NAGPUR: The Modi govt has a zero-tolerance policy towards fugitives and those accused in corruption cases and have fled the country. The action against diamond merchant Mehul Choksi an accused in the Rs 13,000 crore loan scam of Punjab National Bank is one such step. He has been arrested, and soon the govt will take steps to extradite him, said the Union Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary.
The statement by Chaudhary came hours after Chokshi’s arrest in Belgium. Choksi is also the uncle of bank loan defaulter Nirav Modi. “Anyone who has fled the country after committing fraud will be brought back one by one,” said the minister. He was speaking at the sidelines of the valediction function for the 77th batch of Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers at National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT) in the city.
The officers joining the income tax department under the IRS cadre are trained at NADT. He said it is only in the current regime that strict action is being taken against tax defaulters also. Cases of tax dodging are being extensively investigated these days, said the minister.
Earlier, addressing the IRS officers, Chaudhary said a change began in the country after 2014. The officers joining the service are fortunate that they are entering the department during the Amrit Kaal—the time when the foundation of a Viksit Bharat, envisaged to take shape in 2047, has been laid.
He said on April 8, the govt’s Mudra scheme for lending to small businessmen completed 10 years. In the last decade, as much as Rs 33 lakh crore of collateral-free loans were granted to 52 crore individuals. As much as 68% of the beneficiaries are women.
The number of airports in the country has doubled since 2014, he said. Chaudhary stated that direct taxes play an important role in the economy. As the country progresses, the importance of taxmen will increase. India is among the handful of fast-growing economies in the world. The tax collected will help in creating infrastructure facilities.
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