In good news for lakhs of taxpayers awaiting their IT refunds, the government has directed the taxman to 'expeditiously' settle claims involving less than 50,000 rupees. According to government data, over 5,400 crore rupees arelocked in pending refunds, which has become a major grievance for taxpayers. Officials said instructions in this regard were issued early this week after a review meeting was held with senior CBDT officials as part of Finance Ministry's drive to ensure a taxpayer-friendly regime following a call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for steps to address their grievances and cut down on complaints.