Mystery letter alleges evasion of taxes in crores, probe marked

LUDHIANA: The financial commissioner taxation received an anonymous letter recently claiming that two senior officials posted in Jalandhar and Shambu were running a tax evasion nexus hand in glove with two private persons. The letter suggested that the evasion had amounted to crores and was operating from Mandi Gobindgarh.

The letter claims that these officials were allegedly hand in glove with 13 private individuals of two different passers group (gang which facilitates movement of goods without paying taxes) were guiding the movement of hundreds of trucks ferrying scrap on a daily basis. These officials were however enabling them to get the mandatory E-way bill thereby leading to tax evasion to the tune of crores.

Confirming the receipt of this letter, financial commissioner taxation M P Singh said that a probe was already initiated. “We have asked for a report from the office of excise and taxation commissioner (ETC) and asked for the factual status of these allegations as such matters were sent to ETC for preliminary investigation,’’ said Singh.

Explaining the modus operandi, senior officials on conditions of anonymity said that the prestate which was facilitating movement of goods without paying taxes not only within the state but also beyond Punjab officials explained that if a single truck of iron goods and scrap was let through like this without paying tax on an average department loses Rs. 1.20 – Rs. 1.40 lakh per truck in this way and daily basis thousands of such trucks commute on the roads in the state specially in Mandi Gobindgarh area and if the claims in the letter are true that 200-300 trucks pass without paying taxes it means daily loss of Rs. 2.5 crore to Rs. 3.5 crore of GST to both state and centre governments.

A copy of the letter which is available with TOI , claimed that these two officers (one of whom is deputy excise and taxation level and another is assistant excise and taxation level officer) play an active role in ensuring the evasion.