Toll collecting firm under scanner for evading stamp duty worth Rs 63 cr
Lucknow: A private company engaged in collecting toll on the national highway in eastern UP is under scrutiny for duping the local administration to the tune of crores. The fraudulent activity was detected more than two years after the private entity was awarded the contract for collecting the toll.
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According to officials, a company engaged to collect money from motor vehicle owners for using the national highway stretch in Bhadohi did not pay the required stamp duty to the local administration. Roped in to manage the toll plaza over national highway 19, which connects eastern UP with Bihar and onwards, the company was supposed to pay a sum of about Rs 63 crore to the stamp and registration department as duty.
The charges were incurred for taking the land on a 15-year-long lease to collect the toll from road users. The agreement was signed between the stakeholders in March 2023, said officials. However, it was later detected that only Rs 100 was paid as stamp duty to the state coffers.
According to the officials, a complaint case has been filed before the local magistrate to initiate action and prosecute the offenders.
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