Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Commercial tax and GST enforcement wing Thursday conducted raids on 20 tobacco manufacturers and traders at 30 different locations across the state.
Based on intelligence inputs, data analysis and frequency of interception of vehicles carrying tobacco products illegally, the State CT and GST Enforcement Wing identified 20 manufacturers and traders of pan masala and tobacco products covering 14 districts and conducting simultaneous raids at 30 different places in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Keonjhar, Rairangpur, Balasore, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Bolangir, Rourkela, Bhawanipatna, Kesinga and Berhampur.
In the ongoing raids, 30 teams consisting of 121 officers and Police personnel are verifying documents, computers, laptops, transaction details and recording the physical stock available in their business premises and stores for cross verification with books of accounts, an official said.
The unexplained documents have been seized for further investigation, he said adding that in some places, the manufacturer tried to destroy incriminating documents.
Preliminary investigation reveals that these tax payers have paid very negligible amount of tax on their sales despite having huge purchase and sales turnover, he said.
The investigating officers have been instructed to complete the investigation as quickly as possible.
From the raids conducted earlier in jewellery and furniture sector, tax, penalty and fine amounting to Rs.9.82 crores and Rs 2.51 crores respectively have been collected and deposited in government account.
PTI
