Title - Rly officials meet excise top brass to resolve row over tax evasion

Bathinda: Following allegations of non-cooperation levelled by the excise officials against the railway authorities, a meeting was held today to sort out the matter. The meeting was attended by the Divisional Railway Managers (DRM) of Ambala and Ferozepur and the Excise and Taxation Commissioner of Punjab.Providing respite to the DRMs, the court of the Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner-cum-Joint Director, Investigation, Faridkot and Ferozepur Divisions, also ordered the release the salary of the DRMs following the assurance of cooperation.Rs 500 each from the salary of the DRMs and two other senior railway functionaries was attached by the commissioner's court a few days ago.The railway officials also submitted an affidavit wherein they assured every possible help and cooperation to the excise officials as per the prescribed rules and regulations."We have been relieved from the orders of salary attachment following the assurance to cooperate with the excise officials. Now the matter stands resolved. All the pending issues too would be sorted out," said Naresh Goyal, DRM, Ferozepur Division, after attending the meeting.He said railway officials agreed to provide the documents pertaining to the import of taxable goods through various trains at different railway stations. "Though we cannot provide the details of the past seven years, we did agree on giving the details of the goods imported since January 2012," Goyal said.

Excise officials had earlier accused the railway officials of not cooperating with them in revealing the quantity of taxable goods being brought by various traders through the trains at the railway stations.

The excise officials said the traders adopt train routes to evade taxes by bringing goods worth crores every year. The parcels, without supporting documents, were brought in the custody of railway officials at different railway stations and the excise officials were not authorised to inspect those goods, the excise officials had alleged.

The Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner-cum-Joint Director, Investigation, Faridkot and Ferozepur Divisions, YS Matta had directed the railway authorities to release the data pertaining to the import of goods through trains during the last seven years.

Despite repeated reminders for over two months, the railway authorities had expressed their helplessness in providing the data.

Later talking to TNS, YS Mata said he was satisfied with today's meeting wherein the railway officials submitted the affidavit to comply with the rules and law and to cooperate with the excise officials. He said the matter was resolved in the presence of Excise and Taxation Commissioner of Punjab A. Venu Prasad.

Fact file

Excise officials had accused the railway officials of not cooperating with them in revealing the quantity of taxable goods being brought by various traders through the trains at the railway stations.

The excise officials said the traders adopt train routes to evade taxes by bringing goods worth crores every year. The parcels, without supporting documents, were brought in the custody of railway officials at different railway stations and the excise officials were not authorised to inspect those goods.

Railway officials agreed to provide the documents pertaining to the import of taxable goods through various trains at different railway stations. Though details of last seven years could not be provided, railways agreed to give details of goods brought since January 2012.

The railway officials submitted an affidavit wherein they assured every possible help to the excise officials as per the prescribed rules and regulations.