DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION BY A PUBLIC SERVANT UNDER MODEL GST LAW

Goods and Services Tax – GST – By: – Mr. M. GOVINDARAJAN – Dated:- 11-3-2017 – Public Servant Section 146 of Model Goods and Services Tax, 2016 ( Act for short) provides that all persons discharging functions under the Act shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code. Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code defines the term public servant as denoting a person falling under any of the descriptions as below- Every Commissioned Officer in the Military,Naval or Air Forces of India; Every Judge including any person empowered by law to discharge, whether by himself or as a member of any body of persons, any adjudicatory functions; Every officer of a Court of Justice (including a liquidator, receiver or commissioner) whose duty it is, as such officer, to investigate or report on any matter of law or fact, or to make, authenticate, or keep any document, or to take charge or dispose of any property, or to execute any judicial process, or to admini

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investigate, or to report, on any matter affecting the pecuniary interests ofthe Government, or to make, authenticate or keep any document relating to the pecuniary interests of the Govern­ment, or to prevent the infraction of any law for the protection of the pecuniary interests of the Government; Every officer whose duty it is, as such officer, to take, receive, keep or expend any property, to make any survey or assessment or to levy any rate or tax for any secular common purpose of any village, town or district, or to make, authenti­cate or keep any document for the ascertaining of the rights of the people of any village, town or district; Every person who holds any office in virtue of which he is empowered to prepare, publish, maintain or revise an elec­toral roll or to conduct an election or part of an election; Every person- in the service or pay of the Government or remunerated by fees or commission for the performance of any public duty by the Government; in the ser

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ed to be done in good faith under the Act or the rules. No departmental proceedings shall lie against any GST officer for passing any adjudication order or appellate order in good faith under the Act or the rules. Confidentiality of information Section 148(1) provides that all particulars contained in any statement made, return furnished or accounts or documents produced in accordance with the Act or in any record of evidence given in the course of any proceedings under the Act, other than proceeding before a Criminal Court, or in any record of any proceedings under the Act shall, save as provided in Section 148(4), be treated as confidential. GST Officer not to produce information Section 148(2) provides that notwithstanding anything contained in the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, no court shall save as aforesaid, be entitled to require any GST officer to produce before it or to give evidence before it in respect of particulars as referred to in Section 148 (1). Particulars not applicable

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other law for the time being in force authorizing any such authority to exercise any powers there under; or to any officer appointed for the purpose of audit of tax receipts or refunds of the tax imposed by the Act; or where such particulars are relevant for the purpose of any inquiry into the conduct of any GST officer, to any person or persons appointed as inquiry officer under any relevant law; or to an officer of the Central Government or any State Government as may be necessary for the purpose of enabling that Government to levy or realize any tax or duty imposed by it; or when such disclosure is occasioned by the lawful exercise by a public servant or any statutory authority, of his or its powers under any law for the time being in force; or relevant to any inquiry into a charge of misconduct in connection with any proceedings under the Act against- a practicing Advocate; tax practitioner; a practicing cost accountant; a practicing chartered accountant; a practicing company secre

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