GURUGRAM: An I-T department survey has revealed considerable shortcomings in the documentation of property transaction records at Manesar tehsil, raising alarms over possible large-scale tax evasion.
Over the last five years, property transactions worth approximately Rs 28,000 crore have been registered at this tehsil. However, it was found that the Permanent Account Number (PAN) of buyers and sellers, which is mandatory for transactions exceeding Rs 30 lakh, was absent from the records.
The survey, conducted by a team of ten members over 24 hours, highlighted that the registration software at the tehsil failed to capture vital PAN details, despite regulations requiring these offices to submit names, PAN, and Aadhaar numbers to the income tax department for major property deals.
This issue is not limited to Manesar alone; the survey identified failures in protocol across 93 tehsils in 22 districts. An I-T official noted that while PAN cards were collected during registration, they were not entered into the system, likely due to software malfunctions.
The lack of PAN information has raised concerns regarding the transparency and legality of these transactions. Officials indicated that without PAN data, it becomes impossible to trace the movement of funds and detect potential tax evasion.
“Even if 1% of individuals evade taxes, the financial loss would be significant,” remarked an I-T official, underscoring the potential revenue shortfall.
Previous surveys at Wazirabad and Kadipur tehsils similarly uncovered discrepancies, indicating a broader issue of neglect or systemic failure in the property registration process.
Officials stated that the I-T department has informed revenue officials about these findings and recommended updating the software to ensure adherence to documentation requirements.
District revenue officer Vijay Yadav acknowledged that the Manesar tehsil survey focused on registries from the last five years. “We identified irregularities in entering the identity card and PAN details of buyers and sellers into the software. This will be corrected,” he confirmed.
The I-T department is currently working to track down the PAN numbers of those involved in these property transactions and will verify whether the associated income appears in their tax returns.
The results of this investigation could have significant repercussions, not only for those implicated but also for the integrity of the property registration system in the area.
This survey is part of the state government’s initiatives to combat corruption and irregularities in property registrations. Recent attempts to digitize the system aim to bolster transparency, yet the failure to input PAN information into the digital framework jeopardizes these reforms and allows for the risk of fraudulent activities.
