I-T swoop on 5 nursing homes in Raipur, Kawardha distts
   Date :19-Feb-2020

I T swoop on 5 nursing ho
 
 
The Hitavada State Bureau :
 
Raipur/Kawardha
 
There were complaints that doctors have been charging huge amounts in cash and no bills of the payments are issued to the patients 
 
Community of doctors and medical practitioners, in Raipur and Kawardha districts, were in for rude shock on Tuesday noon, as sleuths from Income Tax Assessment Wing conducted massive survey operations on five private-run hospitals, nursing homes and clinics. The concurrent surveys, which commenced at around 1.30 pm on Tuesday, were carried out under the supervision of A K Laskar and S K Majumdar, both Joint Commissioners of Income Tax (JCITs) from Range-2 (Raipur) and Range 1 (Bhilai) respectively, during which the tax enforcers collected incriminating documents for verification and scrutiny.
 
The tax sleuths also took back-up copy of the computers, laptops, and the other electronic gadgets which were found on the premises of these doctors-owned hospitals, clinics and nursing homes. “Medicos, including specialists and medical practitioners, running private nursing homes, clinics and hospitals were on the radar of the I-T Department for past quite sometime, even as there were specific complaints that the doctors here have been charging exorbitant amounts in cash and no bills of the payments were issued to the patients. Throughout State, cash payments are demanded by doctors from the patients or relatives thereof,” sources averred to The Hitavada.
 
The sources, however, indicated that the recoveries of documents during the survey indicate huge amount of tax evasion. Over two dozen taxmen were taking part in the operations. In Kawardha, according to the sources, the tax watchdogs were swarming at Roop Jeevan Hospital, Sneha Clinic and Parihar Hospital. Similarly, in Raipur, Dr M R Bhagwat Memorial Hospital and Dr Jaulkar ENT Hospital, both situated in posh Choubey Colony, were being surveyed by I-T officials. “Surveys were being carried out following inputs regarding bogus operations, irregularities in accounts and undisclosed financial investments,” they added. Meanwhile, further queries regarding the scale of inquiry and details over tax violations or properties searches could yield very little from the I-T officials who said that the surveys were still under way and could take more time.
 
“The survey operation, which may last for another 24-hour, has so far led to the disclosure of unaccounted cash receipts, unaccounted investments and manipulation of accounts, the sources maintained. According to sources, several city-based chartered accountants, medical professionals, running private nursing homes and hospitals, coaching institutes, jewellery showroom owners, in addition to illegal money lenders including Hawala traders, loan sharks and launderers, are on the radar of the I-T Department. Recently, the top officials of department had appealed them that they need to deposit their advance taxes. “The department had warned them that they could avoid swoops by depositing their advance taxes,” an I-T official said.