KL Report
SRINAGAR
Despite government claims of having just a few registered cases of AIDS in the valley, thousands of state governme
nt employees have reportedly been exempted from income tax in the just concluded financial year on account of their relatives reportedly suffering from certain deadly diseases. The ‘wrongdoing’ has reportedly incurred loss of crores of rupees to the state exchequer.
“At least 36 per cent of taxpaying employees have produced certificates issued by doctors falsely mentioning their dependent relatives as suffering from AIDS, Cancer, Dementia, Rheumatoid- arthritis, and Parkinson disease”, official sources told KNS.
Pertinently under state government rules under No. 11 DD(2) and Govt. Rule (A) of sub rule (1) all those state government employees who have a dependent family member suffering from the deadly diseases have been provided certain exemption from tax payment.
If sources in the income tax department are to be believed, the certificates issued by doctors to these employees suggest that at least among every three households in the state, one family has patients suffering from AIDS, Parkinson and Cancer, which experts in the medical department say are far from reality.
Sources further maintained that the doctors have issued the certificates fraudulently against bribe thereby misleading not only the authorities but compromising on the social fabric of the state, particularly the Valley. “Not only doctors, but the clerks, DDO’s and Treasury officers are also involved in the wrong doings”, added sources.
Meanwhile demanding a thorough enquiry into the matter by the Income Tax department, Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr. Saleem ur Rehman told KNS that there is a negligible number of patients suffering from such fatal diseases in valley.
“It is a matter of surprise. Statistics suggest that a small numbers of people are suffering from these diseases in valley”, Director Health services told KNS on Sunday. He added that if the reports are really true, then it could be an unholy nexus between Medicos, Treasury Officials and DDO’s, and said that the IT department should verify these certificates and if proven wrong fix responsibility on the concerned officers.
Meanwhile Director General Accounts and Treasuries Ravi Malhotra denied any involvement of the treasury officers in the issue. “It is actually the DDO, who has to entertain the certificate”, he said.
“Treasury Officer cannot be held responsible for every evil in the society. I don’t see any role of Treasury Officers in this particular case because DDO is actually responsible for entertaining the certificates for exemption of tax,” Malhotra told KNS on phone Sunday evening. However, he asked for a formal request for an official response on the issue.
