RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government has decided to scrap as many as 16 commercial tax checkposts in the state's bordering areas from midnight.
The state government was receiving revenue of around Rs 100 crore annually from these checkposts, Public Works Department (PWD) and Transport Minister Rajesh Munat told reporters here today.
"The check posts of transport department located on inter-state borders will be abolished from midnight tonight.
It is an important step towards making Chhattisgarh a barrier-free state," Munat said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has realised the concept of one nation, one tax and one market through GST under which smooth and obstacle free business-trade is one of the priority, he said.
GST has come into effect from July 1 and in the same sequence, Chhattisgarh government's transport department has decided to shutdown borderline check posts, he added.
The commercial tax barriers to be scrapped are located in Rajnandgaon, Kabirdham, Mahasamund, Bilaspur, Balrampur, Koriya, Raigarh Jashpur, Sukma and Bastar districts of the state.
The department officials appointed at these check posts will be attached to concerned road transport offices after shutting them down, the minister added.
He, however, said that flying-squad of the department will be continuing its inspection and stern action will be taken against over-loaded commercial vehicles.
Notably, the transport department had recovered revenue of around Rs 87 crore from 5.70 lakh vehicles in 2016-17 from these 16 checkposts, he said.
It will allow smooth movement of vehicles thereby helping in conservation of fuel as well as environment, the minister said.