Govt owes tourism contractors over Rs 39.7cr with bills from 2019
: From housekeeping services and painting to legal fees and translations, the tourism department has racked up Rs 39.7 crore in unpaid bills. Contractors for events, vehicles and executed projects have been fretting with their money lying locked up with the tourism department as well as the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), with some of the bills dating all the way back to 2019.
Among those that the department owes money are govt entities such as Goa Human Resource Development Corporation Limited and Goa Electronics Limited.
The tourism department's 17 outstanding bills are largely for tourism roadshows and trade fairs, and most are for the current year with just two bills dating back to Dec 2024. However, GTDC's track record of clearing bills of contractors and event management firms is not on par.
The Goa Human Resource Development Corporation Ltd provided security services at GTDC residencies for 2019-20 for which it billed GTDC Rs 1.03 crore, an amount that remains unpaid, shows data released in the state legislative assembly.
Invoices towards the organisation of the Manohar Parrikar Vidnyan Mahostav in Dec 2021 worth Rs 3.7 lakh also remain unpaid.
Taxi bills worth Rs 8.65 crore remain unpaid, shows the data released in the state legislative assembly.
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Information provided by the department also shows that Rs 4.4 crore has to be released to a private firm for development of amenities at the Bom Jesus Basilica under the PRASHAD Scheme. GTDC said that many of these bills are 'under consideration' and will be cleared once scrutiny and approval is obtained.
Bills for the G20 meetings, which were held in Goa, also remain unpaid. Goa hosted several G20-related meetings during India's presidency in 2023, including the G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting and the Tourism Ministers' Meeting.
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Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- Indian Express
As the economy grows, so would tax collection; hopeful of meeting FY26 target: CBDT Chairman Ravi Agrawal
The net direct tax collections may have slowed down, but the Income Tax Department is 'comfortable and hopeful' of meeting the target for the ongoing financial year 2025-26, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Ravi Agrawal said. In an interview with Aanchal Magazine, the CBDT Chairman listed several measures including the various 'nudge' campaigns being taken by the Department to boost compliance that has already resulted in filing of over 1.1 crore updated returns and collections of over Rs 11,000 crore. However, there is scope for further increase in the number of returns filed by taxpayers. Edited excerpts: There is a moderation in direct tax collections. Till July 10, it was 1.3 per cent down year-on-year. Is it because of the income tax benefits given in the Budget? How are you assessing the trend vis-a-vis the target? When this overall net tax collection (budget estimate) was given to us, at that point, this element (income tax cut) was also factored in while arriving at the figure and while estimating the tax buoyancy, this was factored in. We are hopeful that it will be done. So far as the reduction is concerned, that was primarily attributable to higher refunds outgo. Also, the fact that if you compare July last year versus July this year, the difference is that the due date for filing the return was July 31, and self-assessment tax was also coming. Since the due date has been shifted, that collection to that extent has basically taken a hit to that extent. But then, going forward, we feel that as the economy grows, so would the tax collection because ultimately taxes are derivative of economic growth. So, economic growth, and then better tax administration, would definitely yield. We are comfortable and hopeful of meeting the target. How is the Income Tax Department making use of digital technologies to boost compliance? On an annual basis, the department captures around 650 crore transactions data from different sources. These transactions are collated, and for about 40 crore PANs, Annual Information Statements (AIS) are generated. This has the data of your TDS, tax payment, any transactions that have been done with different parties, maybe immobile property, or shares or mutual funds or any other. That is reflected on the portal online that is available to the taxpayers. And it's not only available to the taxpayers, they are seeing it, which is an interesting statistic, to me it was very interesting. If you see in FY 2024-25, about 7.42 crore taxpayers actually saw their AIS. And the number of times they actually visited, on an average, if we see, it's about three and a half times. That means the visits to the AIS module of ours was 24 crore times. The point I'm trying to make is that one, you collate this information, this information is corresponding to more than 40 crore taxpayers and more than 7.5 crore taxpayers actually see this multiple times. This becomes a reference point basically for the taxpayer to see their ledger, take a call, what are the taxes to be paid like advance tax and all, whether it has to be paid or not and the return that has to be filed, what is the income that has to be reflected, which means that there is a wide acceptability of the information and the ledger in the form of AIS that is being shown to the taxpayer. It also reflects their confidence in the information that is being shown. 