New Delhi:
The government has asked the Supreme Court to review its order last week which asked for a new committee to be set up to handle the problem of black money. The government formally petitioned the court today, saying that its order amounts to "judicial over-reach into the functioning of the executive."
The Supreme Court has repeatedly reprimanded the government for a lethargic and lacklustre investigation into which Indians hold undeclared money in foreign bank accounts and why. Describing black money as a symptom of the "softness of a nation," the court said that unaccounted for money -especially when it runs into crores - can be used for drug trafficking or to challenge the security of the country.
Last week, the court sanctioned a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a former judge, that would travel abroad if necessary to further the inquiry into black money. Effectively, this new team would over-write a committee that the government had set up for the same purpose. That panel includes senior bureaucrats like the Revenue Secretary, income tax officials, and representatives of the Intelligence Bureau.
The original petition on black money was filed in the Supreme Court by a group of people including famous lawyer Ram Jethmalani, who demanded that the government be made to track and recover this money.
Tax evaders need to brought to justice: PresidentEmphasising on the need for mutual cooperation between countries to track down tax evaders, President Pratibha Patil on Friday said her government would take strict measures to crack down on those evading tax.
"The war against black money has to be addressed both domestically and through cross-border measures," President Patil said while addressing the concluding ceremony in New Delhi of the year-long celebrations commemorating 150 years of Income Tax Department.
She said while the government would encourage the environment of voluntary tax compliance, strict measures would be taken to bring obstinately uncooperative tax evaders to justice.
"While undoubtedly the fostering of an environment of voluntary compliance will help, there is also need for putting in place measures, tough laws and procedures, to ensure that recalcitrant tax evaders are brought to book," she said.
The president said the thrust for better global co-operation should continue "through appropriate agreements on tax information exchange, and on mutual co-operation between countries to track down evaders taking shelter in other jurisdictions".
(With IANS inputs)