Ganderbal, Oct 07 (KNO): Tax is a tool for nation-building and should not be viewed as a burden, but as a contribution towards nation-building, Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, Srinagar, Monika Dhami said on Wednesday.
Dhami was addressing an awareness programme organised by the Income Tax Department at the Mini Secretariat, Ganderbal, to sensitise industrialists, traders, hoteliers, Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) and other stakeholders about the provisions of the New Income Tax Act, 2025 and promote voluntary tax compliance. She was the chief guest at the programme.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Principal Commissioner was accompanied by Joint Commissioner of Income Tax, Srinagar, Dr Ruveda Salam; Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax Sandhya Partap; and Income Tax Officers Vikash Parihar, Samsudin and Avinash Singh.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ganderbal Jatin Kishore was also present and addressed the gathering. He welcomed the initiative and stressed the need for greater awareness among the local business community about tax compliance, taxpayer services and facilities available to them.
Addressing the participants, Dhami called for timely, accurate and transparent compliance with income tax laws, while highlighting the role of taxpayers in strengthening the country's economic growth and development. She urged members of the business community to make full use of taxpayer services provided by the department and seek professional guidance wherever required.
Speaking to reporters, Dhami said the department had conducted extensive outreach in the district and interacted with the business community, chartered accountants and taxpayers.
"Our main message was that tax is a tool for nation-building and should not be viewed as a burden, but as a contribution towards nation-building," she said.
She said the department now had better data, improved data processing and stronger connectivity, enabling it to "connect all the dots", and stressed that voluntary compliance was the way forward.
"We appeal to the people of Kashmir to join the nation-building process through voluntary compliance. The Income Tax Department, assessees and taxpayers are all partners in nation-building," Dhami said.
On DDOs, the Principal Commissioner said the department had planned a DDO Awareness Week programme and was ready to address their concerns. "We have explained various tools and measures to help DDOs improve compliance. I hope DDO awareness will become stronger and that they will not face difficulties in TDS filing," she said.
Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax Sandhya Partap delivered a detailed presentation on the New Income Tax Act, 2025, covering income tax return filing, deductions and exemptions, TDS-related documentation and other issues relevant to the business and industrial community.
The programme witnessed participation from taxpayers, traders, hoteliers and representatives of various trade and professional bodies, including the Bar Association and District Legal Services Authority.
The programme also provided an interactive platform for participants to raise queries and seek clarifications on tax-related matters. Income Tax officials addressed their concerns and provided guidance on compliance and other relevant provisions.
The department reiterated its commitment to facilitating taxpayers, strengthening taxpayer services and promoting voluntary compliance, transparency and taxpayer-friendly administration.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, Srinagar, to departmental officials, the district administration and participants for their presence and active participation—(KNO)