In last two days, eight more Red Alerts have been issued. The bogus refund claims involve cases amounting to Rs 4.5 million, Rs 3.58 million, Rs 3 million, Rs 2.2 million, Rs 16.043 million, Rs 5.8 million, Rs 7.6 million and Rs 9.1 million filed in last two days.
With increasing pressure on agency's officials, the directorate of intelligence IR is in the process of verification of data, checking of documents and authenticity of refund processing information to control the menace of bogus refunds. The directorate is well aware of serious consequences for blocking 16 bogus claims in just four days and will not spare anybody with fraudulent refund claims.
The official said the directorate of intelligence IR is shocked over continued processing of bogus refund claims despite issuance of dozens of Red Alerts and raised certain questions? Firstly, what action has been taken against the field officers, who were part of the bogus refund mafia and continued to process such claims? Secondly, there is some serious problem with the refund processing system which failed to check bogus claims. Why electronic refund payment system has not been improved to weed out bogus claims?
Thirdly, why the RTOs are reluctant to take action against the officers where cases of bogus claims have been proved by the agency? Fourthly, in the presence of sizable number of auditors and senior auditors why the concerned Zone of the RTOs have failed to identify the aforesaid discrepancies which could be traced through a cursory desk audit? Fifthly, why refund processing officers have totally ignored income tax side while processing of sales tax refund claims. Why the income tax payment data has not been verified with sales tax returns?