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Journalism of Courage
AUGUST 6: The four check nakas set up to sustain the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation8217;s financial health are instead draining the civic administration8217;s coffers. The BMC is being robbed of over Rs 500 crore every year by the corrupt practices of agents posted at these nakas to collect octroi.
Concerned corporators at the standing committee meeting on Wednesday criticised the agents. They alleged that the corporation suffered heavy losses due to the corrupt practices of the agents.
The BJP corporator claimed that it was possible to raise the revenue at the check nakas by over Rs 500 crore. He informed that according to a survey by the Bajaj Institute of Management more than Rs 500 crore was lost by the corporation every year due to the corrupt agents. Sharma had submitted his letter to Municipal Commissioner Girish Gokhale on May 26 demanding the cancellation of licences of the agents. The Commissioner, however, refused his demand stating that it was essential to appoint octroi agents. According to him, the agents worked on behalf of the importers of particular goods coming into Mumbai and pay the octroi duty to the corporation.
In a written letter, the Commissioner said that a majority of the drivers who bring the goods are illiterate and cannot complete the paper formalities at the nakas. Moreover, the importers were not present when the goods were brought through the nakas as they are often brought at odd hours. In this situation, the agents pay the octroi on behalf of the importers.
The Commissioner added that in view of the increasing number of vehicles carrying goods which attract octroi, it was absolutely necessary to have octroi agents. He said that according to the octroi rule 26A, persons doing the agents job have been appointed as clearing agents. The Commissioner has powers to cancel licences if anybody is found adopting unscrupulous means, he said.
Corporators belonging to all party criticised the agents. Nihaz Ahmed, Bal Rane and Nandu Satam demanded that the civic administration formulate some rules and regulations for the agents. A demand was also made to set up a committee to monitor the octroi collection by the agents.
Standing Committee Chairman Sardar Tara Singh later said that an informal meeting would be called where the corporators could voice their grievances and sort out the matter. He later referred the item back to the Commissioner. The committee also passed a proposal by the Commissioner to file a suit against Pratibha Housing Society to recover the charges borne by the corporation in May 1991 while demolishing the illegal eight upper floors of the building. Additional municipal commissioner Sharwaree Gokhale said that the corporation had spent over Rs 62 lakh to carry out the demolition.The corporation had sent a notice in November 1995 to the society to pay the amount but the society did not reply. Gokhale said that the corporation would file a suit for recovering Rs two crores which includes the interest.
