Bihar: Firecrackers worth Rs 6 crore seized in multiple raids

Patna, Oct 17: Ahead of Diwali, the Bihar administration in a crackdown against illegal firecrackers reportedly seized crackers worth Rs 6 crore during raids at 13 locations across the state.

The Bihar commercial taxes department seized the illegal crackers during raids at different locations, including the state capital Patna, as per an article in Hindustan Times.

The administration carried out raids on Saturday and Sunday and alleged that the dealers procured huge consignments of firecrackers without proper documents and tax payments under the goods and services tax (GST), as per the report.

"During the raids, it was found that crackers worth Rs 2 crore were stocked clandestinely by the dealers. Crackers worth Rs 5 crore have been seized," the report quoted a tax department official as saying.

In Patna, two big godowns of transporters were also raided and discrepancies were found in the GST papers. The report said that crackers worth Rs 1 crore stacked in these godowns were also seized.

Strict action will be taken against the dealers for allegedly hiding their stocks and evading tax, said commercial taxes commissioner Pratima.