Check Posts closed in AP and Telangana

Vijayawada, July 1: The Check posts across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were closed here on Saturday With the implement of GST from the last midnight, VT(Vehicle tax) is no longer needed.

The Ichaupuram check post of Srikakulam district, which has a history of 29 years, closed at 12 o'clock. A total of 21 check posts has been closed across the AP.

Even if the check posts are closed, the suspected vehicles are checked on the roads.

Check-posts, which were once signposts of lengthy bureaucracy, and as truckers point out, areas of harassment, have been "legally abolished" across the State.

A Gazette notification issued by the Commercial Taxes Department on Thursday, Among 21 check posts include nine in and around Bengaluru airport, railway station, and borders of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, four in Belagavi and Vijayapura, apart from those in Mysuru district, Mangaluru, and Ballari.

"The very characteristics of check-posts will not exist. Their job was to find out if sales tax for the goods had been paid, and this is no more applicable from July 1", said C.N. Shiva Prakash, Joint Commissioner of Commercial Taxes and associate president of All-India Confederation of Commercial Tax Association.

However, G.R. Shanmugappa, president, Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners' and Agents' Association, said around 40,000 trucks are in transit every day.

"Commercial tax check-posts are the biggest hurdles for us. The waits can be for more than an hour and drivers are harassed for bribes. If this continues, we will stop our trucks at the border and strike," he said.