Lucknow: The Silver Jubilee celebrations marking 25 years of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), Lucknow Bench, were held successfully in the state capital. The event was graced by the presence of Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal, who attended the event as the chief guest.
Addressing the gathering, Meghwal described the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal as a strong, impartial and credible pillar of India’s judicial system. He said the ITAT has played a historic role in ensuring speedy, accessible and effective resolution of tax disputes across the country. The Union Minister informed that necessary amendments to the Income Tax Act, 1961 are likely to be introduced soon and urged the Tribunal to provide practical and constructive suggestions to make the law more efficient and citizen-friendly.
Meghwal emphasised that reducing complexity, time consumption and excessive paperwork in laws, rules and government procedures remains a top priority of the Modi government. He stated that the government is continuously working on reforms aimed at simplifying systems, enhancing transparency and improving ease of compliance, thereby making governance more effective, accountable and centred on citizens.
The ceremony was also attended by Dr Rajeev Mani, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Government of India; Amal Pushp, Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Lucknow; and Aparna Karan, Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Kanpur, as distinguished guests.
Several senior judicial dignitaries and members of the ITAT were present, including Justice (Retd) C. V. Bhadang, President of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal; Shaktijit Dey, Vice-President (Mumbai Zone); and Amit Shukla, Judicial Member, Mumbai Zone, along with other former and serving members of the Tribunal.
Highlighting the achievements of the Lucknow Bench, it was noted that the ITAT Lucknow Bench was established on May 5, 2000, with its first sitting held in August 2000. At present, two benches are functioning in Lucknow, handling income tax appeals from 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Over the past 25 years, more than 16,000 appeals have been disposed of, with pending cases being addressed on a regular basis.
Currently, the Lucknow Bench comprises Kul Bharat, Vice-President (Lucknow Zone) and Judicial Member; Sudhanshu Srivastava, Judicial Member; and Anadi Nath Mishra and Nikhil Chaudhary, Accountant Members. The Tribunal operates from its modern ITAT complex at Avadh Vihar Yojana along Amar Shaheed Path, Lucknow, equipped with facilities for e-hearing through video conferencing.
The event witnessed the participation of senior income tax officials and a large number of advocates and chartered accountants from Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Gorakhpur. P. K. Kapoor, President of the ITAT Bar Association, Lucknow, along with other office bearers, was also present.
The Silver Jubilee celebration reflected on the Tribunal’s illustrious history, strong judicial traditions and its guiding principle of delivering impartial, accessible and speedy justice.
