The CAG report has recommended that government may direct the department to explore the possibility of recovery of cow cess of Rs 97.24 crore. (File)Twenty-four senior officials in Punjab failed to take cognisance of a government notification designating them as collecting authority for cow cess on sale of liquor, leading to a loss of Rs 97.24 crore, a report by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed.
It was in 2015 that Punjab had levied a cess on liquor with the motive that fund generated will be used to protect cows and rehabilitate them at the ‘gaushalas’.
The CAG report tabled in the recently held budget session of Vidhan Sabha noted that 24 Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioners (AETC) did not take cognisance of a notification issued by the Department of Local Government designating them as collecting authority for cow cess on sale of liquor. Punjab was thus deprived of Rs 97.24 crore between June 1, 2015 and January 2018.
AETC Moga and Mansa, in their replies, stated that there was no provision of cow cess in the excise policy, and hence the same was not collected.
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The CAG report noted that replies were “not tenable” as the cow cess was levied through a notification by the government and after AETCs were designated as collecting authority, it was incumbent upon them to collect the same till the notification was revoked.
It also noted that the department could have made the provision for collection of cow cess in the excise policies during 2016-16 and 2016-17 in harmony with the notification issued.
The CAG report has recommended that government may direct the department to explore the possibility of recovery of cow cess of Rs 97.24 crore.
The CAG report pointed out that the [Excise and Taxation Department] included the provision for collecting cow cess on Indian Made Foreign Liquor, Punjab Medium Liquor (country liquor) and beer, from April 1, 2018 onwards.
Another government functionary said in the latest policy “all the duties and cess, including cow cess have been merged into license fee.”
As per Punjab Gau Sewa Commission chairman Sachin Sharma, there “were 1.4 lakh stray gaudhan (cattle) in Punjab, around one lakh were housed in 20 government-run cow pounds (gaushalas) and another nearly 50,000 in 457 private gaushalas registered with the commission.”
Sharma said cow cess was very significant for manage “gaudhan” as stray cattle not only cause accidents, but also get injured themselves, apart from causing damage to crops.
As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report on accidental deaths and suicide in 2020, as many as 214 persons died and 63 injured in 208 accidents involving animal crossing.
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