Letter to BS: Govt dealing with PAN-Aadhaar linking in casual manner

This refers to “Link your PAN with Aadhaar before Dec 31; it’s mandatory, says I-T dept” (December 16). Curiously enough, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) thought it was wise to choose a Sunday to remind income tax payers that it was mandatory to link their PAN with Aadhaar by the end of this year for “building a better tomorrow and to reap seamless benefits of income tax services”. This begs the question why so many extensions were being given till date?

Last September, the Supreme Court had held the Centre’s flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid while ordering that the biometric ID would remain mandatory for linking the same with the PAN under the extant provisions of Section 139 AA (2) of the Income Tax Act. Why is the government dealing with the move in such a casual manner if it really means business? But still, it won’t be a surprise if the CBDT comes out with yet another extension till, say, March 31, 2020, for obvious reasons.