PCMC succeeds checking octroi evasion

PUNE, Nov 20: Stringent measures to check octroi evasion has yielded positive results for the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) during the last six months as the deficit amount, compared to last year’s revenue which had almost touched Rs six crore, has now come down to Rs 1.25 crore.

The corporation has more plans, particularly to check octroi evasion on precious metals, liquor and tobacco products, and also strengthening the special squads to achieve the target of Rs 165 crore for the 1998-99 financial year.The evasion of octroi on liquor goods is expected to be completely curbed from next month. The corporation will now recover the revenue from the traders at the godowns itself where transit passes are issued to them by the excise department for transporting the goods at their shops. The excise department has granted permission to PCMC to tax the traders at the godowns immediately when the transit passes are issued. A meeting of the liquor traders and hotels having permit licences has been called on November 25 to explain the new process of charging octroi to them.

The octroi department has also called a meeting of jewellers in the twin township next Monday to discuss payment of octroi on gold and silver metals. At present, the corporation does not receive any octroi on these metals. The octroi for the metals is 0.25 per cent and 0.50 per cent respectively, on gold and silver.Chief octroi superintendent Kishore Nimbalkar said, the corporation will also target the tobacco dealers in the township. It plans to allot bank accounts to the dealers, and based on the information provided by the tobacco companies, the octroi amount will have to be deposited in those accounts by the respective dealers.

PCMC will also increase the number of special squads from three to six. Incidentally, the three squads have recovered Rs. 31.29 lakh between April to October this year as against Rs. 16.36 lakh during the last financial year.