Punjab: SGST team faces stiff resistance during inspection of firm

LUDHIANA: The state GST (SGST) department’s mobile wing team faced stiff resistance during inspection of a firm in Industrial Area B which dealt in various metals. Officials claimed that since Wednesday evening, the team had started its action. But the owner of the firm did not cooperate and a mob tried to disrupt the proceedings. Sensing trouble, the officials called the police for help. The premises which were to be covered in the action were sealed.
On Thursday when the inspection resumed, the crowd started swelling up, but SGST’s director enforcement H P S Ghotra, Ludhiana mobile wing’s assistant commissioner Pardeep Kaur Dhillon with the help of police force somehow managed to bring the situation under control. The inspection was concluded in which several incriminating documents were found.
Ghotra said, “One of our teams had intercepted a goods vehicle on Wednesday. During checking, the driver had failed to produce any document for the goods. Accordingly, we started an inspection at Banga Metals, Industrial Area B, Gill Road where a lot of metal scrap was kept. But during the course of inspection, the owner didn’t cooperate and several people gathered to create ruckus and obstructed officers from performing their duty. Thereafter, police were called to assist the SGST team. As a result, our team locked and sealed the premises. It was opened today under legal provisions after which we took the stock of goods.”
Officials said the valuation of the entire stock was being done and tallied with the books of accounts and discrepancies found will be dealt with as per law. “We have clear instructions about the strict action against the tax offenders,” he said.