9 crore people are filing the returns and you have more than about 40 crore people in whose case this AIS has been updated. So therefore we can say that yes, there is a scope for further increase in the number of returns that have been filed. What is the role of AI in such analysis? In that context, now we come to what is the role of AI? So, one is, who ought to file the return is not filing. You have this data. Based on that, you can come up with potential cases and then correspond with them electronically. So whatever coordinates you have, you can inform. The second component is whosoever is filing the return, whether a correct return has been filed or not. In case, there is an obvious gap or something which needs to be flagged and from the taxpayer nudge him towards better compliance, and right compliance. And the third component is: if you find that the taxpayer is repeatedly committing a mistake, can there be a case of a harder nudge? So these are components of tax administration that we are working on and where AI is helping. Because AI is then raising red flags in all these transactions and saying: okay, this maybe you would like to consider. And based on that we do a ABC sort of analysis, the numbers are huge…every year some 9 crore people would file returns and then you have to do that analysis. This is the extent and volume of e-governance in the tax department. The direct tax department is huge and if you see the profile of the taxpayer, that spectrum is also really very very wide wherein on one hand, you have a technologically-challenged taxpayer to a very, very matured taxpayer who is very, very technology savvy. So you have to build a system to make sure that the wide spectrum of people are able to see and find value with it. We have seen on the indirect tax side also, like for GST, a move towards capturing the unregistered persons. Is there a similar move from the direct tax side to expand the tax net to the ones who are not filing returns? Basically, what has to be seen is that the taxpayers' base is also increasing. And also the number of people who are filing the returns are also increasing. More and more awareness once it comes, naturally the compliance will go up. So I would not put this number that all these 40 crore people were supposed to file the return and they ought to be our taxpayer. No, not that. But, yes, there is a scope for improvement. And then how do we nudge the taxpayer? How do we prompt the taxpayer to come look at their transactions and then if there is a requirement of filing a return, the person would. I think the awareness is there all across, the communication is also fast, so, by and large, now the taxpayer is also aware about the obligations. It's not that the taxpayer is not aware about it. They are taking that call. And once more and more the data gets matured and it gets populated and you are able to reflect it online, people will take care. Especially, younger generation. How is the Tax Department flagging these gaps to the taxpayers? Our systems create a 360-degree profile of taxpayers' financial transactions and flag any inconsistencies between their declared income and their financial activities. The in-house 'Project INSIGHT', uses advanced data analytics to collate information from various sources, including bank reports, financial institutions, sub-registrars of properties etc. The Department proactively nudges taxpayers suspected of making wrong claims or omissions to update their returns and pay the correct tax. The success of this approach is visible in the outcome of the 'nudge' campaigns. In the Foreign Income and Assets Nudge Campaign, based on matching data received under automatic exchange of information, 19,501 taxpayers were nudged. This resulted in 62 per cent of them revising their returns, and a total of 30,161 taxpayers declared foreign assets worth Rs 29,208 crores and foreign income of Rs 1,089 crore during the campaign period. For false claims, data analytics identified over Rs 9,000 crore in excess deductions claimed under Section 80GGC. Nudging taxpayers through SMS and emails led to a reduction of Rs 963 crore in deductions and the payment of Rs 409.50 