Vizag registers highest number of tax evasion cases

Visakhapatnam: The Vigilance and Enforcement Department claimed that they had booked highest number of tax evasion cases in the district amounting to Rs 360 crore this year against Rs 340 crore in 2017, said Vigilance and Enforcement SP D Koteswara Rao.

Addressing media during the Vigilance annual review meet here on Monday, Koteswar Rao said that Rs 360 crore has been the highest amount along with a net realisation of Rs 112 crore against Rs 100 crore last year.

All the tax evasion cases were booked among various top officials of GVMC taxes, bulk water taxes, professional taxes and labour cess. In total, the department booked 87 cases against PDS shop owners and seized over 450 MT of rice worth Rs 40 lakh. Koteswara Rao also said that they had chalked out plans for implementing public health and welfare in the coming years. 

The SP said that they had booked 12 criminal cases against FP shop owners for violation of norms. The vigilance officials booked 20 cases against restaurants for selling adulterated and stale food and maintaining un-hygienic kitchens in the city.

The SP also said that 20 cases were booked for illegal quarrying and a fine of Rs 1.65 crores was collected. Around 23 Anganwadi centres including nine primary health centres and five Rythu bazaars in the district were also booked. The Vigilance officials also booked food adulteration cases against 10 centres for artificially ripening of fruits by using chemicals, SP added.