Gujarat: Farmers from Bharuch, Narmada stage protest against I-T notices

President of Khedut Samaj Jayesh Patel said, “I-T Commissioner Rumita Arora agreed to our demands and told us that that from now onwards no new notices will be issued to the farmers for 2011-12, 2012-13. Those 1,600 farmers who already received notices have to submit an affidavit to Bharuch I-T, claiming that the source of income is through farming.”

Copies of a few notices are with The Indian Express. In one of the notices sent to a farmer identified as Hitenkumar Patel, a resident of Navarajuvadia village in Nandod taluka of Narmada district, in February has been issued under 133(6) of I-T Act. “On examination of the data/information available with the office, it is found that you have deposited an amount of Rs 17.50 lakh in your bank account during the financial year 2012-13 relevant to the Assessment Year 2013-14. In this regard, you are requested to furnish details,” the notice reads.

The farmer has been asked to furnish the copy of I-T return for AY 2013-14, followed by nature of transaction carried out in respect of the above amount mentioned with the source of transactions alongwith documentary evidences and details of the bank account and statements of AY 2013-14.

The notice further states that if the person fails to respond, it would be presumed that he has not filed the return for 2013-14. So, necessary proceedings under I-T Act 1961 will be initiated in his case. For any objection, the notice also asks the farmer to respond within seven days of the receipt of the letter.

Talking to The Indian Express, Patel said, “The Income Tax department sent notices to 1,600 farmers. All these account holders during 2012-13 deposited minimum amount of Rs 10 lakh. How can the farmers keep the record of 2011-12 or 2012-13 and show it now? In Bharuch, there is no organized mandalis where the farmers can sell their agriculture produce. They sell it to different people. The tax department had sought information from the farmers to furnish details in documents about how much income they had made and from where they had got Rs 10 lakh.

The farmers ear by selling cows, buffaloes, agricultural produce, vegetables, milks etc. They don’t have documents of their sale, so they cannot produce the details. Even as per the Income Tax law, the agricultural produce income is exempted. The farmers only have record of the land on which they do farming.”

The tax department officials could not be reached for a comment.