Excise offices shifted to new GST Bhawan

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 28

Finally after five years since the project to construct a building for excise and taxation officials of the district started, the officials have moved to the new complex, now called ‘GST Bhawan’, near the local bus stand.

While the office of the Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner (DETC), Administration, has been fully shifted from the rented building at New Jawahar Nagar, other offices, including those of DETC Appeals, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioners (AETC), Jalandhar-1 and 2, AETC mobile wing and AETC Inspection are in the process of shifting to the new premises.

The offices of all these departments were running from rented accommodations in the city. While AETC-1 and 2 offices were located at BMC Chowk and the Nehru Garden area, the mobile wing was operating from a commercial complex in Rajinder Nagar. The new five-storey building has come up at a cost of Rs 7 crore and has been constructed by the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA). The new building also has a provision of Suwidha Centre wherein all public-centric services would be available at single window.

DETC (Administration) BK Birdi said: “There will be many advantages of having all offices related to excise under one roof. It will be convenient for me to call a meeting of officials at any time of the day. Even the public can meet all officers related to the department within the same building instead of hopping from one office to another. It will be easier for advocates of applicants too as they too can handle all taxation-related cases at one place.”

He said: “As of now, the only problem that we are facing is that of an approach road to the building. We have to pass through a kuccha passage to reach office gates. I have talked to the PUDA Additional Chief Administrator to get the road constructed at the earliest.”