Union finance and corporate affairs minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the chairs the 57th GST Council on Oct 8
Kolkata: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman ’s Oct 8 clarification that goods cannot be detained in a transit state has failed to resolve the crisis on the Bengal-Assam border, where 300 trucks from refineries in Assam going to Bihar, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have been held up since Sept 17. “Companies transporting the goods have already incurred Rs 1 crore in demurrage.
But the trucks are still being held up at the border without any reason being cited,” said Kailash Agarwal of the Barauni Calciners Association. “Goods can be inspected, detained or seized only by the officer of the supplier or the destination state. No in-between stopping. Also, goods can be intercepted only on specific intelligence and the authorisation of at least a joint commissioner-level officer. GST has been paid for all the goods. All documents are in place. However, the trucks have still not been allowed to enter the state. The association has written to the chief minister’s office, the PMO, the Union finance minister and BJP national general secretary Sunil Bansal seeking a solution.
Any random GST officer cannot stop a vehicle,” Sitharaman said after the GST Council meeting on Thursday. Agarwal met Bengal commercial taxes commissioner SK Meena on Friday and was assured that the matter had been resolved.