The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee attended the Valedictory Ceremony of the 65th Batch of Indian Revenue Services today (April 29, 2013) at Nagpur.
Speaking on the occasion the President said tax collection is neither a simple nor popular task. Tax collectors should be conscious of the rights and duties of citizens. The tax payer should be seen as an important partner in generating revenue for all our national endeavours. It is the tax they provide which funds welfare schemes, helps maintain law and order, protect our borders etc. Many empires have collapsed in the past because Governments did not have money to pay their soldiers. Kautilya's words ‘Kosh Moolo Dandah’ i.e. "revenue is the backbone of administration” continues to be as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.
This release issued at 1430 hrs