Lok Sabha - 07.09.2007

The details of amount disbursed as reward to informers by the Income Tax Department during the last three years are as under:-

Financial Year	Amount  in lakhs)
i. 2004-05	205.17
ii. 2005-06	164.43
iii. 2006-07	230.72

Payment of Reward is considered "outstanding" only when Competent Authority has determined the amount of reward and it is yet to be disbursed. Accordingly, an amount of Rs.1.28 lakhs only is outstanding in a single case. Since the informer is not presently traceable in the given address, necessary efforts are being made to disburse the outstanding amount.

The existing guidelines of Central Board of Direct Taxes for payment of reward to informers are considered adequate.

This information was given by Minister of State for Finance, Shri S.S. Palanimanickam in reply to a question raised by Shri Abdul Rashid Shaheen in Lok Sabha today.

Reward to informers: department affirms guideline adequacy and ongoing disbursement efforts for outstanding pending cases. Rewards to informers for income tax evasion were disbursed in specified amounts over three financial years; a reward is deemed outstanding only after the Competent Authority determines it and it remains unpaid. One outstanding case exists due to an untraceable informer and efforts are being made to disburse the amount. The Central Board of Direct Taxes' guidelines for payment of rewards are considered adequate.