Professional tax for vehicles: ACB raids 5 RTOs
City branch of the state anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Tuesday conducted raids at five regional transport offices (RTOs) in Pune, Chinchwad, Kolhapur, Sangli and Solapur, after receiving complaints regarding irregularities in payment of professional tax.
ACB officials conducted scrutiny of documents and records of these five RTOs regarding to the payment of professional tax of vehicles.
Superintendent of police (ACB) Vishwas Pandhre told TOI that the raids began simultaneously at 11 am on Tuesday at all the five offices. Two additional superintendent of police, nine deputy superintendents, 12 inspectors and around 50 policemen were deployed.
“We also took help from the local police,” Pandhre said, adding, “Regular works at these RTOs were not affected by the raid. We also received cooperation from the RTO officials.”
He said the ACB checked and scrutinised the documents pertaining to professional tax. “We checked the documents in front of the RTO officers. We also have seized a number of documents for further scrutiny,” Pandhre said.
Refusing to divulge the details, Pandhre said the ACB will conduct thorough checking of all the documents. “After the checking is done, we will decide the future course of action. However, this will take time,” Pandhre said.
Meanwhile, regional transport officer, Pune, Chandrakant Kharatmal, said the scrutiny did not disrupt the routine work at both the RTOs in the city.
“Such scrutiny is being conducted for the first time in the last three years. Full co-operation was given to the ACB. The scrutiny is being conducted to determine if any fake receipts and challans have been submitted at banks and with the RTO.”
When asked if the RTO office in Chinchwad was sealed, Kharatmal said the office was not sealed, neither the routine work was hampered. Kharatmal added that so far no employees have been detained in the action being taken by the ACB.
“Around 75,000 vehicles under Pune RTO are eligible for professional tax. This include trucks, taxis and delivery vans. The Pune division of the RTO, during April to September, collected Rs 4.15 crore in professional tax through the enrolment of over 14,766 cases. The division has set a target of Rs 8.01 crore for the current year (2010-11),” Kharatmal said.
The RTOs have been collecting professional since 2007-08.