Dear Friends,

This special issue is dedicated on the Union Budget 2019. After the clear majority and success given by the people of India to Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi it was expected that this Government will come with a Union Budget giving benefits and a long term vision for the citizens of India about the development and way forward for a new India. Major changes have been made in the Direct Tax as well as in the Indirect Tax in the current budget. The Tax part of the budget speech given by Smt. Nirmala Sitaraman, Union Finance Minister, Govt. of India mentions the major points. However, as always the finer points and major and controversial amendments are mentioned in the Finance Bill. This issue is covering all aspects relating to Union Budget.

This issue is especially dedicated to our past president late Shri S. K. Poddar who left for heavenly abode recently on 18th June, 2019. Shri Poddar was the President of AIFTP for the term 2012 & 2013. His period is marked as the golden period in the AIFTP. The membership increased manifold and particularly in the Eastern Zone the membership growth was tremendous. He was a very simple but highly knowledgeable person always available to all. He was affable, polite, and courteous and had a great sense of humor. He was a prolific speaker and was an encyclopedia on Direct Tax. He attended almost all the conferences and conventions and was normally a speaker or chairman. His method of answering queries was amazing and he by his behavior and knowledge had a special way in satisfying the queriest. Till the last, he was very active in AIFTP and was Patron for Ranchi National Tax Conference held in April, 2019. AIFTP conferred him Lifetime Achievement award at 21st National Convention held in December, 2018 at Guwahati. He in spite of his ill health was fully available in the conference at Ranchi. AIFTP has lost a towering personality. We all will miss his presence, advise, humor, intelligence, magnanimity and what not. We dedicate this issue to this towering person i.e. Shri S. K. Poddar who was a friend, philosopher and guide to all.

AIFTP’s other programmes’ details have already been circulated. The details of National Tax Conference at Kota and Varanasi respectively have been circulated and I expect that all should register for the said conferences and make the same a grand success.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Ashok Saraf
National President