Hyderabad: As many as 1,335 cases have been booked for the unfair collection of Goods and Services Tax (GST) subsequent to special state-wide raids conducted by the legal metrology department between October 27 and November 17.
A total of 15,000 raids have been conducted, and Rs 44,35,900 has been collected as penalties. Six cases have also been booked for the collection of service charge. After receiving several complaints of customers being overcharged in the name of GST and the reduction in GST not being implemented, the legal metrology department has warned the hotels and restaurants to strictly charge customers on the basis of the new GST slabs.
As per the new slab rates, the GST chargeable by hotels and restaurants has been reduced from 18 per cent to 5 per cent. Officials have been instructed to verify the implementation of these revised rates as there have been allegations that some establishments are continuing to include the difference of 13 per cent in their bills in different forms.
C.V. Anand, the controller of the legal metrology department and commissioner of civil Supplies, says that stringent action will be taken against those found indulging in illegal trade practices.
“The Central government has reduced the GST applicable on some commodities, but some traders are still selling them at the old prices, which is illegal. Our department is enforcing the powers of agency to deal with matters of unfair trade practices as per the orders of the government in GO Ms. No. 9,” he says.
