The Income Tax (I-T) department is making conscious efforts to shed its image of an 'inspector and tax collector' to a more friendly service provider and facilitator of tax related issues. In a bid for image makeover the 150-year-old department has initiated steps to reach out to the youth- especially the students from the prestigious schools and colleges- and interact with them as confidence building measures.

Talking to TOI, said chief commissioner of Income Tax, Indore Surendra Mishra said, "The department has in its action plan for the current fiscal, has given a mandate to the field officers to interact with the younger generation once in a quarter. The students are simultaneously encouraged to visit the income tax offices.

The motive for the activity was three-fold- to motivate, inform, win confidence, guide, educate and interact with the younger generations and make them aware about tax laws and working of the department.

Secondly, we are also looking towards confidence building so that they know the process and are not shy to meet the officers. Above all, the idea was to develop bright enlightened tax payers, said he.

He said that department had undertaken a series of interactions with the students of the Indian Institute of Management, Indore (IMM-I), prominent business and management schools, aspiring law students and Chartered Accountants (CAs) and top schools.

Referring to the details about interactions with the students, Mishra said, the I-T department has concluded that the educated youth of the present day, whether in the top schools or colleges of the country, are keen to make fast buck irrespective of the means. The desire to get rich in the shortest possible time drives them at times to take shortcuts or evade laws.

The outcome of the interactions have forced the I-T department to conclude that the youngsters are ready to amass wealth by either 'hook or by crook'. Also, they won't mind to go to any extent, when it comes to making fortunes. The department has submitted its observations before central board of direct taxes (CBDT).