AHMEDABAD: Ban on Gutka in September 2012 and shifting of Tata Nano's excise account being an LTU (Large Taxpayer Unit) to Mumbai has resulted in shortfall of approximately Rs 500 crore in excise duty for Excise II commissionerate of Ahmedabad zone in the last two years.

After the Gutka ban in 2012-13, Excise II was forced to halve its targets of revenue in 2013-14. In 2013-14, Excise II collected excise duty worth Rs 793 crore against the target of Rs 776 crore. Though the department surpassed the target last year, it was Rs 136 crore less than the collections in 2012-13. Against the target of Rs 1,315 crore, Excise II collected Rs 929 crore in 2012-13, falling way behind target due to Gutka ban. Excise II majorly covers Narol, Naroda, Sanand and Changodar areas.

"Gutka industries used to contribute around Rs 400 crore every year, but after the ban collections fell badly. Also, from June 2013 Tata Nano has begun paying excise duty in Mumbai zone which too has left the collections dry," said a senior excise official.

Tata Nano in 2012-13 paid excise duty worth Rs 107 crore for its facilities in Sanand. "There were talks of manufacturing some other models of Tata motors at the Sanand plant, but that too fizzled out," added the official.

In 2013-14, Excise II commissionerate registered 27 cases of duty evasion worth Rs 100 crore. In on-the-spot recovery, excise officials recovered Rs 12.34 crore and in the raids conducted during the year seizures worth Rs 28 crore were made. Of all the evaders, machinery industries, fertilizer makers and engineering goods manufacturer were the major excise duty evaders, according to Excise II commissioner.

Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence, Ahmedabad zonal unit detected evasion of central excise duty to the tune of Rs 730 crore in financial year 2013-14, up by Rs 70 crore from 2012-13. According to sources, urea and fertilizer manufacturers evaded excise duty of more than Rs 100 crore in 2013-14.

Pesticide maker Perfect Crop science was the biggest evader with Rs 9 crore of duty evasion. The director of the company was also arrested by excise department officials.

Read the original:

Gutka ban cuts excise revenue of Ahmedabad zone