New Delhi, Apr 23: In an embarrassment to the government, the Election Commission today shot off a letter to the Cabinet Secretary seeking explanation for announcing the achievements on tax-collection front by top finance ministry officials recently in violation of model code of conduct for elections. The EC letter took exception to finance ministry officials, including finance and revenue secretaries, holding a briefing last week to paint a rosy picture by announcing that the tax collections had grown by 18 per cent to Rs 2,52,162 crore in 2003/04. It was said at the press conference that for the first time since 1995/96 that the provisional annual figures of revenue collections have exceeded budget estimates. It was for the first time that direct tax collections had crossed Rs 1,00,000 crore.
The letter sent to the cabinet secretary, however, did not specify any timelimit for the getting the explanation from the government. Bureau Report