State fails to modernise check-posts

Nellore: Government has been losing huge revenue because of its failure to modernise the integrated check-post located at AP-Tamil Nadu border in Bhimulavanipalem of Tada mandal in SPSR Nellore district.

The corruption and irregularities at the check-post was exposed again and again when ACB conducted raids at least three times in short intervals during the recent past.

In fact, absence of separate yard to check the vehicles on both sides of the national highway became a boon for traders to evade tax by moving taxable goods to Tamil Nadu and vice-versa right under the nose of commercial tax officials manning the check-post either by bribing them or by producing fake documents.

There are instances where check-post seal is obtained on the C-forms without transporting the goods to pay central tax and evade state tax.

In this backdrop the government had proposed to construct model integrated check-posts at Bhimulavanipalem in Nellore district and Purushottapuram at Srikakulam through GO No 480 dated March 27, 2010 but hardly paid any attention to implement it.

In fact, the commercial tax department had purchased 20.48 acre for Rs 4 crores on both sides of the NH at B.V. Palem soon after the release of the GO. As per the GO, the check-posts are to be taken up under BOT basis.

Officials of CT wing say that modernised check-post will have less human intervention and infrastructure such as weighbridges, scanners and Closed Circuit cameras take care of the checking after the vehicles are taken into separate lanes like toll gate barriers.

It is a foolproof system to check corruption to great extent and there is no need for the driver of the vehicle to get down from the vehicle too, deputy commissioner of commercial taxes, Nellore division A. Md. Imtiaz said when contacted.

According to Imtiaz, Government of AP had entered into a memorandum of understanding with Andhra Pradesh Road Development Corporation in 2010 to construct model check-posts at B.V. Palem and Purushottapuram.

GVR Infrastructure was identified as agency to execute the work. ECIL has given a presentation on required infrastructure to commissioner of commercial tax, APRDC officials, GVR executives on March 6, 2013.

In addition to this, Centre for Good Governance (CGG) had submitted a report to CT commissioner in May 2013 on the improvement of systems at check-posts.

Imtiaz has admitted that the delay in implementation of modernisation is causing a dent to the revenue as well as image of the commercial tax and other enforcing agencies.

He expressed hope in grounding of works pertaining to modernisation works shortly since all other formalities are complete now.