Company gets notice for evading tax

DHENKANAL: The Dhenkanal Transport Authority has slapped a notice on GMR Kamalanga Energy Limited (GKEL), and one of its contract agencies for evading tax. With GKEL expediting construction of its 1400 MW coal-based thermal plant at Kamalanga village in Odapada block, construction materials are being brought in by many outsourcing companies - hired by the GKEL management - through heavy vehicles from various states for the last one  year. Many of these heavy vehicles have been ferrying the materials to Dhenkanal by allegedly evading tax. Recently, the RTO caught nine of these heavy vehicles belonging to different states which had not paid tax to the tune of Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh and none of the vehicle owners possessed the mandatory ‘no objection certificate’ for transporting the materials and entering Odisha.  Regional Transport Officer Sanjay Biswal said: “Notices have been issued to GKEL and one of its contract agencies in this regard for immediate payment of the tax amount. These vehicles were detected to being used by GKEL during checks recently.” He said as per the norms, if any commercial vehicle enters Odisha from another state, they have to pay the ‘Odisha Short Term Tax’. “GKEL and its contract agency have been violating this norm while carrying out construction work for the thermal plant. Efforts to contact GKEL management proved futile.