ITAT Surat Bench Inaugurated by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
Finally, Gujarat got a second Tribunal after Ahmedabad bench. Shri. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Law & Justice has inaugurated the Surat bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, on 1 September, 2017.
Shri P.P.Chaudhary, Union Minister of State for Law & Jusce and Electronics & Informaon Technology, was the Guest of Honour of the function. Hon'ble Members of Parliament Shri C. R. Paal, Smt. Darshana Jarodsh, Dr. K. C. Patel, Shri Manuskhbhai D. Vasva, and Shri Nathubhai G. Patel were also present on the occasion.
Surat is the 28th city in the country to have a bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. As of now, it has over 3,000 appeals pending for disposal, which is more than double the average pendency per bench all over the country.
Owing to unsatisfactory air connectivity and taking road journey between Surat and Ahmedabad, tax professionals were finding it very difficult to make day trips to Ahmedabad in connection with the ITAT engagements. With the setting up of this bench, a long pending demand of tax professionals in South Gujarat is met.
The new bench will have jurisdiction of the districts like Bharuch, Dang, Narmada, Navsari, Tapi and Valsad along with the union territories of Diu, Daman and Dadra-Nagar Haveli (DNH). This will help people to file their appeals in Surat rather than coming all the way to Ahmedabad.
Shri G. D. Agrawal, Hon'ble President Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Shri Pramod Kumar, Hon'ble Sr Member, Ahmedabad Zone, Shri C. M. Garg and Shri O. P. Meena, Hon'ble Members of the new bench, Shri Rajiv Nabar, Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, Shri P. M. Shah, President South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Shri R. N. Vyapari, President ITAT Bar Association, Shri Rases Shah, President, Surat Chartered Accountants Association, Hon'ble Members of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal Ahmedabad benches, and, apart from eminent local citizens and Government officials, a large number of chartered accountants and lawyers from Surat, neighboring places in South Gujarat as well as Ahmedabad were present on the occasion.
The setting up of Surat bench is very well received, with enthusiasm, by all the stakeholders.
