Swarnkar Sangh seeks CM’s intervention in gold trade

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 16

The Swarnkar Sangh, Punjab, on Monday sought Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s intervention to protect gold jewellery trade that is going through a rough phase during these unprecedented times of Covid-19 pandemic.

The association alleged harassment at the hands of the mobile wing of GST authorities. It said jewellers were facing difficulties and needed support in these testing times.

Satinder Pal Singh (Prince Kanda), president of the sangh, condemned the word ‘smugglers’ allegedly being used by the GST authorities for the jewellers after a trader was detained by GST officials.

Citing an incident, he said that on November 4, a trader was detained by the mobile wing of the GST. He had purchased jewellery from the local market with the invoice and was returning to his state. He said he was asked to produce e-way bill entry which was not mandatory and exempted under the rules of the CGST Act. The trader was penalised by the GST authorities.

He alleged that it was disheartening for the jewellers who were the highest tax payers in the country. Traders of other states, who come to Punjab for procuring jewellery, were now feeling insecure, added the sangh president.

Kanda said our traders were being treated as criminals. They were not allowed to call anyone. He said even the traders were asked to pay for the valuation of the jewellery which was to be made by the tax authorities without issuing any receipt which was purely against the rule of law.

The members of the association urged the CM and state tax authorities to look into the matter seriously and take necessary steps to remove ‘tax terrorism’ prevailing in the state. Kanda said that they had already filed petitions with the authorities concerned and the Director General of Police, Punjab, regarding the illegal detention of jewellers in the past.