Punjab excise minister intercepts 15 trucks ferrying goods without paying GST

After complaints of tax evasion, Harpal Cheema and GST commissioner KK Yadav conduct surprise check at Rajpura

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who also holds the charge of excise and taxation, on Saturday conducted a surprise check and intercepted 15 trucks entering the state at Rajpura in Patiala district without paying the goods and services tax (GST).

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who also holds the charge of excise and taxation, with a truck driver during the surprise check at Rajpura in Patiala district on Saturday. Punjab GST commissioner KK Yadav is seen in the background. (HT Photo)

The trucks were intercepted on the Delhi-Amritsar national highway near Multani Dhaba at Rajpura on Saturday morning. The minister was accompanied by Punjab GST commissioner KK Yadav and the department’s mobile wings of Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Shambhu.

It is learnt that the truck drivers could not produce the bill of goods being transported and their documents were incomplete.

Cheema said: “Since it’s Saturday, I was going to my constituency (Dirba) and on the way received complaints of tax evasion and I decided to conduct the checks.”

Later, he tweeted: “Supervised checking of vehicles at NH 44 along with officers of the taxation department. Vehicles found evading tax were issued notices on the spot. The Bhagwant Mann government is committed to honest governance. Nobody evading tax or stealing from Punjab’s treasury will be spared.”

Cheema said that expensive furniture was being ferried as wood, while iron scrap-laden trucks were without bills. Most of items loaded in trucks were under billed. There were trucks without licence plates, too.

All 15 trucks have been impounded and criminal proceedings initiated against their owners.