The CBDT has directed the Income Tax department to "scrupulously" monitor tax collection, which it said is slightly less than the target even as the current financial year is nearing an end.

Central Board of Direct Taxes Chairman Sushil Chandra has dispatched an urgent communication to his regional chiefs, asking them to personally monitor the revenue collection work, which is the "single most parameter for evaluating the performance of the department".

"On review of the position of budget collection as on March 4, it is noted that as against the target growth rate of above 14 per cent, the current rate of growth of net collections is only 10.6 per cent, which does not augur well for achievement of the budget target in the current year," the CBDT boss said.

Direct tax collection for the current financial year (2016-17), which ends on March 31, is about Rs 8.47 lakh crore.

"With a view to concentrate all efforts toward the objective of achieving the budget target, you are requested to personally review and monitor the position of collections through advance tax, tax deducted at source and recovery from arrear and current demand of your region on a weekly basis," Chandra said.

He said that while he has written separate communications in the recent past for enhancing efforts in this direction, fresh action "may be followed scrupulously by all officers engaged in the work of assessment and collection".

"It may be reiterated that the achievement of revenue target is sacrosanct and the single most parameter for evaluating the performance of the department and accordingly, no efforts must be spared to achieve the same.

"Performance of each Chief Commissioner of Income Tax and Principal Commissioner will be measured against the target alloted to him/her regardless of whether the Principal Chief Commissioner of I-T region as a whole achieved its revenue target or not," he said.

Chandra recently directed the taxman to step up survey operations to check non-deduction of TDS by firms and employers, especially in cases where such payments have dropped by more than 15 per cent as compared to the last time.