INDIA
Strange but true. The Bangalore Income Tax department has sought the Permanent Account Number (PAN) of an applicant for replying to a Right to Information (RTI) query seeking details of an online monitoring system initiated early this year to track movement of illegal money.
The applicant is “required to furnish the PAN to enable the public information officer to furnish the information” read the reply dated September 9, 2013, from the Centralised Processing Centre (CPC), Bangalore.
This newspaper filed the application under RTI last month and requested the ministry of finance to furnish copies of the minutes of all the meetings of the committee governing an online monitoring system called Virtual Office, since its formation in January this year. The application was subsequently transferred to the CPC unit of the IT department in Bangalore.
The ministry had set up the online monitoring system to check revenue leakage and track suspicious transactions. The system coordinates between various revenue intelligence agencies and disseminates information on the movement of illegal funds.
As per section 6(2) of the RTI Act, an applicant making a request for information shall not be required to give any reason for requesting the information or any personal details except those that may be necessary for contacting him. In the past, the chief information commission (CIC) in its various decisions had said that PAN was a personal detail.
Experts say that the intention of asking PAN details could be to either to harass the applicant by asking for his personal details or to delay the reply to the RTI query. “This is a new trend among many government offices. By asking unnecessary details that are not required to be furnished as per law, the public information officer is delaying the RTI process,” said CJ Karira, a Hyderabad-based RTI expert. In this case, it is a delaying tactic as the central public information officer (CPIO) of the Income Tax department has access to PAN details of every citizen, including the applicant, he said.
When dna contacted the CPIO, the officer denied seeking PAN details and said “We would ask PAN details only when there are complaints regarding income-tax returns or refund.”
Premanand Maharaj's morning yatra set to resume after..., it was stopped because...
Champions Trophy 2025: Gautam Gambhir, Ajit Agarkar clash over Shreyas Iyer's position in team
239 composite liquor shops to be opened in..., booze business ramps up in...
BIG blow to Mukesh Ambani's Reliance, company loses Rs 67526 crore in just...
Elon Musk-led DOGE halts Rs 175 crore election funding for India due to...
Malaika Arora shares her Paneer Thecha recipe, here's how you can make it
Mahakumbh viral girl Monalisa steps into 5-star hotel for lunch for first time, see viral post
Meet CID-fame actor, who once did a show for Rs 20, lost his wife due to...now earns...
Vinod Kambli makes surprising move, former Indian cricketer decides to donate...
Sachin Tendulkar breaking heart on V Day with Anjali in tow is oddly satisfying, watch viral video
Ekta Kapoor to face police probe, Mumbai court orders inquiry for...
Lahori Zeera makers likely to get Rs 450 crore as fundraising from Motilal Oswal among others
'You're pregnant': Ileana D'Cruz expecting second child with Michael Dolan!
Akshay Kumar touches Amitabh Bachchan's feet at ISPL2 finale, their association goes back to...
Who is Lalit Modi’s new Valentine? All about Rima Bouri, IPL founder’s new girlfriend
India's big 'treasure' is hidden here, once THIS work is done country will earn Rs...
This country hits big JACKPOT, discovers one of world's biggest gold reserves worth Rs...
Roadies XX star Prince Narula, Yuvika Chaudhary demand Rs 20 lakh bribe? Here's what we know
What led to stampede at New Delhi Railway Station that killed 18 people? 10 points
King Kong: This 6-Foot-8 buffalo named the world’s tallest by Guinness World Records
Shakira’s metallic wolf gown took 600 hours to create, designed by THIS Indian couturier
84 year marriage, 13 kids, 100 grandkids, viral couple sets record
Harshvardhan Rane, Mawra Hocane react to Amitabh Bachchan's shout out to Sanam Teri Kasam re-release
Chhaava box office collection day 2: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna film mints Rs 67 crore
15 injured in stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, probe on
Amitabh Bachchan was 'mind-blown' in a Bangkok strip club, reveals...: 'He was wearing...'
Watch: Gautam Adani and his wife offered 'chadar' at Ajmer Sharif Dargah
European man shares 10 lessons that shattered his western mindset after moving to India
'India needs strong production base, not empty words': LoP Rahul Gandhi's veiled dig at centre
Ranveer Allahbadia says he’s getting death threats from..., promises he won’t...
Bad news for Rohit Sharma ahead of Champions Trophy 2025, BCCI to take huge step on India captain
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries buys new company for Rs 6.73 crore, it is called...
Who was Lavoo Mamledar, former MLA who died after altercation with...in...
World's largest gold deposit worth over Rs 7 lakh crore found in China, hidden beneath....
Video Viral: Monalisa Bhosle, Mahakumbh sensation, takes first-ever flight to Kozhikode
Who Owns Burj Khalifa? Know the SURPRISING owner of the world's tallest building
Legendary Bengali singer-songwriter Pratul Mukhopadhyay passes away at 82
Whale swallows, then spits out kayaker as moment is captured on camera; WATCH viral video
'I do not regret being part of it': Raghu Ram opens up on India's Got Latent controversy
Meet influencer Ashley Clair who claims Tesla CEO Elon Musk is the father of her child
After Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh cuts ties with Ranveer Allahabadia – Here's what happened!
NASA’s curiosity Rover captures stunning twilight clouds on Mars, leaves internet in awe
Who is Ashley St. Clair? Author claiming she secretly gave birth to Elon Musk's child