‘MP Nalin Kumar Kateel a Kudla Origin Should be Ashamed of Shifting the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax Office from Attavar, Mangaluru to Panjim, the Capital of Goa’- District Congress President Harish Kumar, during a protest held on Wednesday, 9 September, in front of Mini Vidhana Soudha
Mangaluru : One of the best known Goan Deknni songs is “Hanv Saiba Poltodi Vetam” by Carlos Eugenio Ferreira (1860–1932)- and now anyone of the Congress netas should compose a Konkani song, which would go like “Kodiyalche IT-Office Poltodi Goa Vetam, Amka Saiba Vat Dakoi”? ( Mangaluru It-Office is Going to Goa, Please Show Us All The Way There?). The Central government’s decision to close the Office of Principal Commissioner of Income Tax (Pr CIT) in Mangaluru, located in Attavar in the City, and merge it with IT-Office based in Panjim, the capital city of Goa has come under strong opposition in the Coastal districts of Karnataka State that comprises its jurisdiction.
Few days ago, The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Mangaluru has sent a memorandum to the Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), appealing to revoke the decision. In this regard, District Minister In-Charge Kota Srinivas Poojary has also written a letter to Finance Minister of India Smt Nirmala Sitharam not to abolish the Mangaluru office. (Ref : https://www.mangalorean.com/kcci-opposes-merger-of-mangaluru-income-tax-office-with-it-office-in-panjim-goa/). Now it was the turn of Dakshina Kannada District Congress, which staged a protest in front of Mini Vidhana Soudha, near Clock Tower-Mangaluru on Wednesday September 9, against the Central Government’s decision to shift Office of the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax (PCI-T) to Panjim-Goa.
Lashing at the CBDT top brass for the decision to shift the office of the Principal Commissioner of IT in Mangaluru to Panjim-Goa, former Congress MLA J R Lobo during the protest said, ” Dakshina Kannada is a major industrial centre, and having the office of the principal commissioner for I-T would have helped bolster economic activities in the region, and there can be no comparison in the volume of trade in this part of Karnataka to that in Panaji. Ever since BJP had come to power, the economy in the City has gone down miserably”.
” After BJP rule, many of our local banks having roots in Mangaluru for decades are now merged with other banks, which is a shame, and the recent decision of shifting of the IT-Office from here to Goa Principal Commissioner of Income Tax Office, by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), is a hand in hand deal with the leadership of the local leaders of the BJP, who have systematically undermined the district’s stature as an economic powerhouse. The unimpressive infrastructure in the region had been a major deterrent to IT companies expanding their footprint there. And the much spoken about ‘Plastic Park’ too has also remained only on paper, and not been materialized even after so many years. The “Blind ‘bhakts” need to open their eyes, as it looks like we are going 50 years backwards and doing injustice to the citizens of the country. And surprisingly none of the BJP leaders have no courage to speak.” added Lobo.
Also speaking MLA U T Khader said, “It is sad to note that instead of developing and improving government machinery and technology , the Central government is merging and privatising everything, which shows that the central government has failed miserably in everything. Even the government officials get transferred if they are reluctant to do their duties in favour of the government. It looks like that we are ruled under dictatorship ” Former MLC Ivan D’Souza said, “From local born banks getting merged with other banks, Mangaluru International Airport also being privatized, and here we have our local I-T office being shifted to Panjim-Goa, which absolutely makes no sense. That’s what happens when these people come to power very easily, they turn a blind eye towards the pain and suffering of people. Even if these BJP leaders, BJP Govt, MP or MLA are alive, it looks like they are dead?.”
Also addressing the gathering District Congress president Harish Kumar said, “Since six years, BJP government has done total injustice to the all sections of the society, with their decision of introducing GST, demonetization and senseless government policies- Citizens of India are facing all kind of inconveniences and have landed into deed trouble because of all these. Now, the BJP govt has gone ahead in shifting the I-T office from Mangaluru to Panaji-Goa, which is really sad and bad news for nearly four lakh Income Tax payers in Mangaluru/DK. Kudla origin Nalin Kumar Kateel, who is a three-time MP and self-claimed number one MP in the country, should be ashamed, when the Mangaluru I-T office located in his hometown is shifted to Goa. By keeping silent on this issue, he should resign, if he can’t take any action. We demand that the government should come out of their decision, and retain IT-Office where it belongs. A memorandum will be submitted to Deputy commissioner Dr Rajendra after the protest”.
Youth Congress President Mithun Rai, Former MLA Abhayachandra Jain, Corporators Sashidhar Hegde and Naveen D’souza, were among other Congress supporters joined in the protest.
