Revenue staff to be trained on AI, deep analytics: Finance minister

PANVEL Union finance and corporate affairs minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced that training will soon be given to revenue staff all over the country, particularly the junior staff in artificial intelligence, deep analytics and Internet of Things (IoT) to plug the leakages in GST collection and also nab the colluding `rare’ black sheep in the system.

Appreciating the department’s performance, she said that even prime minister Narendra Modi had noticed it.

Sitharaman was speaking at the inauguration programme of Kendriya GST Parisar, a residential complex of CGST and Central Excise Mumbai Zone in Kharghar node of Navi Mumbai on Wednesday. The minister who delivered the key-note address on the occasion also handed over the keys of houses to the first five allottees of the residential complex.

On her plans for the department, the minister said, “I have had brief conversation with the revenue secretary and Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) chairman requesting that training be given to the staff for better utilisation of artificial intelligence, data deep dive and Internet of Things (IoT).”

She explained, “It will enable the use of technology to detect where revenue leakages are happening, where mischief makers or people who are gaming the system or playing it up, claiming wrong refunds, probably creating shell companies or even worse, colluding with some, black sheep in the system thereby causing loss to the exchequer.”

She added that if the junior officers are given adequate training on this, it will be very easy to see where the evasion is happening, where fraudulent claims are coming from and how to plug them.

Appreciating the fact that the staff members’ families will have quality shelter, the minister said, “It is difficult in a place like Mumbai metropolitan region to find homes even if you get a housing allowance. This quality project is an example of how human resources can be taken care of.”

Praising the GST department for its continuous excellent performance, Sitharaman said, “Prime minister Narendra Modi has himself, in a council of ministers meeting attended by secretaries of all departments of the government, made a special mention of the CBIC. He has spoken of how the country’s economy is sound, how it is growing well and month after month we are getting GST revenue that is stunning in numbers.”

‘Not my photo please’

During the key handing over ceremony, Sitharaman who gave the allotment letter to the first recipient, was amused to see her photograph on the symbolic key she had to present. She turned the key while presenting to hide her picture. She then refused to hand over the other keys, simply giving away the allotment letters.

Speaking on her action, Sitharaman, who had earlier this month castigated a collector in Telangana over the absence of the photograph of PM Modi in a PDS shop, clarified, “There should not be any misunderstanding over my banter with the revenue secretary and CBIC chairman. It was only that I didn’t want my photograph on the keys given to the residents. It should be the occupant’s photograph on the key as they can keep it as a memento.”

She also inspected the complex and planted trees there despite heavy rain.