Mangaluru, July 1: MRPL Managing Director M Venkatesh said that the effective implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) would ensure the revenue growth of the country and it would boost the development.

Inaugurating the first anniversary of GST implementation at the Divisional GST Commissioner’s office here on Sunday, he said that in terms of reformation of the tax system in the country, introduction of the GST was a landmark decision. This has caused various changes. It was an important decision to ensure transparency in tax collection from the bottom level. The revenue of the country would also increase with the effective tax policy, he opined.

‘GST got good response in coastal region’

Mangaluru Divisional GST commissioner Subramanyam said that after the implementation of the GST, the Mangaluru Division of the GST which includes Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts, has got a good response. In the first year, total 11,295 tax payers had paid GST and in this financial year, 12,943 persons have registered to pay the tax.

In the Mangaluru Commissionerate, total Rs 1,952.10 crore  tax was collected during 2016-17 and in 2017-18 financial year, Rs 561.94 crore was collected so far. There was a short-fall in total tax collection this year because of the fluctuation in paying the tax by the MRPL is the major tax payer in the coastal region. But there was an increase in total number of tax payers. As there was provision to get some relaxations even after paying the tax under GST, the GST Commissionerate was planning to refund the excess amount to the tax payers, he said.

In this federal system, total 17 tax systems were merged in the GST and being implemented and it was an important decision taken to reform the tax system. Though one year was passed after introducing the GST, there were some technical problems. Apart from that, it has got good response, Subramanyam said.

As part of the GST anniversary, some officers who have shown exemplary work in one year in Mangaluru Commissionerate level were felicitated on the occasion.

Additional Commissioner Imamuddin Ahmed, Assistant Commissioners Sreyas and Ramakrishnaiah were present.

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Kolkata (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Sunday conducted raids at the premises of Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas and a local businessman as part of a money laundering probe against an alleged criminal and his linked syndicate in the poll-bound state, officials said.

Two premises of Biswas, including his residence in Ballygunge area and one location of the businessman named Joy Kamdar, Managing Director of a company named Sun Enterprise, have been raided under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Kamdar has been taken by the officials to the local ED office for questioning. Biswas, chief coordinator and nodal officer of the West Bengal and Kolkata Police welfare committee, was not present at his premises, they said.

The action is linked to a money laundering case against an alleged local criminal named Biswajit Podder alias Sona Pappu, who is booked in multiple cases on charges of attempted murder and extortion.

The federal probe agency had conducted the first round of searches in this case on April 1.

The ED had then seized cash of Rs 1.47 crore apart from gold jewellery and silver valued at Rs 67.64 lakh and a country-made revolver from some premises that were searched.

The probe stems from a Kolkata Police FIR against against Podder for his alleged involvement in rioting, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and Arms Act violations. The accused, including Podder, were engaged in organised criminal syndicate activities in the state of West Bengal and generated funds illegally by way of syndicate operations, the ED said in a statement on April 9.

Podder is also wanted by the police in a case of violence in Kankulia road near Golpark of Kolkata and is currently on the run.

The ED has issued summons to Podder but he has failed to join the investigation so far, according to the agency.

West Bengal will have a two phase poll on April 23 and April 29.