In 5 years, over Rs 400 cr GST evasion detected in Chandigarh; Rs 210 crore recovered

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, December 6

Goods and Services Tax (GST) evasion cases amounting to Rs 404.43 crore have been detected in the UT in the past five financial years, revealed data shared by Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary during the ongoing winter session of Parliament.

In reply to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha, Chaudhary stated GST evasion amounting to Rs 26.39 crore was detected in 2019-20, Rs 39.64 crore in 2020-21, Rs 67.10 crore in 2021-22, Rs 145.38 crore in 2022-23, and Rs 125.92 crore in 2023-24 (up to October).

He said a total of Rs 210 crore had been realised in the past five years from tax evaders. He said of this amount, Rs 16.76 crore was recovered in 2019-20, Rs 18.82 crore in 2020-21, Rs 40.36 crore in 2021-22, Rs 89.92 crore in 2022-23, and Rs 44.14 crore in 2023-24 (till October).

The minister also informed that three persons were arrested for tax evasion in the city in 2020-21, whereas no arrest was made in other financial years.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the House that to safeguard the interests of honest taxpayers and avoid extreme hardships to them, instructions had been issued from time to time directing officers to exercise due caution and care in exercising powers such as summons, provisional attachment of property, blocking of tax credit etc.

To strengthen the registration process, certain amendments had been made in the GST Rules, she stated and added that biometric-based Aadhaar authentication would be done for applicants seeking GST registration who opted for it and had been identified as high risk, along with the verification of the original copy of the documents uploaded with the application at one of the facilitation centres notified for the purpose.

Details of bank account in the name and PAN of the registered person were required to be furnished within 30 days of the grant of registration or before filing the statement of outward supply, whichever was earlier. The registration in respect of such registered persons who did not furnish the details of a valid bank account within the time period prescribed would be suspended automatically by the system. However, upon compliance with this provision subsequently by the registered persons such system-based suspension would be revoked, she added.