Kerala Govt to check corruption in check posts

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 24 (UNI) Kerala Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac today told the state Assembly that the Government would take effective and stringent measures to check the rampant corruption in check posts in the state.

Replying to questions, he said the Government would set up three more check posts at Amaravila, Aryamkavu and Muthanga on the model of Walayar, which according to him was a great success in checking sales tax evasion.

Dr Isaac said the Government was expecting a 30 per cent increase in sales tax collections in the state. As part of intensifying sales tax collections, the Government would coordinate the functions of all check posts and a state-level check post authority would be formed, he added.

The Government had registered 17,246 cases of tax evasion at check posts in this financial year and had collected Rs seven crore as penalty, he said.

The minister said women would not be appointed in check posts, but they would be appointed in vigilance.

Stating that the Government received only half of the actual tax from jewellery shops and tourism sector, he warned that the it would not hesitate to conduct raids on jewellery shops if they failed to pay compound tax.

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