Police and GST Officials Raid Tour Agencies in Puri for Alleged Overcharging and Tax Evasion:

Police and GST Officials Raid Tour Agencies in Puri for Alleged Overcharging and Tax Evasion  The Odisha Police and GST officials on Tuesday carried out a massive raid targeting tour and travel offices along the beach in Puri. The raid was part of an effort to ensure these businesses were following the licensing and tax regulations. The raids covered multiple areas of the Puri sea beach, including the lighthouse sea beach and other nearby stretches. Over 60 tour and travel officers were investigated during the operation. Many agencies reportedly closed their offices during the raid.

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The tourists usually visit Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar, Nandankanan Zoological Park, Satapada, and Konark, and rely on the local tour and travel agencies for transportation. However, there were growing concerns that some agencies were overcharging tourists and engaging in tax evasion. The tourists were allegedly being charged higher than the specified rates for sightseeing trips to Bhubaneshwar, Konark, and Satapada. This led to the coordinated operation carried out by the GST department and the Sea Beach Police. During the raids, the authority verified whether the tour and travel agencies had obtained proper trade licenses as per the law and whether these agencies were timely depositing the GST to the government. The authorities also checked whether the agencies were issuing valid receipts to the tourists for the services. It was found that many tour and travel agencies were running without obtaining a valid trade license. These agencies were directed to apply for the licenses immediately, or else their offices would be sealed. In the jurisdiction of the Puri Sea Beach Police Station, 18 tour and travel agencies were inspected, out of which 13 were found to be running without a valid license.

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To protect the tourists from overcharging, the authorities have said that the investigation will be continued in the coming days.