Courier glitches delay PAN card delivery

SURAT: Several hundred PAN card applicants in the Diamond City are upset with private courier companies hired by the income tax (I-T) department over delay and non-delivery of their PAN cards.
The I-T authorities have been flooded with complaints in this regard.
Sources said PAN cards after their issuance are dispatched from Mumbai by the I-T authorities through private couriers.Usually, it takes two days for the mail to be delivered by the courier companies, but in the case of PAN card delivery, it takes longer.
Niraj Patel, a resident of Adajan, had applied for PAN card in the first week of November. His PAN card was approved and he received a message that the card was dispatched on November 6. However, Patel is yet to receive his PAN card.
“I enquired with the courier company through which my card was dispatched. But, its officials failed to give me a satisfactory answer. Two days ago, I got a call from the delivery boy saying that he had come to my place but there was nobody to receive the PAN card. The delivery man was lying. Now, he wants me to collect the PAN card from him,” Patel said.
Another resident of Gopipura, Nirav Rana, said, “I had registered a new company and urgently wanted PAN card for opening my bank account. My card was issued 20 days ago and it is yet to be delivered to me by the courier company.”
“We have received many complaints from the residents regarding delay in delivery of PAN cards. Since the delivery contract is given from Mumbai, we can’t do much. However, we have written to our higher-ups to resolve the issue at the earliest,” a senior I-T officer said.
The income tax authorities have been flooded with complaints over delay and non-delivery of PAN cards of the residents.