Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has given Infosys till September 15 to resolve the glitches in the new Income Tax Portal.
This timeline is critical as September 30 is the extended deadline for filing income-tax returns for 2020-21 by the salaried class and by those whose accounts do not need to be audited.
The Infosys-developed tax portal, www.incometax.gov.in, has been in news since its June 7 launch for glitches and complaints from various stakeholders. The Finance Ministry summoned the top brass of the tech major, led by Chief Executive Officer Salil Parekh twice, first on June 22 and then again on today (Monday).
An I-T Department release, post the meeting, said that Infosys was called “to convey the deep disappointment and concerns of the government and the taxpayers about the continuing glitches in the e-filing portal even after two and half months since its launch, which was also delayed.”
Finance Ministry summons Infosys CEO again on tax portal glitches
The Finance Minister “demanded that the issues faced by taxpayers on current functionalities of the portal should be resolved by the team by September 15, so that taxpayers and professionals can work seamlessly on the portal,” the statement added.
The Ministry emphasised the need for Infosys putting in more resources and effort to ensure delivery of the agreed services, though much-delayed. The company was sensitised on the difficulties taxpayers were facing and the problems that are arising on account of the delays and glitches in the functioning of the portal.
COO overseeing project
Parekh explained that he and his team are doing everything to ensure the smooth functioning of the portal. Over 750 members are working on the project and that Chief Operating Officer Pravin Rao is overseeing it. He assured the Ministry that Infosys is working expeditiously to ensure a glitch-free experience to the taxpayers.
At its June 22 meeting, Infosys had promised to remove all glitches in a time-bound manner. However, as the problem persisted, the Ministry summoned the top brass again. In 2019, Infosys had won a ₹4,242-crore contract to develop the new income tax filing portal, of which ₹164.5 crore has been paid till June.
CCI_UDHindu_KSL_UT27G6RR4_R1591785023_1_248e6d06-d259-44e0-9fd9-7ef33cf587fa.jpg
.