The Income Tax department should be "friendly and courteous" towards the tax-payers while recovering levies, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said on Friday.
 
Inaugurating a Rs 38 crore multi-storeyed tower for the department in Hyderabad, Chidambaram said this eco-friendly and centrally air-conditioned building would help IT employees to work in an atmosphere which is conducive to the tax collection.

Chidambaram said the IT department has taken up many user-friendly initiatives which has increased tax collection.

He joined the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy in complimenting the state's IT department for collecting Rs 10,186 crore last fiscal as compared to Rs 4,800 crore during 2002.

Central Board of Direct Taxes Chairman B M Singh said the department proposed to construct more such buildings in the country and also computerise the entire tax collection system in a phased manner.