Patna: Customers, who are denied the benefits of reduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates on different items, can now lodge complaints with the state commercial taxes department.

An anti-profiteering committee has been set up in the department for looking into such complaints.

Those facing such problems can send their complaints through email at screeningcommitteebihar@gmail.com.

Residents can also send complaints through post to the office of the commercial taxes department at Vikas Bhavan in Patna. They would have to send the details in a dedicated format of anti-profiteering application form (APAF) - 1 with details. The format is easily available on the internet.

"The state-level committee has been set up as per the provisions of the GST Act in which there is a provision to check move of companies or traders who refuse to pass on the benefits of reduced tax rates using unfair means," an official in the state.

He said it was not physically possible for the department to check all the shops on its own to curb such activities. Hence people have been urged to come forward with their complaints on the basis of which action would be taken against the defaulters.

Pan masala raids

Commercial tax officials seized goods worth Rs 3.91 crore from the premises of pan masala traders during raids at Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Supaul, Katihar and Purnea. The raids were conducted on Wednesday.

Sharing details of the outcome of the raid with The Telegraph, a senior commercial taxes department official said: "The traders were found to be in possession of unaccounted goods worth Rs 3.91 crore. In addition to this the raiding teams also found concealment of goods worth Rs 2.45 crore."

The official said the defaulters would have to pay the tax and same amount of fine for their act. In case of pan masala a GST of 28 per cent is imposed whereas the state has imposed another 60 per cent as cess on these items.