Lucknow, Dec 21 (PTI) Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Sunday described the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal as a strong pillar of India's tax justice delivery system, saying the institution has been providing fair, accessible and speedy justice to taxpayers for decades.

He made these remarks while addressing the silver jubilee celebrations of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), Lucknow Bench, an official statement said.

He said the ITAT has developed a judicial process that is free from excessive technicalities, cost-effective and based on expertise, thereby strengthening access to justice in a democratic framework.

Praising the digital initiatives of the tribunal, the minister noted that facilities such as e-hearings and video conferencing have ensured timely justice even for taxpayers from remote areas.

The ITAT was established on January 25, 1941, and is the country's oldest quasi-judicial tribunal. It is also referred to as the "mother tribunal", the statement said, adding that the Lucknow Bench was set up on May 5, 2000, and the hearings commenced from August the same year.

Currently, two benches are functioning in Lucknow, hearing income tax appeals from 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh, the statement mentioned.

Over the past 25 years, the Lucknow Bench has disposed of more than 16,000 income tax appeals, providing relief to taxpayers. Currently, 1,592 appeals are pending, it said. PTI ABN ABN APL APL

Income tax appeals secured via tribunal's digital and accessible procedures benefit taxpayers nationwide, improving timeliness and reach. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal provides fair, accessible and expedited resolution of taxpayer appeals through expertise-driven, cost-effective procedures and digital measures such as e-hearings and video conferencing to ensure timely adjudication and broaden access for taxpayers in remote areas; the Lucknow Bench, established in 2000, operates two benches and has disposed of a substantial volume of appeals while maintaining a continuing pending docket.