Punjab uncovers 200cr tax evasion across 882 hospitality establishments
Punjab just uncovered a massive ₹200 crore tax evasion scam in its hospitality sector, 882 establishments — including dhabas, restaurants, eateries, bakeries, sweet shops and catering services — are under the scanner.
The probe suggests the real number could hit ₹500 crore.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema shared that even a quick check of 239 places showed hidden sales worth ₹50 crore, resulting in a tax liability of about ₹2.54 crore, of which roughly ₹2.02 crore has already been recovered (leaving about ₹52 lakh outstanding).
Punjab Finance Minister credits bill scheme
Cheema credited the Bill Liyao, Inam Pao scheme, which encourages consumers to demand bills, for helping identify cases of tax evasion.
This move has already helped spot big gaps in cities like Mohali, Jalandhar, and Ludhiana.
Officials are now matching digital payment data (like UPI) with reported sales to catch any mismatches, Cheema says they're aiming to wrap up recoveries within a month.