New Delhi, Apr 15 (PTI) The lack of a formal status-tracking mechanism for tax evasion complaints can fuel suspicion among complainants that their case may have been “quietly settled” or closed without due consideration, the Central Information Commission has said, while advising GST authorities to introduce a monitoring system.
In a recent order, Information Commissioner Vinod Kumar Tiwari observed that complainants currently have no structured way to know the progress of their tax evasion petitions (TEPs), forcing them to repeatedly use the RTI route.
“The absence of any institutional mechanism within the Respondent Public Authority for enabling complainants/TEP filers to ascertain the status of their complaints often gives rise to avoidable suspicion and apprehension in the minds of such complainants that the matter may have been quietly settled or closed without due consideration of the allegations raised,” Tiwari observed.
He said that “such opacity unnecessarily results in multiple RTI applications and avoidable second appeals before the Commission”.
The advisory came while disposing of a batch of 10 appeals where the applicant had sought detailed information on action taken against multiple firms based on her tax evasion complaints.
The Commission upheld the denial of detailed information during the pendency of investigations, noting that such disclosures are exempt under provisions of the RTI Act.
However, it stressed that complainants are entitled to know the broad outcome of their complaints once investigations are completed.
Citing legal position, the Commission said complainants “would be certainly entitled to know as to how their complaints have been treated and the results thereof”, though not the detailed records of investigation.
Accordingly, it directed GST authorities to inform the applicant about the status and action taken on her complaints after the probes conclude.
In its advisory, the Commission suggested that authorities “ought to evolve an appropriate administrative mechanism, preferably an online status-tracking facility… whereby complainants… may be able to view the broad status of their complaints.” Such a system, it said, would promote transparency, enhance public confidence and reduce the burden of repetitive RTI applications. PTI MHS RT
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