Quantum Leap In State Excise Revenue Collection Has Registered

GUWAHATI: State Excise revenue collection has registered a quantum leap forward this fiscal from what it was in the last financial year. So far, a total of Rs 2,350 crore has been collected and the figure is set to scale newer height by March 31.

Sources in the State Excise department attribute such a jump in excise revenue collection too, what they say, the loophole-free online system of issuing permits and making payment. However, there are allegations that a section of corrupt officials in the department is out to derail the online system that makes them incur a huge loss of ill-gotten cash.

A disagreement between the department and wholesalers, according to sources, has blocked a huge amount of tax. The bone of contention between the two parties is – while excise laws say that wholesalers have to pay tax for the whole stocks in godowns, the latter argue that paying tax against non-salable stocks in their godowns will be an injustice to them. Hard bargaining is underway between the two parties on this issue and the last date for making payment is March 31. This logjam alone has blocked excise tax amounting to crores of rupees.

Sources allege that non-cooperation from Arunachal Pradesh Excise Department makes the task for checking illegal movement of liquor through the State difficult. Most of the liquor wholesalers have their godowns in Arunachal Pradesh along the Assam border. These wholesalers obtain their permits at Bandardewa for transportation of liquors from Bandardewa to Ziro and other places in Arunachal Pradesh via Assam. Sources, however, allege that these truckers illegally unload liquor at certain points in Assam on their way to Ziro. Allegations do the rounds that when they (truckers from Arunachal Pradesh) are caught by Assam Excise sleuths and produced them before the court, they get released as the court finds their permits valid. To plug this hole, according to sources, the State Excise Department has written letters to its Arunachal Pradesh counterpart requesting them to give details of their liquor carrying trucks from Bandardewa to Ziro and other places. According to sources, the Assam Excise department has even assured its Arunachal Pradesh counterpart of escorting the liquor-laden trucks of the neighboring State to their destinations if it gets details of the consignment and the trucks so as to ensure that no liquor is illegally unloaded in Assam. However, no positive response is forthcoming from the Arunachal Pradesh Excise Department.

On sulai glutting the market in Assam, sources say that it is not an easy task to ban illicit liquor totally in the State where there is no Act to ban laligur (molasses). Sources say that the draft is in the making for an Act banning laligur in the State.

Also Read: Top Headlines