crore in additional taxes as of June 18, 2025. The Virtual Digital Assets Nudge Campaign is also ongoing, wherein the taxpayers are being nudged through SMS and e-mail to revisit claims made in ITRs related to TDS under Section 194S versus Schedule VDA filings. The updated return facility (ITR-U) has seen significant success. As of June 18, 2025, a total of 8,892,395 updated ITRs have been filed, generating Rs 9577.06 crore in additional taxes. Overall, over 1.1 crore updated returns have been filed, collecting more than Rs 11,000 crore. By proactively providing taxpayers with information about their financial transactions, we encourage voluntary compliance. How is the Department communicating with the taxpayers? We are communicating with non-filers…there is an ABC analysis that we do to find which people have entered into larger transactions, and who are not filing. Maybe a person had filed earlier in the earlier year, but has chosen not to file this year. So then you can identify those people and try to also see rational from our end through AI. What could be the reason that this guy has not filed now. For example, the person may have entered into an immovable property transaction in one year, and subsequently, it may not be so. It may be something like that the income does not fall above the threshold. You see all those cases, see the high-end cases and then correspond with them through emails in the database or from other data sources. Recently, there were search operations at 150 locations. Was it a similar exercise? This was basically an exercise in that direction. The taxpayer reports certain income, and while calculating their income, reports certain exemptions or deductions which are taken on face value and the system processes. But what we found through AI was that there were gaps, and they were really patterns that emerged, which reflected that the deductions and the exemptions that were claimed were not the correct deductions/exemptions. So, therefore, our pan-India exercise was undertaken to also flag and bring home the point that while we trust the taxpayer, but then at the same time, incorrect claims of deductions and exemptions are not acceptable, and we have not actually gone to the taxpayer per se. We have gone to the intermediary or the facilitator who is misguiding the taxpayer and identify those people. Those could be professionals or intermediaries. Through those, more than 1.5 lakh PANs have been identified. The exercise is still going on. At times, what happens is that the intermediaries give false promises of refunds, and potentially the taxpayer may not be aware of what is being filed. So one has to be cautious about it because it has implications. Since it is an end-to-end, e-enabled service that the tax department is providing, unless the taxpayer gives us the right coordinates of email and mobile, it becomes really very difficult for the tax department to correspond with the taxpayer. If an email of an intermediary is given, or a temporary email of an intermediary is given, then naturally the correspondence would go or the letter would go to that very email which is not being seen by anyone, and therefore, the taxpayer ultimately takes a hit. Like, we are committed to providing refunds as soon as possible. The average time for refunds is 17 days now (38 days in 2020-21) after returns are filed. But how do we give it unless, until the taxpayer actually gives the right coordinates. How is the Tax Department selecting cases for scrutiny? The Computer Assisted Scrutiny Selection (CASS) is a technology-driven system used by the Income Tax Department to select income tax returns for scrutiny, aiming to ensure efficiency, transparency, and objectivity. The CASS risk rules and selection parameters are regularly reviewed and updated to adapt to evolving tax evasion patterns, compliance behaviors, and policy changes. This includes incorporating new data sources like enhanced TDS and SFT reporting for more precise risk assessments. Approximately 0.3 per cent of all income tax returns filed annually are selected for scrutiny, including cases chosen under CASS and other mechanisms like reopening. The proportion specifically selected under CASS typically ranges from 0.05-0.2 per cent of total annual returns filed. For FY 2024-25, about 2.5 lakh cases were selected for scrutiny, representing only about 0.29 per cent of total ITR filers. The Department operates on a 'Trust First and Scrutinise Later' philosophy, focusing on high-risk cases rather than random selection. You mentioned email addresses being incorrect or temporary. Apart from electronic communication, is there any other method of communication which the tax department is exploring since PAN is Aadhaar linked and you can go back to check addresses? No, we would prefer only an e-route. One, that is trackable also. There's an audit to it