Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman appreciated the role of Uttar Pradesh for the phenomenal increase in the number of income tax returns filed from the state since 2016.

“In 2016, there were just 3.80 lakh IT return filers in UP which increased to 21.83 lakh registered on March 31, 2021. Among these, 1.63 lakh IT returns were filed by new individuals,” the Union finance minister said after inaugurating the new ‘Pratyaksh Kar’ building in Lucknow on Friday.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Choudhury, Union Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj and other officials were present on the occasion.

Sitharaman said the Union finance ministry had asked all the states and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to expedite the process of setting up better infrastructure vis-à-vis offices of the direct and indirect taxes across the country.

“I don't want to speak politics today. But this office which was inaugurated today could have been done earlier, if we had the support from the previous government. Such things are being witnessed in some other states too," she said.

Reiterating that the finance department was working continuously to make the tax procedure simple and to make people aware of the system, the Union minister called upon the department officials to pull up their socks to collect more revenue for the speedy development of the country.

“We are committed to providing you with a better working environment and facilities. But on the other hand, we need all of you to put 100 per cent in your work," she told the employees.

Sitharaman said that the government was always concerned about the country’s development and hence the state's revenue share had been provided in November itself, when it was due in March next.

She claimed that the increased direct tax collection from UP had been invested in the state itself by improving the infrastructure like Purvanchal and Bundelkhand expressways, free food grains to the needy, Covid vaccinations and health facilities besides monthly pension of Rs 500 to 90 lakh people of different categories.

She also appreciated Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for being proactive in the development works being carried out in Uttar Pradesh.

Referring to `Vivad se Vishwas’ scheme for the settlement of tax disputes, the finance minister said that the scheme had immensely helped in curbing litigations and bringing down the number of cases related to tax assessment.