Excise and taxation commissioner Anurag Verma has dismissed an excise and taxation inspector for making bogus entries regarding passage of a truck from an Information Collection Centre (ICC).
Confirming this, Verma said Dharminder Singh was posted at ICC, Nangal, and was helping the

His misdeed was exposed in an inquiry, when a vehicle full of tiles was recorded at ICC, Kallerkhera, and wrongfully made the declaration that it would cross over to Himachal from ICC, Nangal. But, instead of going to Nangal, the vehicle unloaded the tiles illegally at Jalandhar and thereafter was loaded with rice and tried to go out of Punjab through ICC, Kallerkhera.

Jagdev Singh, excise and taxation inspector posted at Kallerkhera, was vigilant and found that as per the records, the vehicle had not crossed the ICC, Nangal, and so could not have come back to Kallerkhera. He interrogated the driver, who confessed that the tiles had been unloaded at Jalandhar and had not gone to Himachal.

Jagdev Singh informed the authorities and a message was sent to the excise officials posted at ICC, Nangal, to ensure that the dealer did not try to make a wrong entry in the record. But it was found that Dharminder had already made the bogus entry. He had made the entry though the truck never crossed the ICC to go to Himachal.

Verma said the matter was inquired by retired IAS officer MM Oberoi. In the inquiry, Oberoi found that the allegations made were correct. Taking a serious view of the matter, Verma dismissed Dharminder Singh from service.

Verma said that a few instances had come to his notice where the dealers were getting such bogus entries done at the ICCs. A warning has been issued to all excise and taxation inspectors posted at the ICCs to refrain from conniving with the dealers and indulging in such a malpractice. He said if a dealer or a truck was found indulging regularly in such a malpractice, the department would not hesitate in lodging FIRs in this regard.