Officials seize cement bags, seal cement packing machine
SHILLONG: JUD Cements Private Limited, located in Wahiajer, West Jaintia Hills, has once again come under the scanner for failure in payment of Central Excise duty of Rs 3.5 crore pending for almost a year which has compelled the Central Excise officials to seal the cement packing machine at the plant.
The discrepancies in tax payment was revealed in the audit report conducted by the Central Excise department, after which cement bags have been seized and dispatch of the same have been stopped since Friday last.
Official sources informed that following the revelation in discrepancies in the payment of taxes by the company the Central Excise officials led by Assistant Commissioner Issac R Kharkongor sealed the cement packing machine, seized cement bags and has stopped sale of cement pending payment of the excise dues.
It may be reminded that, earlier, JUD Cements Private Limited, with its base in Guwahati, had featured in the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (Social, General and Economic Sectors and Public Sector Undertaking) Report for the year ended March 31, 2012 which revealed that the company had failed to pay outstanding power dues of Rs 9.91 crore as of September 2012 to the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL).
Speaking over the phone from Guwahati, Chairman of the company, A Jhunjhunwala, clarified that the matter has been sorted out and the account will be settled by Tuesday, after which production will resume at the cement plant.
“This is a refundable issue; the money that we pay will be returned to us at the end of the day but following the rules laid down, it is mandatory for us to pay the taxes but we were unable to make two months’ payment, because of which the cement bags have been seized,” Jhunjhunwala said.
He also mentioned that this is the standard norm with all large-scale industries operating in the State