Forum asks Nashik bank to return TDS to woman

NASHIK: The consumer forum has asked Punjab National Bank to return Rs 1.01 lakh that were deducted as Tax Deduction at Source from interest generated on the deposits by the customer and that were reportedly not paid to the IT department due to which the customer was unable to recover the same from the IT department.
The issue came to fore when the PNB customer Preetamkaur Jogindersing Saluja, resident of Nashik Road, received the TDS certificate from the Bank using which it tried to get the refund of tax deducted from the IT department.But the IT dept told her that the TDS deposited with the department was far less than what the TDS certificate promised.
"I have six deposit accounts with the bank from which I receive annual returns. The bank in the year 2007-08 and 2011-12 deducted some amount from my account as part of TDS norms and issued me certificates of the same. But while reclaiming the deductions as allowed by the law, I never got full amount back as mentioned in the certificates. The IT officials told me that the bank never deposited the amount," Preetamkaur said.
The amount deducted from the interest payable to Preetamkaur in the year 2007-08 was Rs 12,968, for 2008-09 (Rs 26,424), 2009-10 (Rs 26,522), 2010-11 (Rs 26,598) and for 2011-12 it was Rs 39,187 as per the certificates.
But what bank did not pay to the IT was Rs 6,676 for 2007-08, Rs 16,660 (2008-09), Rs 23,117 (2009-10), 24,603 (2010-11) and Rs 30,404 for the year 2011-12.
"The bank had paid a maximum of Rs 8,783 for the last year and nothing more than that. Against total certificates worth Rs 1,34,699, the bank paid only Rs 33,239 to the TT department. When I pleaded with the IT department for the total refunds, the department only pointed out to me the fact that was the bank had only deposited Rs 33,239 during the corresponding period," she said.
The bank officials did not deploy any lawyer for clearing their stand. Though they remained present at the hearings at the consumer forum, the officials did not say anything during the hearing. Neither did they commit for payments, nor did they disown the claim.