Tuesday October 23, 03:43 AM
Gutka firm evades Rs 15-cr excise duty in 19 days
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By Economy Bureau
The tax department has booked a gutka manufacturing firm in Haryana for not paying Rs 15.15 crore in central excise duty for just 19 days of production. "A case of evasion of duty by M/s Som Sugandh Industries, Kundli, the manufacturer of popular brands of Gutkha namely Dilbagh, Talab and Tez has been registered," the Central Board of Excise and Customs said in a statement. FE had recently reported that the tax department was planning to pull the plug on gutka and paan masala industries, who were indulging in large scale tax evasion. The unit in Haryana was raided following reports that it was running three shifts, while reporting only one. "Searches revealed an evasion of central excise duty of Rs 15.15 crore, payable on account of production of only 19 days for October 2007," a senior official of the Central Board of Excise and Customs said. Sources said pan masala and gutka units were among the top excise duty evaders. This industry contributes about Rs 600 crore in central excise duty annually as against the potential of Rs 2,400 crore, meaning a total tax evasion of about Rs 1,800 crore every year, the sources said. The CBEC official said the while the company had declared only one shift in its factory, but it worked round the clock. The duplicate set of challans of such unaccounted production and clearances was kept in the personal custody of their manager at his residence, the official said. The unit was earlier also found involved in duty evasion of Rs 9.64 lakh, the official said. -PTI
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