The Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today urged the officers of Income Tax Department to promote the spirit of economic nationalism suggesting that this would bring rich dividends to Indian economy and society. Addressing the valedictory of 76th Batch of the Indian Revenue Service at the National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT) in Nagpur today, VP asked the young officers to be vocal for local. “You will be interfacing with business community. You can imbibe in them a spirit of nationalism,” he told them while elaborating that it would bring three major benefits to country- first, foreign exchange will not be drained out due to avoidable imports, second, employment will be generated for our youth and third, entrepreneurship will take a big jump in the country. Praising the increasing digitalisation of tax administration in India and transparency measures such as the Faceless E-Assessment system, VP said that it has introduced anonymity in tax regime and is living up to its objective of ‘honouring the honest’. A society that honours the honest and does not reward the dishonest is a society that is stable for peace, harmony and growth, he added. Describing the cash handling as a menace, Shri Dhankhar noted that technology also discourages the informal handling of cash, which is extremely damaging to society. Lauding these steps for bringing unprecedented transparency and accountability within the system now, he said that this aligns with the new norm of zero-tolerance to corruption in Bharat today. Power corridors have been duly neutralized of corrupt elements and corruption is no longer a passport to opportunity, it is sure passage to jail, he asserted. Referring to India’s rise as the fastest growing major economy in the world, the Vice President said that this is a different Bharat and we are defining global discourse today. Referring to certain individuals casting doubts over India’s growth trajectory, he remarked, “There are skeptics outside and inside, trying to occupy public space. My message to them – step out of “bubble” to experience the environment of hope & possibility.” VP also added that such individuals will be enlightened once they get out of that bubble and if they don’t, it is the duty of citizens to “burst the bubble.”
Shri Dhankhar also advised the passing our officers to use counseling and persuasion to instill in people a sense that “the surest passage to success is to be tax compliant and law abiding” whereas shortcuts will lead to a painful route.
Praising the Indian Revenue Service’s pivotal role as the custodian of our taxation system, VP asked them to “empower taxpayers with information, foster trust through transparency, uphold the highest standards of integrity in your professional conduct.” Describing civil servants as the natural role models for the youth, he told the young officers that “you are required to exemplify by conduct discipline, integrity, humility, ethics and sense of commitment. You must be inspirational and motivational for young minds all over the country.”
Shri Ramesh Bais, Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Nitin Gupta, CBDT Chairman, Shri Seemanchal Das, Principal Director General Training, Shri P.C. Mody, Secretary General, Rajya Sabha, Shri Anand Baiwar, Director General of Income Tax Training and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
