From correspondents in Delhi, India, 03:00 PM IST

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday said the government was confident of meeting its revised income tax collection target for the last fiscal along with the target set for 2007-08.

Chidambaram inaugurated a videoconference facility connecting his North Block office to the offices of income tax chief commissioners in 46 cities across the country.

The minister said this facility would allow him round-the-year access to the chief commissioners, whom he could meet only once a year until now.

He said the video conferencing facility would also facilitate the department's efficiency and effectiveness to meet its tax collection targets, including the revised target for fiscal 2006-07 as well as the target set for 2007-08.

The collection target was revised from over Rs.2.11 trillion to Rs.2.29 trillion, while the target for 2007-08 has been pegged at Rs.2.67 trillion in the annual budget.

'The video conferencing facility is expected to act as a productivity booster for the income tax department as the finance ministry would be able to interact regularly with the field offices as and when required,' said Chidambaram.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)