CHANDIGARH:Reaffirming the zero-tolerance coverage towards tax evasion underneath CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday introduced that the Punjab Authorities has achieved file enforcement outcomes within the monetary 12 months 2025–26, marking a decisive shift in direction of intelligence-led motion and strong income safety.
Detailing the efficiency, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema acknowledged, “Pushed by the targeted and intelligence-led actions of the State Intelligence and Preventive Models, the State Taxation Division imposed large penalties amounting to ₹1,383.11 crore throughout the 12 months. Out of this imposed quantity, a staggering ₹1,137.85 crore has already been recovered, reflecting a major leap in enforcement effectivity and income realization for Punjab.”
Highlighting the spine of this success, he added, “Inspection-based enforcement emerged as the first driver, accounting for ₹1,215.95 crore in penalties and ₹972.15 crore in precise recoveries. Alongside this, highway checking operations contributed a strong ₹165.71 crore. This efficiency marks a multi-fold enchancment over FY 2024–25, the place inspection enforcement resulted in ₹147.28 crore imposed and ₹41.53 crore recovered, and highway checking recoveries stood at ₹157.14 crore. This sharp surge in FY 2025–26 underscores a transformational shift within the state’s capability for detection, enforcement, and precise monetary restoration.”
Underlining the crackdown on fraudulent networks, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated, “The Taxation Division registered eight FIRs and carried out 15 arrests all year long. Two of probably the most outstanding FIRs concerned seven people and uncovered fraudulent transactions value ₹385 crore. These focused operations uncovered tax evasion of ₹69.57 crore orchestrated by corporations engaged in issuing invoices with out the precise provide of products.”
He added, “Further FIRs had been registered throughout Bathinda, Mandi Gobindgarh, Ludhiana, and Chandigarh to take decisive motion towards unlawful transport of products and misleading billing networks. In a single extremely vital operation, a Ludhiana-based proprietor was arrested for passing fraudulent Enter Tax Credit score exceeding ₹9 crore.”
He additional acknowledged, “The division’s superior intelligence community yielded a number of main detections, together with uncovering ₹900 crore of faux billing in gold transactions in Ludhiana, ₹226 crore in illicit coal transactions throughout Mohali, Kharar, and Kotkapura, and ₹423 crore of bogus billing networks working in Ludhiana and Mandi Gobindgarh. Moreover, advanced investigations uncovered a ₹200 crore fraud involving the ‘Pet Pooja App,’ highlighting the huge scale and complex nature of contemporary evasion networks.”
On verification drives, the Minister acknowledged, “Targeted verification workouts led to the identification of 1,579 suspicious sellers. Following rigorous checks, 922 of those entities had been discovered to be non-existent and their registrations had been subsequently cancelled in shut coordination with central authorities.”
Emphasising ITC safeguards, he famous, “Sturdy Enter Tax Credit score management measures resulted in ₹244.82 crore being actively blocked and ₹206.64 crore reversed. These proactive steps efficiently safeguarded ₹451.46 crore in state funds, alongside a further ₹19.08 crore realized via direct money restoration.”
Highlighting intensified subject enforcement, he added, “Throughout a particular drive performed concurrently at Mandi Gobindgarh and Ludhiana, a file 141 automobiles had been detained in a single day. The division additionally strengthened enforcement at railway stations and main transit factors, with explicit scrutiny on high-risk sectors akin to iron and metal, cement, auto elements, tobacco, and metals.”
Crediting institutional and technological energy, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated, “The function of State Intelligence and Preventive Unit, Tax Intelligence Unit, and the ‘Invoice Liao Inaam Pao’ Scheme has been pivotal. The overwhelming success of those enforcement measures has been powered by superior information analytics, real-time e-way invoice monitoring, steady intelligence inputs, and newly developed digital enforcement portals. These technological developments have enabled swift and extremely coordinated motion on the bottom.”
Reaffirming the Bhagwant Mann Authorities’s dedication, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema acknowledged, “The efficiency of FY 2025–26 displays a transformational shift in direction of intelligence-led enforcement, considerably strengthening compliance and income mobilization throughout Punjab. Such deterrent actions will proceed with even larger depth to completely dismantle fraudulent networks, promote real enterprise practices, defend sincere taxpayers, and safeguard the state’s important revenues.”
