With a history of over six decades, the Commercial Taxes check-post on the Karnataka-Kerala border, now located at Kotekar on National Highway 66, will become part of history on Saturday.
One might not see trucks lined up either on the service road or on the main carriageway near the check-post as the crew used to queue up in front of the counters to get bills validated. About 400-600 trucks move through this check-post every day.
With Goods and Service Tax regime making check-posts a non-entity, personnel posted in this check-post would be back in their main office in Mangaluru. Along with the Kotekar check-post, 21 other check-posts in the State on its borders with neighbouring States too would be closed down.
One of the officers at the check-post said that the personnel, who work round the clock in shifts too feel relieved. As against the sanctioned strength of 16, including four each officers, inspectors, clerks and Group D employees, the check-post is being managed by just six personnel, two officers, two inspectors and two clerks, he said.
However, it is not that the personnel work in these check-posts on a permanent basis; they work on rotation for about three months in a year.
Reforms in indirect taxation have brought down the number of check-posts from over 40 to just 21 in the State. Prior to introduction of Value Added Tax, there were check-posts along National Highways, including Mukka near Mangaluru and Shirali near Bhatkal on National Highway 66, said the officer.
The Karnataka-Kerala border check-post was earlier located at Thokkottu, about 5 km from Mangaluru. Later, it was shifted to Talapady, exactly on the border. A few years ago, the check-post was again shifted to the present location, in between Thokkottu and Talapady.
Truck crew too were a relieved lot. Hiren, a truck driver from Haryana, said that formalities at each check-post used to consume not less than 45 minutes. Now vehicles can move fast, he said.
The officer too echoed a similar view. It is good that goods transportation will now move without hurdles, he said.
