PANAJI
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will chair a joint meeting on January 4 with a number of departments like Transport, Mining, Police, Customs, Captain of Ports, Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) and Indian Railways to formulate processes to recover ‘Goa Rural Improvement and Welfare Cess' from companies, which till now have not shown willingness to pay this cess, sources have revealed.
Goa Rural Improvement and Welfare Cess is applicable on the movement of coke/coal in the state. A number of companies includi
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will chair a joint meeting on January 4 with a number of departments like Transport, Mining, Police, Customs, Captain of Ports, Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) and Indian Railways to formulate processes to recover ‘Goa Rural Improvement and Welfare Cess' from companies, which till now have not shown willingness to pay this cess, sources have revealed.
Goa Rural Improvement and Welfare Cess is applicable on the movement of coke/coal in the state. A number of companies includi
ng Vedanta, Adani and JSW import coal/coke from MPT, but so far these companies have mostly avoided paying the cess. Vedanta imports coal/coke from MPT, which it uses in its pig iron plant at Amona.
On a number of occasions, the transport department has sent notices to these companies to pay cess, but with no success. It was after this that the Transport Director, Nikhil Desai, had written to Chief Minister's Office (CMO) urging for a joint meeting with several departments under Parrikar's chairmanship so that industries like Vedanta, Adani and JSW pay cess due from them on the movement of coal and coke.
Sources have also informed that Vedanta has to pay Rs 30-35 crore to the state government on this account. JSW and Adani have to pay anywhere from Rs 1,000 - 1,500 crore combined on this cess to the government.
In this meeting, every department, which deals with the handling of coal/coke, has been called. The idea is to formulate processes and procedures by taking all information from these departments so that companies can't evade paying cess anymore.
On a number of occasions, the transport department has sent notices to these companies to pay cess, but with no success. It was after this that the Transport Director, Nikhil Desai, had written to Chief Minister's Office (CMO) urging for a joint meeting with several departments under Parrikar's chairmanship so that industries like Vedanta, Adani and JSW pay cess due from them on the movement of coal and coke.
Sources have also informed that Vedanta has to pay Rs 30-35 crore to the state government on this account. JSW and Adani have to pay anywhere from Rs 1,000 - 1,500 crore combined on this cess to the government.
In this meeting, every department, which deals with the handling of coal/coke, has been called. The idea is to formulate processes and procedures by taking all information from these departments so that companies can't evade paying cess anymore.
