More than 5000 cases were disposed of by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in its in virtual hearing.
According to the Income Tax Act, 1961 the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) got created, which is a statutory quasi-judicial institution and the second appellate authority dealing with disputes in the field of Direct Taxes and is widely acclaimed as the ‘Mother Tribunal’, for modelling itself on its motto of ‘Nishpaksh Sulabh Satvar Nyay’, meaning Impartial, Easy and Speedy Justice.
The ITAT has used many innovative and aggressive techniques of Information Technology to dispense justice in the field of Direct Taxes during this Covid-19 pandemic period also when the physical hearing of cases was not possible due to safety concerns and other issues.
The President of ITAT Justice P.P. Bhatt, ordered the commencement of judicial proceedings immediately after the lockdown was lifted from the country, albeit through the mode of Video Conferencing instead of physical hearings. This has yielded good dividends in as much it has enabled the Benches to function, whereby cases have been heard and disposed of by hearing both parties from remote locations. During the period starting from the partial lifting of lockdown in April 2020 and up to 31st August 2020, as many as 5,392 cases were disposed of as against filing of 3,078 cases during such period.
In 28 regular stations and 2 Circuit Benches at Varanasi and Dehradun, around 63 Benches of the ITAT have spread across, which is administered by dividing the Benches into 10 zones which are headed by a Vice President separately in all zones. During this pandemic period, all the Zones functioned by strictly following the guidelines and instructions issued by the Central and the State Governments.
ITAT has acknowledged all its stakeholders that include taxpayers, lawyers, Chartered Accountants and the Offices of the Income Tax Department for cooperating with the Benches and providing useful assistance in the administration of justice in the field of Direct Taxes in the period of Covid-19 pandemic.
With Warm Regards,
CL Bureau.
