KOCHI: People in government service should be provided with efficient and aesthetically-designed working environment so they can work comfortably, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here on Friday. Inaugurating Aayakar Bhavan, the office complex of the income tax department in Kochi, Sitharaman said she has been keen to ensure good office environment and expansive accommodation facilities for employees.
“When you post a person in a particular area, you have to ensure that they have the necessary working space and well-ventilated family accommodation. I am happy that the trend is catching up,” she said. Appreciating the performance of the income tax department in Kerala -- which collected a tax revenue of Rs 23,750 crore in 2022-23, achieving 23.2% growth in comparison to the national average of 17% -- she said, “You have set a high bar for yourself and you cannot afford to be less than that this year. You will have to exceed it.”
Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Kerala, Sunil Mathur, said the Kerala circle of the department had collected Rs 23,750 crore in the last financial year. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was all praise for the Kochi international airport.
UNINVITED TO FM EVENT, HIBI EDEN FILES BREACH-OF-PRIVILEGE COMPLAINT
Kochi: Taking strong exception to not being invited to the inauguration of Aayakar Bhavan in Kochi, Hibi Eden MP has lodged a complaint with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla alleging breach of privilege. He urged the committee of privileges to examine the issue and take necessary action. “Regrettably, I have not received any intimation or invitation to this significant event,” said Hibi’s letter to the speaker.