No Sealing Of Factories During Raids In UP, Chief Secretary Issues Order After Businessmen Complaint
Lucknow, January 14 (TNA) In a big relief to entrepreneurs in Uttar Pradesh, factories will not be sealed during raids and hearings of notices will be held online. In a meeting with the Indian Industry Association, Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, Additional Chief Secretary State Tax Nitin Ramesh Gokarn and Additional Chief Secretary MSME Amit Mohan Prasad took many important decisions.
Entrepreneurs angry with the state tax raids and working style have been greatly relieved. Now no factory can be sealed during state tax raids. Entrepreneurs will not have to make rounds of offices under the guise of notices. Like the Centre, notices will be heard virtually from April 1. No notice will be issued for irregularities of less than Rs 5,000.
On Saturday, entrepreneurs spoke openly in the meeting of senior officials of the state government with IIA National President Neeraj Singhal, Senior Vice President Dinesh Goyal, IIA GST Committee Chairman Shashank Shekhar and General Secretary Alok Aggarwal. Entrepreneurs said that mobile teams stop the vehicles of entrepreneurs unnecessarily and impose heavy fines.
Based on information extracted by Artificial Intelligence, notices are being issued to a large number of entrepreneurs for irregularities of small amounts like Rs 1000-500. There is no online or virtual system like the Center for hearing and replying to notices. Because of this one has to make rounds of offices. State GST department officials seal the factory during the raid.
No officer of the State Tax Department will be posted in one place for more than four years. Implementation of this decision has been started. The objective officials pointed out, is to increase the collection of GST in the state but the government will ensure that entrepreneurs are not harassed due to this.
Neeraj Singhal said that IIA supports the increase in tax collection of the state but the government will have to ensure that honest entrepreneurs and businessmen are encouraged. They should not be harassed under any circumstances. Small mistakes which do not affect the revenue should not be harassed, rather the entrepreneur should be helped in correcting those mistakes.
Regarding the problems, the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary of State Tax and Additional Chief Secretary MSME took 5 important decisions which included that there is no provision for sealing of factories during raids by State GST. If the SIB team seals the factory or gives notice, then immediately inform the state tax department.
Based on the information that the department is getting from Artificial Intelligence, notices will not be issued to entrepreneurs for irregularities of less than Rs 5000. From April 1, 2024, the hearing of notices sent by the State Tax Department to entrepreneurs will be virtual as is done by the Central Government. With this, entrepreneurs will not have to visit the offices of the state tax department.