NE ECONOMIC BUREAU
MUMBAI, JULY 26
In a message that turned the power equation between the taxman and the taxpayer on its head, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday urged the Income Tax Department to use its authority to make life easier for citizens—not more difficult. Her blunt appeal was simple: if even senior IRS officers can be made to run from pillar to post for permissions, they should understand what an ordinary citizen faces every day while seeking a legitimate service from the government.
Smt @nsitharaman inaugurated ‘Aayakar Sindhu’ – new Income Tax Office Complex at Nariman Point, Mumbai.
The 13-storey state-of-the-art office complex, with a built-up area of approximately 1.13 lakh sq ft, has been constructed by the CPWD.
She also addressed the gathering on… pic.twitter.com/PjwdhwBGBn
— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) July 26, 2026
Speaking at the inauguration of Aaykar Sindhu, the Income Tax Department’s 13-floor building at Mumbai’s Nariman Point, Sitharaman asked officials to ensure that citizens are not forced to make endless rounds of government offices for matters where official intervention is required.
- FM asks tax officials to turn authority into public service and work for the benefit of common citizens
- ‘An IRS officer has the name of the Income Tax Department behind him—a powerful force to frighten people’
- Sitharaman flags ‘laid-back’ governance after illegal occupations emerge on government land
- ‘Integrity is the one and only principle I will advocate to each one of you’
- FM pushes faster government land transfers, office infrastructure and employee accommodation in Mumbai
“Can this (experience) incentivise you to understand the position of a common citizen when he approaches you? Don’t make them run from pillar to post where your authority is required; do the work for them,” Finance Minister said.
She clarified that her appeal did not mean officials should violate rules or provide special treatment, but emphasised that citizens should receive their rightful claims and services without unnecessary delay and procedural hurdles.
‘If officials face it, imagine the common man’s plight’
Sitharaman cited the difficulties faced by the Income Tax Department itself in obtaining permissions to construct the new building in the Nariman Point business district.
Despite being IRS officers and representing a powerful government department, officials had to navigate multiple clearances and approvals before the 13-floor building could be constructed.
“An IRS officer has the name of the Income Tax department behind him, a ‘powerful force to frighten people’,” she said, adding that the experience of having to run from pillar to post for permissions should help officials understand the challenges faced by ordinary citizens.
Finance Minister said the experience should encourage officials to empathise with citizens who approach them for services and legitimate claims.
‘We are too laid-back’ on government assets
Sitharaman also expressed disappointment over the manner in which government departments sometimes allow public assets to remain vulnerable to illegal occupation and encroachment.
She said the land on which Aaykar Sindhu, spread across 1.13 lakh sq ft, stands had been with the Income Tax Department since 1973. Despite this, illegal occupations had emerged on the land.
“The fact that you allowed illegal occupations shows that somewhere in our governance, we are too laid back. It is somebody’s job to take care of our assets, and when they are encroached upon, we say, ‘Oh, we have the land, but we can’t build on it’,” she said.
Finance Minister stressed that ownership of government land must be accompanied by responsibility for its protection, utilisation and timely development.
From scattered offices to a future-ready tax administration
Sitharaman also raised the issue of accommodation for Income Tax officials in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
She indicated that nearly half of the department’s officials may not have access to official accommodation and are required to travel long distances to their workplaces.
She said she would examine the issue and preferred government-to-government transfer of land to facilitate the creation of necessary infrastructure.
Finance Minister assured officials that she would help expedite land transfers and permissions. The responsibility for construction, coordination with the Central Public Works Department, and the award of contracts and tenders would rest with the Income Tax Department.
“Get it all done at the earliest so that we do not enter the second half of the 21st century with scattered office spaces and rented accommodation in a city that is growing rapidly, and expect to pay rent or lease charges at phenomenal rates,” she said.
BSNL land, government coordination on FM’s radar
Sitharaman specifically referred to the possibility of acquiring land belonging to state-run telecom company BSNL for infrastructure requirements.
She said she would take up the issue with the concerned Minister, signalling the need for greater coordination between government departments to unlock public land for productive public use.
The broader message was clear: government assets must not remain idle, encroached upon or trapped in administrative delays when public infrastructure needs are growing.
‘Integrity’ at the heart of tax collection
The Finance Minister concluded with a strong reminder that the Income Tax Department’s authority must always be matched by integrity.
Tax collection, she said, is a critical responsibility that directly affects citizens and the economy.
“Integrity is the one and only principle I will advocate to each one of you,” Sitharaman said.
Her message to the tax administration was therefore both a challenge and a mandate: make citizens feel the strength of governance through timely service—not the weight of bureaucracy through endless waiting.
