Ludhiana, November 8
Unlike other major towns of the state which were facing a negative growth ranging between three to five per cent as far as octroi income from was concerned, octroi collections in the city are not only showing a healthy upward trend, but the civic administration has, in fact, achieved a distinction by a record Rs 41.92 lakh income from octroi in a single day last Saturday. The highest daily collection during the past financial year was Rs 37.16 lakh.
Ever since the Punjab Government made its intentions public to do away with octroi, an atmosphere of uncertainty had been created and even with major festivals approaching, members of the trading community had been bringing in goods on a day-to-day basis, which had adversely affected income from octroi during the months of August and September, with collections dropping by almost 15 per cent.
Not only this, even though the MC had jacked up the targeted income from octroi to Rs 130 crore as against Rs 125 crore during the previous financial year, the government had announced concessions in octroi for fodder and vegetable producers and slashed rates of octroi on iron, steel, wool and yarn waste by 50 per cent in June 2001. These items being raw material for all engineering, woollen and knitwear industries, had made a significant dent in octroi income.
According to Mr S.K. Sharma, Additional Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation, the matter was discussed at the highest level and on the instructions of the new MC Commissioner, Mr R.L. Kalsia, strict monitoring and enforcement measures were initiated, which paid rich dividends. During the month of October, the total income from octroi was Rs 9.65 crore as against Rs 9.25 crore during the corresponding period last year. Similarly, as against an average daily collection of Rs 32 lakh around festival season during last year, the average income had shot up to almost Rs 37 lakh per day during the past fortnight.
In the wake of the prevailing upward trend in octroi collections and a total income of Rs 66 crore having already accrued under this head during the past seven months, the total income might well touch the target fixed for the year, which would again be history of sorts, because for the past two years in succession, the actual income of the MC from octroi had fallen way behind the targets of Rs 110 crore and Rs 125 crore respectively.
Mr Sharma further told Ludhiana Tribune that to effectively plug evasion of octroi, the MC had formed 13 raiding parties, headed by officers of the superintendent level, which were working round-the clock in shifts. In addition, night checking had been intensified and senior MC officers of the rank of Zonal Commissioners, Superin-tending Engineers and Executive Engineers were deployed for this purpose in a major crackdown against the evaders. During past week alone, 90 cases of octroi evasion had been detected and a penalty of around Rs 2 lakh had been imposed upon the offenders.
