Tax dept to take the help of AI to stop evasion by granite quarries in Palnadu dist
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Sources claim many 'influential players' are behind the racket that provides unhindered passage to precious mineral stocks to reach their destinations without payment of taxes to the treasury.
The state tax dept too received inputs about vehicles moving from AP to other states without payment of taxes, and initiated measures a few months back to track down tax evasion with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), drone surveillance, GPS tools, and satellite images.
It also sought support from line depts like police, revenue, mines and geology, and transport to check the malpractices.
However, the nexus of some field level officials with granite factory owners is said to be aiding the tax evasion. Sources said hundreds of granite-laden lorries are ferrying between different states from mine-rich districts of Bapatla, Prakasam, Palnadu, and Kadapa. Managements of granite quarries and polishing units are said to be in the forefront of the tax evasion racket.
The traders are said to have struck a deal with local political leaders for safe passage of stocks with a payment of just 30% of the actual tax amount to be paid to the govt.
As per rules, Rs 12 per sq ft of seigniorage should be paid to the govt in addition to the 18 percent GST, which works out to be around Rs 1 lakh per lorry. But the traders are paying around Rs 30,000-35,000 per lorry of stock to the 'unauthorized syndicate'.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
GFX
Tax authorities intercepted granite lorries near Tangeda village of Gurazala constituency and found stocks moving without payment of taxes
Tax officials were threatened by the syndicate when they seized the lorries
Joint commissioner Geetha Madhuri requested Palnadu SP K Srinivasa Rao for support
14 lorries were stopped near the inter-state border after police rushed to the spot
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Cyber fraudster posing as employer dupes Chandigarh man of Rs 1.3 crore, one arrested from Mumbai
The Cyber Crime Police, Chandigarh, has arrested a 34-year-old man from Mumbai for allegedly defrauding a city resident of Rs 1.3 crore. The fraud took place after the victim received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number, where the sender, posing as his employer, asked him to urgently transfer money as an advance payment for a project. According to the police, the victim, trusting the sender to be his genuine employer, immediately transferred the money into an ICICI Bank account provided in the message. It was only later that he realised he had been duped. Based on his complaint, a FIR was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Sector 17. The accused, identified as Joshua Oscar Nevis, and resident of Mumbai, was arrested during a raid conducted by the Chandigarh Cyber Crime team in Maharashtra. During the interrogation, Joshua disclosed that he came in contact with an individual through the social media app Telegram, police said. That person further introduced him to another accomplice, who asked Joshua to provide his bank account kit, cheque book, debit card, and registered SIM card. These details were then allegedly used to commit the fraud and siphon off the money transferred by the complainant. Police officials said that the accused is currently in police custody and is being interrogated to trace the identities and roles of the other suspects involved in the racket. Investigators are also probing whether Joshua and his associates are linked to other cyber fraud cases reported across the country.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
29 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Final nod for ₹62,000 crore deal to procure 97 more Tejas Mk1A jets
The government on Tuesday cleared the Rs 62,000 crore order to procure 97 additional indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A fighter jets from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF), a defence source confirmed. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its final approval — marking the last step before the formal signing of the deal. The jets will be built by Bengaluru-headquartered HAL, a Maharatna public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Defence. This will mark the second order for the Mk1A fighter jets, with an earlier contract already placed with HAL for 83 aircraft at a cost of Rs 36,400 crore. HAL missed the original February 2024 deadline to start deliveries of the LCA Mk1A, primarily due to delays in the arrival of F404-IN20 engines from the American engine maker GE Aerospace. These jets are intended to replace the last of the IAF's Russian-origin MiG-21s, which are scheduled to retire in September. Amid the IAF's mounting challenges, HAL has assured that 12 Mk1A aircraft will be delivered by the end of 2025-26. The company has already built six, which are currently flying with reserve engines — a temporary measure. The second GE engine for the Mk1A was delivered to HAL in mid-July. The Tejas, an indigenous single-engine, fourth-generation multirole light fighter aircraft, has been developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency. It originates from the LCA programme launched in the 1980s to replace the IAF's ageing MiG-21 fleet — a goal now pursued through the operational Tejas MkI and the planned induction of the more advanced Mk1A variant.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
29 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Gaming bodies seek Amit Shah's intervention to stop RMG ban in India
In a joint letter, online skill gaming associations have sought Home Minister Amit Shah's intervention against a proposed Bill seeking to ban all forms of real-money games (RMGs) in India, warning that the move could force over 400 companies to shut down and put more than 200,000 jobs at risk. Industry bodies — the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), the E-Gaming Federation (EGF), and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) — said a blanket prohibition on the platforms would 'strike a death knell' for the industry. The bodies have requested a meeting with the Home Minister's office. They cautioned that a blanket ban could drive millions of Indian users to offshore entities, fly-by-night operators, and matka networks — platforms that operate outside any legal framework, lack safeguards, and are prone to unsafe practices. The proposal to impose an absolute prohibition on such platforms comes at a time when there are close to 500 million gamers in India, with the sector having attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) of more than Rs 25,000 crore, as per industry estimates. Major companies in the sector include Dream11, Games24x7, Junglee Games, Mobile Premier League (MPL), Head Digital Works, Zupee, Gameskraft, and Nazara Technologies, among others. 'The only beneficiary of this Bill will be the illegal offshore gambling operators. If legitimate Indian businesses are shut down, unregulated actors will fill the vacuum. This will erode state and national tax revenues while leaving Indian users exposed to unregulated platforms,' the joint letter said. They added that online skill gaming could contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a $1-trillion digital economy. The government has finalised a draft legislation to ban all forms of online RMG in India and will introduce it in Parliament on Wednesday. The draft Bill, cleared by the Union Cabinet on Tuesday, is likely to bar 'offering, aiding, abetting, inducing, or otherwise in the offering of any online money gaming service' and declares it an offence. Aimed at curbing the sharp spike in online gaming addiction among children and youth, which has triggered mental health issues and financial losses, the Bill also bans any person and advertisement from promoting online money games. Furthermore, the draft Bill proposes that banks, financial institutions, or any other person should not facilitate transactions related to online real-money games.
