The Integrated Online Revenue Applications (IORA) portal was set up by the revenue department to ease the taxpayer’s processes of filing due returns. This was especially meant for those applying for various certifications such as non-agricultural (NA) permission, paying premiums, getting farmer verification certificates or filing other applications.
Based on the many complaints the portal registered that their applications were dismissed “because of minor discrepancies,” officials have now been told to be more accommodating and not discard pleas for minor inconsistencies.
According to superintendent of stamps and revenue investigation Jenu Devan: “An official note to the effect was sent to all district collectors on February 15. All have been asked to monitor online applications and record how many were disposed off positively. The main purpose of the portal gets defeated if citizens are forced to apply in person and go through the entire process in person. There seems to be a lack of focus and we are working on it.”
In case of documents not being attached as the reason to dismiss the application, Devan added: “All records are available with the government. We need to make it a seamless inter-department approach so that lack of such papers as Gujarat Tenancy and Agricultural Land Act or Farmer’s Certificate, do not obstruct the free flow of work on the portal.”
The letter further notes: “It is the responsibility of the collector to ensure that applications are not rejected or disposed over unnecessary issues. They are hereby asked to ensure maximum positive disposal of applications on IORA portal, such that citizens are not inconvenienced.”
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