Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 23: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday urged the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to step up efforts to reduce the backlog in taxpayer grievance redressal systems such as CPGRAMS and e-Nivaran. Speaking at a conclave of Principal Chief Commissioners of Income Tax in New Delhi, she stressed that swift and time-bound grievance handling is key to building responsive and citizen-centric governance.
The minister reviewed the department’s performance metrics, noting that out of over 1.6 lakh grievances filed in FY 2025-26, more than 1.3 lakh had been resolved by June 17 — an 82.28% disposal rate.
She also took stock of tax refund performance. Refunds issued this fiscal have seen a strong 58% year-on-year growth. So far, Rs 23,376 crore has been refunded from Order Giving Effects and Rs 10,496 crore through rectification cases.
In the area of tax litigation, the CBDT informed that of the 5.77 lakh appeals pending, over 2.25 lakh are targeted for resolution within the fiscal year — involving disputed tax demands worth over Rs 10 lakh crore.
Following recent policy changes that raised the monetary thresholds for filing appeals, Sitharaman directed officials to identify and withdraw all departmental appeals that fall below the new limits within three months. Already, 4,605 cases have been withdrawn, and 3,120 appeals were not filed due to the updated thresholds.
The revised thresholds, as announced in the Union Budget 2024-25, now stand at Rs 60 lakh for ITAT, Rs 2 crore for High Courts, and Rs 5 crore for the Supreme Court.
Sitharaman commended reforms implemented by the CBDT — including faceless assessments, digital tax services, e-verification, and changes in tax slabs — and called for deeper consolidation of these efforts to deliver tangible benefits to taxpayers.
She concluded with a strong push for timely processing of refunds and faster resolution of disputes by faceless appellate authorities, underlining the government’s commitment to transparency and trust-building in the tax system.