Octroi posts close down in Punjab from mid-night today

Jalandhar, Aug 31 (UNI) With Punjab Government's decision of abolishing octroi in the state, octroi posts throughout the state will be closed down from mid-night today.

An official spokesman told UNI today that barriers of the octroi posts would be removed and check posts would stop working from tonight.

He said that staff working on these check posts would be adjusted elsewhere and the government would also ensure means of alternative funding for making good the loss to be sustained by various municipal committees or corporations following the abolition of octroi.

He said that a revolving fund is also created for catering immediate financial needs of the civic bodies.

As many as 22 octroi check posts presently under the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation(JMC) would be disbanded from midnight, JMC Commissioner Satwant Singh Johal told reporters here today.

He said that most of the staff of these octroi posts would be adjusted locally in other departments of the corporation.

After local adjustment, the corporation is having surplus strength of about 40 to 50 clerks and 25 to 30 peons and suggested the state government to avail the services of these personnel elsewhere.

Mr Johal felt that the abolition of this local tax is unlikely to pose any immediate problem before the corporation administration, Elaborating on the point he said that the corporation did earn Rs 60 crore per annum from octroi and octroi of first five months of the current fiscal had already been obtained.

Besides octroi on petrol, liqour and electricity would remain in force and funds on account of this levy would be provided to respective civic bodies directly by the state government.

A mechanism for direct and deduction of the octroi on these items, was being worked out by the government at the state level.

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