An illegal gutkha factory has been detected in Chandrakhuri of Durg district. Here Gutkha was being secretly made and supplied in the market. Raipur GST team detected this factory while chasing a vehicle laden with gutkha pouches. It is being told that a case of major GST evasion has been registered against the factory operator.
According to the information received from Raipur GST Department, one of their teams was engaged in checking the e-way bill on March 1. Meanwhile, a suspicious vehicle passed by and after seeing the team, started running away. The team chased that vehicle. The vehicle ran from Raipur border towards Chandkhuri Fort. He tricked the team and meanwhile all the packing material was burnt.
The GST team identified from the burnt material that all the goods were of Gutkha and all this was being done for GST evasion. The team interrogated people nearby and reached the Gutkha factory in Chandrakhuri, where this Gutkha was being made. Although the operator removed all the Gutkha items from there, but when the team reached there, they found a Gutkha making machine, betel nuts and empty Gutkha pouches in large quantities.
The team has seized a large quantity of wrappers of reputed brand gutkha companies and raw material of gutkha, betel nut tobacco etc. from the illegal gutkha factory. The team has registered a case of GST evasion and started investigating it.
Illegal gutkha factory was being operated
The GST team investigated and found that the Gutkha factory operating in Chandrakhuri was illegal. There was no permission for that from any department. The name of this factory was Komal Foods. The team has also seized the mixer machine being used in making illegal gutka from here. Here Gutkha was being prepared, packed in wrappers of different brands and sold in the market.
Factory operator caught in GST evasion earlier also
According to GST officials, the operator of Komal Foods Factory has already been caught in the case of GST evasion. Similarly, he had operated an illegal gutkha factory in Rajnandgaon district. The GST team raided there and registered a case of major GST evasion and took it under investigation.
Action is being taken on the instructions of the Finance Minister
Finance Minister OP Choudhary has set a target of taking the state’s GDP to Rs 10 lakh crore in the next five years. He said that highest GST is available on Gutkha, Pan Masala and tobacco products. Most of the GST evasion is done by people associated with this business. Therefore, it should be strictly investigated and action should be taken. After the instructions of the Minister, the GST department has become very active. The State GST team is continuously monitoring such cases.
Tax of Rs 8 crore deposited
By taking such action this week, the GST department has collected tax of about Rs 8 crore from three different businessmen in case of GST evasion. Tax irregularities in these firms were flagged by iTools. All of them were depositing less tax while claiming more ITC for the last three years. During investigation, a large amount of variation in the stock was also found.
