Octroi dept to step up vigilance at rly stations

PUNE, Sept 27: The octroi department of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will step up its vigilance at railway stations by deputing three teams of officials in plain clothes to curb the increasing evasion of duty on goods brought via Pragati Express, Deccan Express and Indrayani Express.

Following a case of an angadiya, Ankush Shinde, evading duty on expensive electronic goods brought to Pune via Pragati Express, the octroi department has decided to intensify its vigil at Shivajinagar, Pune and Khadki railway stations.

The squad seized a consignment of electronic goods worth Rs 1.63 lakh and slapped a compounding fee of Rs 71,000 on Ankush Shinde. Seven boxes with goods weighing 128 kg that included three video cassette containers, flash system and halogen photo lamp were confiscated. Following a tip-off, the consignment was seized from an autorickshaw (MH-4707) near SNDT college. A duty of Rs 6,520 had been evaded, the statement added.