New Delhi, July 24 -- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday urged income tax officials to take firm action against tax evaders while ensuring convenience for honest taxpayers, stressing that a predictable tax regime is essential for economic growth.

Speaking at the 167th Income Tax Day celebrations in New Delhi, the minister also noted that the income tax department's responsibility is no longer limited to "tax collection". Instead, she said, its focus has expanded to ensuring fairness, efficiency, ease of doing business, and service, PTI reported.

"Over more than a century and a half, the I-T Department has evolved alongside India's economic transformation, continuously adapting to meet the changing needs of the nation," Sithar...