Government Employees protest against defective Tax Deduction System for opting for Old Tax Regime:

Government Employees protest against defective Tax Deduction System for opting for Old Tax Regime Nearly 50 employees of the Tamil Nadu Arasu Uzhiyargal Sangam gathered outside the Department of Treasuries and Accounts office in Saidapet to express their dissatisfaction on Wednesday. The protest was prompted by concerns with a new software system that affects income tax deductions for employees who choose the old income tax regime. The State government's recently implemented software for issuing pay slips has created a considerable barrier. Employees who chose the old income tax regime are unable to select this choice in the new system, resulting in greater deductions. N. Amudha, Sangam's women's wing organizer and protest leader, stated that as a result of this software problem, a significant amount of the employees' salaries was being improperly deducted. In some circumstances, more than half of the April 2024 salary was deducted as TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) from the gross. Despite several representations to the state government, no action has been taken to solve the problem. Employees are demanding that the old tax slab option be included in the new pay slip portal to ensure accurate tax deductions. The Tamil Nadu Arasu Uzhiyargal Sangam is urging the State government to:

• Add an option in the new pay slip software to select the old income tax regime.
• Ensure that employees can claim the deductions they were entitled to under the old tax regime.
• To avoid additional financial hardship for government employees, resolve the software issue as soon as possible.

The protest has highlighted a huge administrative issue that impacts the livelihoods of many government employees. The Sangam expects that this demonstration would force the government to take immediate action to fix the problem. The peaceful protest by the Tamil Nadu Arasu Uzhiyargal Sangam shows the importance of effective and responsive systems of government. As the employees await for a resolution, the focus remains on ensuring that their rightful earnings are preserved and appropriately reflected in their salaries.