Chandigarh, May 12
Punjab’s Finance, Planning, Excise, and Taxation Minister, Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, announced on Monday that the state’s Taxation Department has unearthed bogus transactions worth Rs. 1,549 crore and blocked fraudulent Input Tax Credit (ITC) claims totaling Rs. 108.79 crore in the current fiscal year. The minister accused previous Congress, BJP, and Akali Dal governments of shielding tax evaders, contrasting their inaction with the AAP government’s robust enforcement measures.
Speaking at a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Cheema detailed the department’s enforcement efforts:
- Gold Transactions (Ludhiana): Fake invoices worth Rs. 900 crore were exposed, blocking ITC of Rs. 21 crore.
- Coal Transactions (Mohali, Kharar, Kotkapura): Fraudulent invoices of Rs. 226 crore led to blocking ITC worth Rs. 12 crore.
- Bogus Transactions (Ludhiana, Mandi Gobindgarh): Transactions worth Rs. 423 crore were uncovered, blocking ITC of Rs. 75.79 crore.
- Gold Seizure: A vehicle carrying 2 kg of gold without an invoice, en route from Ranchi to Ludhiana, was intercepted, with investigations ongoing.
A significant statewide operation on May 19 verified 195 GST-registered firms (156 central, 39 state), uncovering Rs. 423 crore in fraudulent transactions and blocking Rs. 75.79 crore in ITC. Most firms were based in Ludhiana (100) and Mandi Gobindgarh (72).
Cheema highlighted a high-profile arrest involving an individual orchestrating a racket with fake invoices and Rs. 29.50 crore in fraudulent ITC claims. The firm had sourced Rs. 163 crore in supplies from over 60 bogus or cancelled firms across FY 2023-24 and 2024-25.
The minister attributed these successes to 15 analytical modules developed with IIT Hyderabad and the ‘Bill Liyao Inaam Pao’ scheme, with seven additional modules set to launch soon. The ‘Mera Bill’ app has rewarded 4,880 consumers with Rs. 2.89 crore for uploading bills, while discrepancies in GST filings led to penalties of Rs. 9.07 crore, with Rs. 7.21 crore recovered.
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Cheema touted the AAP government’s GST collection of Rs. 62,733 crore in three years, nearly matching the Rs. 63,042 crore collected by the Congress government over five years. He credited the AAP’s focus on trade growth and stringent anti-evasion measures, contrasting this with previous governments’ alleged profiteering.
Taking aim at opposition parties, Cheema accused Congress, BJP, and Akali Dal of protecting tax evaders and criticized their attempts to deflect scrutiny as the AAP tightens enforcement. “While they siphoned off taxpayers’ money, we’re ensuring accountability,” he said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to fiscal integrity.
