Umang Singhar Calls for GST Evasion Probe in Madhya Pradesh
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Bhopal, March 16 (NationPress) - The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Madhya Pradesh and seasoned Congress politician, Umang Singhar, has reached out to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday, raising alarms about a systematic evasion of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) within the state.
In his correspondence, the Congress representative asserted that significant instances of organized GST evasion are occurring in Madhya Pradesh, involving connections with multiple other states, and he has called for a thorough investigation by the Central government.
Singhar emphasized that the detailed intelligence gathered from border areas and key industrial hubs of Madhya Pradesh necessitates urgent attention from the Central authorities regarding this serious issue.
"A sophisticated network for extensive GST evasion is currently in operation in Madhya Pradesh, with origins from various other states. This network facilitates the movement and trade of substantial volumes of goods without the necessary tax payments," stated LoP Singhar.
The letter pointed out that numerous commercial items, including iron materials, building supplies, and spices, are being transported in large quantities via trucks from Gujarat, Maharashtra, and southern states into Madhya Pradesh, from where they are subsequently redistributed throughout the state.
LoP Singhar highlighted that serious discrepancies have emerged regarding the functioning of this organized operation.
"Massive shipments of goods are being transported using falsified or altered E-way bills. In many cases, under-invoicing is employed, where the actual quantity and value of the goods are intentionally misrepresented to reduce the GST liability," he alleged.
The Congress leader also claimed that this entire operation is being coordinated through a network of intermediaries and transport operators who work systematically to enable the transit of goods from various states into Madhya Pradesh without tax compliance.
Additionally, LoP Singhar noted that such illicit activities could result in an annual revenue shortfall of thousands of crores of rupees in GST collections for both the Central and state governments.
He urged the Union Finance Minister to launch a thorough and unbiased investigation into this matter at the Central level and to meticulously examine the roles of the involved organized networks, transport routes, and related entities.
LoP Singhar informed IANS that copies of the letter have also been sent to Vivek Chaturvedi, Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Jagdish Devda, Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister, and Amit Rathore, the State Principal Secretary of the Commercial Taxes Department.