The Anil Ambani owned Reliance Energy had collected Rs 1,452 crore from its customers on account of electricity surcharge and electricity sales tax and has not paid the same to the government, now the moot questions that has emerged after Gautam Adani’s takeover of Reliance Energy as to who will pay the tax dues to the govt, revealed an RTI filed by Activist Anil Galgali.
“The electric distribution arm of the Junior Ambani recovered this amount of Rs 14,51,69,15,200 from its customers during the month of Oct 2016 to October 2017 and has not transferred it in government’s exchequer,” RTI has unearthed.
The reply further clarifies that the Reliance Energy owned by Anil Ambani had collected from its consumers on account of electricity surcharge and electricity sales tax on the utilised units to a tune of Rs 1,452 crores, but has not paid the amount collected to the government treasury. Now that this company has been purchased by Gautam Adani there is no clarity on who has to pay the dues.
“Ever since in June this year electricity tax branch was opened, Reliance have recovered Rs 591,50,53,500 in last five months from June 2017 to October 2017 in the different heads of Electricity Duty, electricity Tax, Toss and Green Cess as per prescribed rate but failed to transfer to the amount to govt,” answered Minakshi Wathore, the Electricity Inspector of Santacruz division.
While electricity Inspector at Mumbai Central division also stated that from October 2016 to May 2017, in the different heads of Electricity Duty, electricity Tax, Toss and Green Cess, Reliance has recovered Rs 860,18,61,700 from the customers but yet to transfer the money to the government.
Commenting over the brazen violation of not paying the duty to the government on time, Galgali said that when he filed the RTI query with the government, then the officials woke up and issued notice to the company to pay the duty.
“Minakshi Wathore issued instructions to the General Manager of Reliance to pay the duty on November 3 and Mumbai Division issued show-cause notice to Reliance,” added Galgali.
In a letter to the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Galgali has demanded stern action against not only the Reliance Company, but also against the earring officials. “I have demanded that the government should conduct an audit on the Reliance Energy’s bank account and freeze the bank account to recover the dues and also should not approve the sale of Reliance Energy till the taxes are paid. Paying no heed to the demand the government has sat silent and in the meanwhile Reliance has been sold to Adani hurriedly by Ambani and has exited himself. The govt should now seek clarity from Adani and Ambani on who will be paying the government dues,” he demanded.
