NDTV: New
Delhi: Tuesday, May 28, 2019.
The
Prime Minister's Office has no records of income tax refunds of former prime
ministers, according to an RTI reply.
"Information
in respect of former prime ministers is not available on records held by this
office," the PMO said in a reply to the RTI application filed by PTI.
It
was asked to provide details of income tax refunds received by former prime
ministers and their council of ministers.
To
a query seeking details of income tax refunds of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
it refused to share the information, saying it was exempted under the Right to
Information Act.
"The
information sought is personal in nature and is exempt from disclosure under
Section 8 (1) (j) of the RTI Act," the PMO said.
The
Section bars "information which relates to personal information the
disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest, or
which would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the individual unless
the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer
or the appellate authority, as the case may be, is satisfied that the larger
public interest justifies the disclosure of such information".
However,
the very Section further says "provided that the information which cannot
be denied to the Parliament or a State Legislature shall not be denied to any
person".
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has got income tax refunds at least five times in the
last 18 years, according to the online ''refund status'' service provided by
the Tax Information Network of the Income Tax Department, managed by NSDL
e-Governance Infrastructure Limited.
The
refund status since the assessment year 2001-02 can be checked online on this
platform with an individual's PAN (Permanent Account Number), which has been
sourced from the election affidavits filed by the political leaders for the
recently concluded Lok Sabha polls.
Besides,
the refunds for assessment years 2015-16 and 2012-13 got "adjusted against
outstanding demand" in case of PM Modi.
While
the portal does not disclose the amount of the refund, it mentions the date of
the refund or adjustment, the challan sequence number and the mode of payment
(cheque or direct credit), among other details.
As
per the ''refund status'' records, PM Modi got his refund for the assessment
year 2018-19 through ''direct credit'' to his account on September 26, 2018.
PM
Modi got the refund for assessment year 2016-17 on August 16, 2016 through
direct credit and through ''refund cheque'' for 2013-14 on January 7, 2015, for
2010-11 on January 9, 2015 and for 2006-07 on October 11, 2007.
PM
Modi has assets worth Rs. 2.5 crore including a residential plot in Gujarat's
Gandhinagar, fixed deposits of Rs. 1.27 crore and Rs. 38,750 cash in hand,
according to his affidavit filed with the Election Commission.