India Finance Minister Sitharaman directs Income Tax dept to serve common people, remove bureaucratic hurdles

Updated - July 26, 2026 05:23 pm IST — Mumbai

PTI

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday (July 26, 2026) urged the Income Tax department to work for the benefit of common people without making them "run from pillar to post."

She also publicly expressed disappointment at the "laidback" nature of government departments, which she said leads to illegal occupation or encroachments on government lands, and underlined the need for integrity in conduct from all officials.

Challenges in Building Construction Highlighted

Citing the challenges faced by the department in obtaining permissions to construct a building in the Nariman Point business district — which she inaugurated on Sunday — Ms. Sitharaman said these experiences, despite the officials serving in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), would have given them an idea of what the common man goes through.

An IRS officer has the name of the Income Tax department behind him, a "powerful force to frighten people," Ms. Sitharaman reminded, adding that despite this, officials had to run from pillar to post to get clearances from authorities to proceed with work on the 13-floor building.

"Can this [experience] 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," the FM said.

Call for Fair Treatment of Citizens

The Minister was quick to clarify that she is not asking officials to break rules or do something out of the way for common citizens, but rued that it takes a lot of effort in this country for people to get their rightful claims.

Encroachment and Governance Concerns

The land parcel on which Aaykar Sindhu — the 1.13 lakh sq ft building — is built had been with the Income Tax department since 1973, Ms. Sitharaman said, adding that despite this, illegal occupations had sprouted up on the land.

"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, oh, we have the land, but we can't build it," she said.

Official Accommodation Issues

Ms. Sitharaman also promised to look into the issue of many Income Tax officials not staying in official accommodations in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, hinting that half of them do not have such a facility and travel long distances to reach their workplaces.

Land Transfer and Infrastructure Plans

Stating that she would prefer government-to-government transfer of lands for the purpose, Ms. Sitharaman assured that she will facilitate the quick transfer of lands. Other aspects like obtaining permissions, building, dealing with CPWD (Central Public Works Department), and assigning contracts and tenders will be the job Income Tax officials will have to perform.

"Get it all done at the earliest so that we do not get into the second half of the 21st century with scattered office spaces, rental accommodation in a city, which is fast growing and expect to pay rents or lease rental at phenomenal rates," she said.

She specifically mentioned state-run BSNL, asking officials to secure the telco's land, and promised to speak with her counterpart minister.

Emphasis on Integrity

Meanwhile, she also used the opportunity to underline the importance of integrity in the discharge of critical work like tax collection for the country.

"Integrity is the one and only principle I will advocate to each one of you," she said.

Published - July 26, 2026 05:16 pm IST