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Honour for lagaan p(l)ayers
GRAND SAMMAN: The chief commissioner of IT, G.R. Reddy, felicitating the industrialist, M. Harischandra Prasad.
FOR NOTED industrialist Mullapudi Harischandra Prasad, it was a real proud moment. His son had achieved something more than what he could for the financial year of 1998-99. Mullapudi Thimma Raja, Joint Managing Director of The Andhra Sugars, Tanuku, became one of the highest salaried income-tax payer at the national level.
A pleased Income-Tax Department not only felicitated Thimma Raja for the achievement with a `Rashtriya Samman' but also honoured Harischandra Prasad himself with the award for being among the highest taxpayers from Andhra Pradesh. It was a double treat one of famous industrial families in the State at a special function organised by the IT Department to honour the awardees of `Rashtriya Samman'.
``My family has been IT payers for close to four decades and we are happy to see the 360 degree turn in the department's functioning,'' said Raja. In fact, his 82-year-old father is being honoured with the award for the second time. "I owe my success to my 12,000 employees. There has never been a strike in my 55 and odd years of running the companies. If we all join hands the country will prosper,'' he told the gathering. There were two other persons from among the seven national-level Rashtriya Samman awardees who got the honour for the second time.
K.F. Pestonji of `Chermas' was one of them in the business category and another was R. Krishna Murthy, an agricultural scientist, in the profession category. "Honesty is not only the best policy but it is also the safest and surest route to success,'' exclaimed Pestonji. He did not forget to mention that he owes his success to his wife.
K. Satish Reddy of Dr. Reddy's Labs, Ravi Bootalingam and Taher Ali were among the other taxpayers awarded at the national level in the salary, profession and business categories. U.A.N. Raju of Visakhapatnam, G. Raghuram, R.S. Nanda, Managing Director, Coromandel Fertilisers Ltd, were awarded at the regional level.
Individual taxpayers having declared an income of Rs. 20 lakhs and above in four out of five financial years are eligible for the honour. This entails them get IT certificates for three years, returns not to be subjected to scrutiny except under special circumstances, prompt refunds, etc.
``People are afraid of us and our image is not public-friendly. But, we are trying to change from being a tormentor to a friend,'' explained V.K. Baranwal, Chief Commissioner. And the awardees had their own suggestions. Thimma Raja advised the department to be `more realistic' in its targets.
A cotton farmer, K. Murahari Rao, who received the award on behalf of Krishnamurthy was at his acerbic best in pleading the case of farmers as tax (lagaan) payers.
"Don't scare them away with your complicated procedures. Please be friendly with them and encourage them to file returns,'' he said. The Chief Commissioners -- G.R. Reddy and R. Venkatramaiah -- were also present.
By V. Geetanath
Photo: P.V. Sivakumar
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