also. And, ultimately overall you see that it makes our service fast. Look at the volumes. What we would encourage is correspondence through e-mails. The Select Committee has submitted its report on the new Income Tax Bill. There were a lot of concerns raised by digital rights activists about privacy about the storage of data which the tax department would be accessing during an investigation. Say, there is personal or privileged communication between family members or doctors/lawyers. How will the income tax department ensure that that trust is not breached or misused during a probe? First, from a regulatory point of view, statutory permissions are there which mandate the tax department to actually not part with the data in an unauthorised manner. It's a legal obligation. Having said that, practically, in practice, how are we going to go about it? We have put in place a mechanism where this information or this data is scrutinised in a sanitised environment by authorised people. And also, the data which gets raised but which pertains to the privacy domain, is redacted and only the relevant data is investigated. We are also now coming up, we are in the process of defining procedures wherein these things could be made more tight to take care of a taxpayer. It is a genuine concern of the taxpayer. But, then you see, how do you investigate? There's a mobile, there is a personal chat also here, there's a financial transaction also. So, say, it's WhatsApp, it's both. You got to maintain the evidentiary value of this mobile also. It cannot be that at that point in time, you say I'll take this but I'll not take the other part. There would be continuity. So, therefore, to maintain the evidentiary value, you have got to capture the data in toto. But then once you have captured the data, it's the responsibility of the tax department to ensure that whatever investigation is done, only the relevant data is actually analysed, and the other data is redacted. So will there be specific rules for the new investigation process based on the new bill? If you see the manual that we have come out with, the search and seizure manual, we have put that also as one of the requirements. We are also coming up with the digital manual for analysis of digital evidence. There also we would be actually taking care of it. So, we will address it. What is the pendency of cases in direct taxes? And how are you going to address it? Yes, there is a pendency. About 5.5 lakh cases are pending. So we have taken certain steps. For example, last year we came up with this VSVS 2024 scheme (Vivad se Vishwas Scheme), and 40,000 people participated in that. To that extent, those were taken care of. Now, what we have done is that we have expanded the numbers of commissioner appeals. Officers who were doing appellate ones. We have also given appeal work to principal commissioners. We have tried to profile appeals with similar issues, Identify which can be low-hanging fruits for easy disposals. We have tried to give numbers, scores to the appeals, which actually prompt the officers to dispose of more appeals. So these are the steps that have been taken. In fact, if you see last year, we disposed of about 1.75 lakh appeals at the first appellate level in FY25, which was a substantial percentage increase of 55.18 per cent over 2023-24. And more so, the number of disposals were more than the number of new appeals instituted. So that in fact, for the first time, this came down but we are very conscious about it. The Select Committee was also insistent, and rightly so, that we should actually work on reducing the appellate pendency. Primarily this happened because at the time of Covid, the appeal disposal was not so high. So all those things were there. But we are taking all the steps. So this year, you are looking at reducing… Yes. In a big way, we are trying to reduce. We have already set for ourselves a target of more than 2 lakh for this year, but then we will not rest at that and we'll try to (reduce it) further. Aanchal Magazine is Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and reports on the macro economy and fiscal policy, with a special focus on economic science, labour trends, taxation and revenue metrics. With over 13 years of newsroom experience, she has also reported in detail on macroeconomic data such as trends and policy actions related to inflation, GDP growth and fiscal arithmetic. Interested in the history of her homeland, Kashmir, she likes to read about its culture and tradition in her spare time, along with trying to map the journeys of displacement from there. ... Read More
Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Debt on Plastic: Credit card delinquencies surge 44% to Rs 33,886 crore amid rising consumer spending
