FM Sitharaman gives time to Infosys till Sept 15 to fix glitches in IT portal

Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman took a meeting with Salil Parekh, MD & CEO, Infosys here today afternoon to convey the deep disappointment and concerns of the Government and the taxpayers about the continuing glitches in the e-filing portal of the Income Tax Department even after two and half months since its launch, which was also delayed. Sitharaman sought an explanation from Infosys for the repeated issues faced by taxpayers.

The Ministry of Finance emphasised that there is a need for putting in more resources and efforts on the part of Infosys so that the much delayed delivery of agreed services is ensured.  Parekh was also sensitised on the difficulties that the taxpayers were facing and the problems that are arising on account of the delays in the functioning of the portal.

The Finance Minister demanded that the issues faced by taxpayers on current functionalities of the portal should be resolved by the team by 15th September, 2021 so that taxpayers and professionals can work seamlessly on the portal.

The government emphasised that there is a need for putting in more resources and efforts on the part of Infosys so that the much delayed delivery of agreed services is ensured.

Parekh explained that he and his team are doing everything to ensure the smooth functioning of the portal. Further, Parekh said that over 750 team members are working on this project and Pravin Rao COO of Infosys, is personally overseeing this project. Parekh also assured that Infosys is working expeditiously to ensure a glitch-free experience to the taxpayers on the portal.

Officials from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), including the chairman JB Mohapatra, have been in constant touch with Infosys over the glitches and features of the portal. CBDT and Infosys are regularly given feedback by a group of chartered accountants, company secretaries and taxpayers about the interface and its ease of usage.

Additionally, Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj takes stock of the work being done on the portal in virtual meetings every week, with CDBT and Infosys as well as taxpayers who use the interface.