First visit after the abrogation of Art 370, Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates Aaykar Bhawan in J&K

Srinagar, November 22: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday inaugurated ‘The Chinar’, Aaykar Bhawan cum residential complex of IT department in Srinagar. The Union Minister is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir and was welcomed by giving the guard of honor and accorded ceremonial welcome upon her arrival at Rajbagh. The Income Tax office was relocated several times in Srinagar after it was damaged in a militant attack at Barbarshah in 2005. 

 

The office got its permanent place after 14 years. Speaking on the occasion, the Finance Minister observed that the establishment of the office complex and the attached “Aaykar Seva Kendra” will help provide better service to taxpayers in the spirit of “Jan Bhagidari”.

 

Sitharaman thanked the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their contribution to the efforts in enabling the commissioning of “The Chinars”, the Aaykar Bhawan and other facilities. The inauguration of “The Chinar” assumes significance in light of the fact that it houses the newly created charge of Principal Commissioner of Income Tax in Srinagar, one of the largest civilian offices of the Government of India in the city.

 

In 2005 after the unfortunate incident where the IT building got damaged in a terrorist attack, today I am grateful to the people of Jammu and Kashmir who have enabled the commissioning of “The Chinar”, Aaykar Bhawan and other facilities, Sitharaman said.

 

The Finance Minister said that the occasion makes me feel happy and I thank the peace-loving people of Jammu and Kashmir. Taxation is not only a collection of taxes but people’s participation in the spirit of Jan Bhagidari, she said.

Nirmala Sitharaman is visiting Jammu and Kashmir for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of J&K into two Union Territories (UT).