunil Verma said in a letter to the commissioner.

He sought relaxation in revenue targets, work deadlines etc for the staff, especially for those who were in home isolation.

Taking note of the demand, the department has suspended the progressive monthly targets for the mobile squads asking them to focus on intelligence-based enforcement work to plug in tax evasion. The department has also suspended exercise of carrying out physical verification of business places.

“On May 1, the Centre also issued a notification providing relaxations in respect of various compliances under the GST due to the difficulties being faced by taxpayers as well as tax officers because of the pandemic,” Verma said.

THE DEPT HAS ALSO SUSPENDED EXERCISE OF CARRYING OUT PHYSICAL VERIFICATION OF BUSINESS PLACES.