MUMBAI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday urged Income Tax Department officials to ensure that citizens do not have to run from pillar to post for services, stressing the need for greater efficiency, integrity and citizen-centric governance while expressing concern over the laidback functioning of government departments.

 

Speaking after inaugurating the 13-storey Aaykar Sindhu building here, FM Sitharaman said the experience of the Income Tax Department in obtaining clearances for its own office building should serve as a lesson in understanding the difficulties faced by ordinary citizens dealing with government offices.

 

Recalling the challenges encountered during the construction of the new office, the finance minister asked officials to ensure that people receive services they are entitled to without unnecessary delays.

 

"Can this incentivise you to understand the position of a common citizen when he approaches you? Don't make them run from pillar to post where your authority is required; do the work for them," FM Sitharaman said, while clarifying that officials should not bypass rules but must facilitate legitimate requests efficiently.

 

The Finance Minister also expressed disappointment over the manner in which government assets are managed, pointing to illegal encroachments on land belonging to the Income Tax Department.

 

FM Sitharaman noted that the land on which the 1.13 lakh sq ft Aaykar Sindhu building has been constructed had been allotted to the department in 1973, but illegal occupations had gradually come up over the years, delaying the development of the property.

"The fact that you led it to have occupations, illegal occupation, shows somewhere in our governance, we are too laid back. It is somebody's job to take care of our assets, and when it is encroached, we say, 'We have the land, but we can't build it'," the finance minister said.

 

FM Sitharaman also addressed concerns raised by Income Tax officials over the shortage of official residential accommodation in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, acknowledging that many officers are forced to undertake long daily commutes.--IANS