Setting up of Aaykar Sewa Kendras in Pr. CCIT regions in FY 2018-19

DIRECTORATE OF INCOME TAX
(ORGANISATION & MANAGEMENT SERVICES)

EAST BLOCK-II, LEVEL-5, VIVEKANAND MARG

R. K. PURAM, NEW DELHI-110066

File No. 48/1/2018/ASK/P.IX/DOMS/54

Dated: 12-04-2018

To

Pr. Chief Commissioners of Income Tax

(North West Region, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Karnataka & Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal & Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh & Chattisgarh, UP(East), UP(West) Uttarakhand, Bihar & Jharkhand, North East Region)

Madam / Sir,

Subject: Providing taxpayer services i.e. setting up of Aaykar Sewa Kendras in Pr. CCIT regions, during the Financial Year 2018-19- regarding.

Kind reference is invited to the fact that the CBDT has decided to expand the umbrella of its offices having Aayakar Sewa Kendra in F.Y 2018-19 for the purposes of  having a more responsive tax administration. The Directorate of Income Tax (O&MS) remains the nodal agency for setting up of Aayakar Sewa Kendras (ASK) all over the country and will be finalizing the list of such locations for the current year. Like last year, recommendations from Pr CCsIT will form the basis of such selection so that avoidable wastage of efforts and lapse of finances can be minimized at a later stage.

2. The locations for setting up all the ASKs in the last year were identified and recommended by the concerned Pr. CCIT/CCIT so as to ensure a sense of ownership and involvement of field the formations. Following the precedence, it is requested that 4-5 suitable offices may kindly be identified at the earliest so that DOMS can finalize the list for the approval of the Board within the stipulated time frame and process the proposal for administrative approval and financial sanction.

3. A number of yardsticks have been identified by the CBDT for setting up a new Aayakar Sewa Kendra. A copy of these yardsticks is enclosed as Annexure – Another important factor which needs to be taken into account while setting up an Aayakar Sewa Kendra is that the building should preferably be owned by the Government. In case no such buildings are available, a building which has been taken on rent by the Income Tax Department and which is not likely to be vacated soon, may also be considered.

4. It has also been observed that in many cases, the project is disbanded by the Pr. CCIT /CCIT at the fag end of the year citing that the building is rented or that the process of shifting to new premises is not complete. This creates an onerous burden on the Department as the funds remain un-utilized and the target of the department to setup a definite a number of ASKs gets defeated. In view of the same, it is requested that a considered recommendation may kindly be made so that there is no need to recall the same at a later stage. It is again mentioned at the risk of repetition that ASKs can be setup in rented buildings also provided there is no proposal to vacate the same in the near future.

5. It is, therefore, requested that at least 4 to 5 buildings in your region, may be selected for setting up of the new Aayakar Sewa Kendras during the Financial Year 2018-19. Priority may kindly be given to buildings where atleast Pr.CIT is the senior most officer and it may kindly be seen that no such building is left out unless there is a compelling reason for the same.

6. The primary requirements for setting up an ASK is the Sevottam node and the appropriate budget. The number of nodes required to setup an ASK is based on the workload in that location. Therefore, once the buildings are identified at your end, kindly send information as per Annexure-B appended to this letter alongwith the recommended buildings so that the required number of nodes for each building can be It may, however, be kindly noted that for single ITO stations, only 1 node shall be installed.

7. As far as the budget is concerned, depending upon the number of nodes and the pattern of expenditure in the previous years, the budget for setting up of the ASKs shall be determined and processed by this office.

8. It may further be appreciated that setting up of ASK is a time bound exercise and funds are to be disbursed at the earliest for its timely completion. It is, therefore, requested that a list of atleast 4 or 5 Aayakar Sewa Kendras proposed to be set up in your jurisdiction during the Financial Year 2018-19 may kindly be sent to this office latest by 25-04-2018.

Yours faithfully,

Encl: As above

Sd/-
(Kunal Singh)
Addl. Director General (086MS)

Copy to:

(i) Member (R), CBDT.

(ii) DGIT (Admn. 8s TPS) for favour of kind information.

(iii) Database Cell (DBC) with the request to upload to www.irsofficersonline.gov.in

(Kunal Singh)

Addl. Director General (O&MS)

Annexure – A

YARDSTICKS FOR SELECTION OF ASK LOCATIONS

1. Ask Locations should preferably be in Govt. owned buildings. However, in charges, where no Govt. owned building is available for setting up of ASK, a building which has been rented for a long period of time and is not likely to be vacated soon, may be identified.

2. ASK should preferably be set-up on Ground Floor and in the front side of the office building. However, this yardstick is flexible depending on the requirement.

3. The requirement of space for ASK is determined on the basis of requirement of nodes for ASK based on workload of receipt of DAK and receipt of paper returns in that building.

4. In single ITO stations, there is no need to set-up ASK Prototype. ASK may be made functional at these locations with a single node for monitoring of services given in the Citizen’s Charter.

5. For technical feasibility, the location for ASK should preferably be within 100 meters distance from the server/communication room

6. A Local Implementation Committee (with concerned CIT/CIT/Addl.CIT as Nodal Officer) may be set-up to identify space, to initiate all work relating to setting up of ASK and also for monitoring the functioning of ASK.

Annexure – B

PROFORMA

Information regarding setting up Aayakar Seva Kendra (ASK)

Note: – Please furnish this information separately for each building.