KOCHI: M R Ramachandran, Superintendent of the Central Excise, Customs and Service Tax - Kochi, was selected for grant of the ‘Presidential Award of Appreciation Certificate for Specially Distinguished Record of Service’ this year, on the occasion of the Republic Day.
According to an official release, no officer working in the Central Excise - Kerala Zone, consisting of Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, has been selected for the award in the last 17 years.The Presidential Award of Appreciation Certificate for Specially Distinguished Record of Service is granted to officers of the Customs and Central Excise Department in recognition of their achievements and excellence in the discharge of duties.This year, 34 officers have been selected for the Award.
Ramachandran has detected more than 150 cases in the Central Excise and over 140 cases in the Service Tax Department, involving about `200 crore of evasion, with his own intelligence.
Ramachandran, who recovered about `75 crore in evaded taxes, was also instrumental in detecting more than 60 kg of gold while it was being smuggled through the Kochi airport, and exposing the various modus operandi used by the smugglers.Ramachandran, currently a resident of Muthirappadam at Aluva, is son of K P Ammu and the late M O Raghavan.