IT Notices to Kiran Bedi NGO: Flight ticket accounting malpractices.
October 28, 2011 23:49
The Income Tax Department has transmitted notices to the two NGOs run by Anna Team member Kiran Bedi,As they want to know whether they are enrolled in commercial activities.
A senior Finance Ministry official said."We are not targetting any particular NGO or charitable trust. Infact, we have sent notices to several organisations, including those run by Kiran Bedi. We want to see if any one of these are engaged in commercial activities also,"
Bedi, who had founded India Vision Foundation and Navjyoti India Foundation, however, denied that her NGOs were engaged in anykind of commercial activity.
she said "We are not engaged in any commercial activity for profit and every year we have been filing our account statement before the Revenue authorities (sic). We are in this work for making the difference in people's lives and making them better, self-reliant citizens,".
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) enjoy tax exemptions under the Income Tax Act as they are engaged in charitable activities and provide education and medical relief to the poor.
Bedi, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, is a key member of Anna Hazare's team which has launched the anti-corruption crusade and is fighting for an effective Lok Pal Bill.
Another key member of Team Anna, Arvind Kejriwal had received income tax notice for clearing dues to the tune of Rs9.27 lakh. He was to reply to the notice by October 27, but has sought more time.
Kejriwal, a former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) official, was asked to pay Rs9.27 lakh for violating the service rules by not fulfilling the bond conditions which required him to serve the Department for three years.
According to the tax official, Kejriwal went abroad on a two-year study leave between 2000 and 2002. Thereafter, in 2004 he went on leave-without-pay and resigned in 2006, the official said, adding Kejriwal did not complete the three-year service period.