Tuesday, 01 August 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
In latest Dehradun news, a delegation of Doon Udyog Vyapar Mandal met the State finance minister Prem Chand Agrawal and handed over a memorandum to him which is said to contain the allegation that the traders are being subjected to harassment at Asharodi checkpost by the officials manning it in the name of GST payment. The Prantiya Udyog Vyapar Pratinidhi Mandal president said that as per the GST norms, all checkposts were to be abolished and their places were to be taken up by mobile squads. But in Dehradun, the checkpost has been functioning in full strength and those manning the checkpost are subjecting every vehicle to checking due to which the traders and the transporters are upset, he told Agarwal and demanded the checkpost be shut down.
Echoing the same grievance, the
Doon Udyog Vyapar Mandal chairperson Vipin Nagalia said that the trucks carrying goods for the traders from outside the State are being forcibly stopped for minor things and they are being forced to shell out hefty fines in the name of GST laws. Casting doubt on the intention of the officers posted at the checkpost, he said that misusing their power, they are bent on extracting maximum money in the name of fines from the traders.
Another senior functionary of the traders’ union said that the traders whose goods are stopped at the checkpost are being coerced into rushing to the checkpost, closing shops or other business establishments, and spending hours there in clearing the blocked goods.
They also pointed out to the minister that there is no grievance redressal system in place for them in the State. They further said that they are for stringent actions taken against the tax evaders and corrupt traders. But the traders who trade with transparency should not be subjected to harrsment in the name of GST tax payment.
They appealed to the minister to take actions to stop such harassment and to smoothen things for their trade-related activities in line with the chief minister’s stress on ensuring ease in doing business.
