Mumbai mayor nabs octroi evaders

It required the intervention of mayor Shraddha Jadhav to nail down seven trucks that had illegally entered the city early Monday morning. The trucks, each of which was carrying nearly 10 tonnes of stainless steel, had sneaked into the city without paying the octroi charges.

Acting on a tip off, Jadhav along with a few Shiv Sainiks intercepted the vehicles near the IMAX theatre at Wadala at around 1.30am. While nine trucks were intercepted, two of them were empty and not carrying any goods so they were let off. The mayor then called in the civic officials connected with the octroi department and demanded them to be present on site.

NA Pathan, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s assessor and collector, who heads the octroi department, said that subsequent inquiries revealed that the trucks had entered the city through the octroi naka at the Mumbai-Panvel highway. “Prime facie it did appear that these vehicles were allowed to enter without paying octroi,” Pathan added.

Suspecting connivance of octroi department staff, the department immediately transferred six officials posted at the naka. Even Jadhav has demanded stringent action against officials found guilty of abetting octroi evasion.