I-T notice to Gujarat government routine verification: Pranab

"Verification is routinely carried out by the I-T (Income Tax) department," Mukherjee said making a brief statement in the Rajya Sabha amid an uproar over the Wikileaks revelation on alleged cash payoffs during the 2008 confidence vote in the Lok Sabha.

"There were complaints by leader of opposition in the Gujarat assembly that large amount of funds were being given during the Vibrant Gujarat summit...This called for tax investigation of the source of such huge funds," he said.

The IT enforcement directorate of Gujarat Feb 17 issued a letter seeking copies of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) of values above Rs.1,000 crore, he added.
The minister said that so far no information has been furnished to the IT department.

The proceedings of the Rajya Sabha were stalled Wednesday as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the government of assaulting the federal character of the country and blamed it for using the Income Tax department as a political tool.

However, amid the Wikileaks revelations, the opposition seemed less interested in the statement as it demanded no further clarifications from the finance minister on the issue.