India's credit card economy, a symbol of growing consumer confidence and digital empowerment, is showing some signs of strain. Credit card delinquencies in the 91–360 days overdue category have soared by a staggering 44.34 per cent over the past year, reaching Rs 33,886.5 crore as of March 2025, up from Rs 23,475.6 crore in March 2024, according to the latest data from CRIF High Mark. This sharp rise highlights a growing vulnerability among borrowers, particularly in the 91–360 days category, a segment that banking regulations categorise as non-performing assets (NPAs) in the case of bank loans. Effectively, credit card holders have defaulted on nearly Rs 34,000 crore of debt that has remained unpaid for over 91 days. The breakdown of distress A closer look at the numbers reveals a disturbing trend. In the 91–180 days overdue segment alone, the delinquent amount jumped to Rs 29,983.6 crore, compared to Rs 20,872.6 crore a year earlier, and has almost doubled from the March 2023 level, data prepared by CRIF High Mark for The Indian Express says. This reflects not just a growing reliance on credit but a mounting inability — or unwillingness — to repay on time. CRIF High Mark, a credit bureau registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), noted a steady uptick in the percentage of portfolio at risk (PAR), which tracks overdue payments. In March 2025, PAR in the 91–180 day bucket reached 8.2 per cent, rising from 6.9 per cent in March 2024 and 6.6 per cent in March 2023 — a consistent three-year climb. For loans overdue 181–360 days, the PAR rose to 1.1 per cent, up from 0.9 per cent in 2024 and 0.7 per cent in 2023. These trends signal both short-term and long-term stress in the unsecured credit market, especially as consumers lean heavily on plastic for everyday and discretionary spending. Credit card outstanding was Rs 2.90 lakh crore as of May 2025 as against Rs 2.67 lakh crore in May 2024, according to the RBI. A credit-driven consumption boom The increase in delinquencies is set against the backdrop of an explosive rise in credit card usage across the country. The value of credit card transactions reached Rs 21.09 lakh crore by March 2025, surging from Rs 18.31 lakh crore the previous year — a nearly 15 per cent jump. This boom mirrors India's post-pandemic economic recovery and reflects rising consumer confidence. Credit card spending in May 2025 alone was Rs 1.89 lakh crore, up dramatically from Rs 64,737 crore in January 2021. Likewise, the number of credit cards in circulation has ballooned. As of May 2025, 11.11 crore credit cards were active in India, compared to 10.33 crore in May 2024 and just 6.10 crore in January 2021, according to RBI data. People tend to borrow and spend more when they're optimistic about their financial future, but may also rely on credit cards to maintain their standard of living when wages stagnate or prices rise, said an investment analyst. Rewards, offers — and debt traps What's fuelling this sharp uptick in usage? Banks and fintech firms have aggressively promoted credit card adoption with attractive incentives: cashback rewards, travel perks, interest-free EMIs, and airport lounge access. For many consumers, especially in urban and upwardly mobile segments, credit cards have become synonymous with convenience and lifestyle. But the ease of swiping has come with a hidden cost. Credit card debt is among the most expensive forms of borrowing in India. Banks typically charge between 42 per cent and 46 per cent annual interest on unpaid balances beyond the interest-free period. 'Customers often get lured by flashy offers and rewards. But if they don't repay on time, they end up paying exorbitant interest,' said a senior bank official. A few missed payments can quickly spiral into a debt trap.' Why it matters The sharp increase in delinquencies poses a risk not just to individual borrowers but also to the broader financial system. Credit card loans are unsecured, meaning they are not backed by collateral. Rising defaults can affect banks' balance sheets and prompt tighter lending norms, thereby slowing credit growth, a key driver of consumption in India. The RBI indeed hiked the risk weight on credit card outstanding in 2023. Moreover, defaults affect credit scores. For individuals who fall behind on payments, the financial impact is immediate and long-lasting. A damaged credit score or history can limit future access to loans, credit cards, or even rental agreements and job opportunities in some sectors. While credit cards offer flexibility and financial freedom, their misuse or overuse can have serious consequences. As more Indians embrace digital credit, the focus must now shift from spending to managing debt responsibly, experts say. Banks, regulators and fintechs need to step up educational initiatives around interest rates, billing cycles, and repayment discipline. For consumers, the message is clear: credit cards are a tool — not free money. Use them wisely, or risk paying a heavy price.
