Bathinda: Excise Department sleuths raid book shops over 'tax evasion' charge

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 6

Sleuths of the Excise Department raided two book shops in the Maheshwari Colony and one near the Bibi Wala Chowk area and checked stocks and premises of these booksellers.

Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray said, “Strict action will be taken against firms and stores involved in selling stationery items forcibly to parents of students. We have received complaints from a few parents about being coerced to purchase stationery items by a few book sellers and firms in the city. They do not even give bills for the items sold.”

Earlier, parents of students studying in private schools staged a protest in front of a book store in the city alleging monopoly by booksellers. They alleged that there was a nexus among private schools, book sellers and publishers. Parents rued that books they were asked to buy by the school management were only available at one store. They said the store sold books at exorbitant prices, which the administration did not monitor.

Harpreet Singh, one of the parents protesting outside a book shop, situated on Dhobiana Road said, “Books prescribed by a renowned school are available at one book store in the city. The store charges exorbitant amount for books. Parents are even being coerced to purchase notebooks and stationery along with books.”

“With no concrete action by the authorities concerned, this illegal nexus has been flourishing for the past many years. While the printing cost of a book is Rs50 to Rs80, the same is sold at Rs200 to Rs250. The price of some books is even higher. Numerous complaints have been lodged with the administration on different occasions, but to no avail,” he added.

Another parent Gagandeep Singh, “I have no choice, but to buy expensive books every year from one book store. The school managements change their publishers every year so that books once used cannot be re-used by another child. This monopoly is facilitated by a deep-rooted nexus among private school managements, publishers and book sellers. Unlike the announcement made by new Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, situation at the ground level has barely changed.”

A school co-ordinator said, “We never tell publishers or booksellers anything from our end as it is their business. There is no role of the school management in this issue.”

Scrutinising documents

The Excise Department raided premises of a few book stores and firms today. After scrutiny of documents seized from book stores and firms, pending tax will be recovered from them. — Showkat Ahmad Parray, Bathinda DC

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