Lokayukta for criminal action against officers

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 18

The Haryana Lokayukta has recommended criminal proceedings against accused in the Rs 10,000-crore VAT scam.

The Lokayukta, who submitted an interim report to the state government today, demanded departmental action against officials allegedly involved in the evasion of VAT to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore.

The SIT, headed by IGP Shrikant Jadhav was formed by Lokayukta Justice Pritam Pal about nine months ago, had submitted its report to the Lokayukta more than three months ago.

Sources said Justice Pritam Pal sought an action-taken report from the government in three months, besides recovery of evaded sales tax.

Quoting Supreme Court judgments, the SIT had alleged that no tax was collected from the builders, including two companies in Haryana, from 2005 till mid-2013.

The SIT report added that several builders got licences from the department, while they had neither got themselves registered under VAT Act nor paid any tax. Several others got the licences, but did not carry out any construction and sold their land and licence at enhanced rates.