The income tax (I-T) department is still waiting for members of Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society to submit details of the investment they have made in flats in the 31-storeyed tower. The department had issued notices to the Colaba housing society’s members asking six questions related to their flats, the investment made in them and other details such as tax returns filed and Permanent Account Numbers (PAN).
Sources in the department said less than 10 members out of 103 have replied. They said most bureaucrats have failed to reply to the notices. The investigation wing of the income tax department had issued the notices on November 29 and members were given 10 days from December 3, the date they received the notices, to reply.
BP Gaur, director general of income tax (investigation), Mumbai, confirmed the notices were sent to individual members asking the total amount of investment they had made and how they made it. Gaur added that the department will take a decision on the next step.
Another officer, requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media, said the department will wait at least until the end of December because people usually take time to reply to such notices.
“If the reply doesn’t come, we will send a reminder,” the officer added.
The officer said that if some members still fail to reply, the department could consider levying a penalty on them for non-compliance. The penalty could be anything between Rs 10,000 and Rs 25,000 per member, the officer said.
He said the department could also summon such members if they do not reply.
“We could also initiate a search or survey operation if any of them fails to cooperate,” the officer added.
