‘Rs 252-crore loss due to police negligence’

The news item, 'Rs.252 crore loss due to Police negligence’ on exposure of tax defaulters by Comptroller and Auditor General(CAG) as reported on the front page of your esteemed daily (The Sentinel, August11) is a matter of grave concern to each tax payer and other common citizens of Assam. At a time when many development works, including repair of deplorable communication (road and bridges) of Assam are stalled due to want of funds, the negligence of the Police (Home department) raises many an eyebrow among the people. Till the unveiling of the reports of such a costly negligence on the part of the police, we feel like asking whether or not the Director General of Police (DGP) was aware of this irregularity. It transpired from the news, as revealed by CAG that between 2012 and 2017, warrants of arrest against tax defaulters to 1910 cases that involves Rs.401.29 crore were sent to different police stations for serving notice to different tax defaulters. Of the total amount only Rs.5.63 crore could be realized from 373 defaulters. In 40 other cases with amount of Rs. 143.49 crore, police reported that either no trace of the business establishments could be found or the businessmen concerned close down their business. In the remaining 1497 cases no action taken report was submitted, as revealed by CAG. These non-execution of cases were not taken up by recovery officer with SPs or DCs concerned despite strict instruction from Tax commissioner in May 2007. This resulted into accrued arrears of Rs. 252.17 crore which still remained unrealized. It seems, our Government as a custodian of the State exchequer is not acting judiciously to safeguard the interest of the tax payers. We appeal to our Chief Minister, who holds the Home portfolio, to take appropriate action on this vital issue.

Ashok Bordoloi,

Dibrugarh.