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Tata Consultancy Services to axe 12,000 jobs, IT firm's biggest layoff ever
Bengaluru: In what might be one of the largest announced layoffs by an Indian IT firm, TCS is planning to cut 2% of its workforce—over 12,000 employees—this year, with the reductions primarily affecting mid-level and senior executives. The planned workforce reduction—long considered rare in the industry—underscores the tough demand environment, especially in the absence of large deals like BSNL. Industry observers see this as an early sign of a broader shift, where rising reliance on automation and margin pressures are driving companies to reduce employee costs. This move marks one of the company's most significant strategic shifts, investing in newer areas like AI, data, and cybersecurity, embracing AI, and letting go of employees who cannot be redeployed within the firm. TCS said the restructuring initiative aimed at transforming the company into a future-ready organisation. "This includes strategic initiatives on multiple fronts, and while these changes are necessary for our growth and evolution, we understand the impact on our colleagues. We thank them for their service and are committed to supporting them through this transition," TCS chief executive officer K Krithivasan said in an email to employees. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your New Zealand escape starts with Singapore Airlines Fly with Singapore Airlines Book Now Undo "While this is a difficult decision, it reflects our continued responsibility as an organisation to anticipate future needs and act decisively." The move, the email said, is part of TCS's broader strategy to invest in new technologies, expand into new markets, and enhance its AI capabilities. TCS emphasised that the transition was carefully planned to ensure no disruption to service delivery for its clients. The company provided appropriate benefits, outplacement services, counselling, and support to help affected employees transition to new opportunities. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru The decision followed a recent revision of the bench policy, which required employees to be billed to a project for 225 business days a year or face termination. Recently, TCS deferred the onboarding of 650 lateral hires amid project delays. Speaking to TOI after the quarterly earnings, Krithivasan said: "Associates are expected to reskill and be flexible about assignments. Eventually, projects depend on client needs, not individual preferences," he stated. TCS invested heavily in upskilling and expected faster internal deployments once those capabilities were in place. W hen asked about speculations about withholding salaries for employees on the bench for extended periods, Krithivasan clarified that the company expects proactive efforts from associates to seek new roles internally, "We don't want anyone benched too long—it doesn't help them or the company." Phil Fersht, CEO of HfS Research, said the impact of AI is eating into the people-heavy services model and forcing the large service providers such as TCS to rebalance their workforces to maintain their profit margins and stay price competitive in a cutthroat market where clients are demanding 20%-30% price reductions on deals. "The fact that TCS has taken this step is a major indicator of this trend, considering its culture of being a very stable place to work. " Peter Bendor-Samuel, founder chairman of the Everest Group, said the offshore labour arbitrage industry has hit maturity with growth likely to be flat to slightly up for the foreseeable future. "On top of that, AI is creating substantial efficiencies requiring fewer people. The combination of factors is forcing TCS and other firms to shrink their labour forces. This is likely the start of a broader trend for both TCS and the rest of the industry. " The reduction is not limited to TCS. During the recent earnings calls, HCLTech CEO Vijayakumar said, "We plan to optimise underutilised facilities, mainly outside India, including those from acquisitions. Second, there will be a talent reduction, particularly in certain geographies outside India. We will share more details once we finalise the timeline and plan." stry experts believe that hiring is largely concentrated in niche areas such as AI, cloud, and cybersecurity, with ramp-ups occurring primarily through large deal wins. "Most new jobs are tied to specific projects or organisational changes, rather than large-scale hiring drives. This cautious approach reflects companies' focus on filling critical roles that drive growth and adaptability. While the job market is gradually improving, businesses are being strategic about who and when they hire. It is less about volume and more about making thoughtful hires to address key needs. For job seekers, opportunities exist, but success depends on having the right skills and flexibility to navigate the evolving market," said Neeti Sharma, chief executive officer at Teamlease Digital. While demand for AI, data, and automation talent is surging, the available talent pool in India faces a significant skill gap. For large IT companies, upskilling and internal talent transformation have become more crucial than ever. "From these factors, it is clear that India's tech talent story is being rewritten," said Sunil C, India Country Head at Adecco. "It is not just about volume anymore. The race is about building future-ready teams, rebalancing talent supply chains, and staying competitive in a landscape defined by constant change," he added. Even as upskilling and reskilling remain constant priorities, Indian IT is no longer making headlines for aggressive hiring, as headcount growth has decoupled from revenue gains. Instead, companies are increasingly turning to campus recruiting to onboard students trained in newer skill areas.
