Ramanathapuram
Ranjan Kumar Routray, Chief Commissioner of Customs (preventive), Tiruchi zone, said smuggling activities via sea and air routes were much contained and the ‘smuggling scenario’ was not as bad as it used to be in earlier days.
In a brief chat with reporters after inaugurating the ‘Roof-top solar PV systems’ at the customs preventive division and its preventive units in Rameswaram, Mandapam and Thondi here on Monday, he said with the liberal economy was in place, there was no intense smuggling activities.
There were sporadic incidents of smuggling of gold, narcotics and other contrabands and the customs units were trying their best to contain them, he said. Asked about the smuggling of gold via sea route in Rameswaram island, Mr Routray said the seizure figure of ₹ 21 crore during this financial year showed that the preventive units were active in containing the activities.
“The seizure figure was more compared to the figures in the last two, three years and this shows we are active in containing smuggling activities in this area,” he said. The Chief Commissioner also commended the performance of Tiruchi customs preventive Commissionerate and Ramanathapuram customs division for booking cases involving narcotics. He advised the customs division here to coordinate with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and other agencies and maintain strict vigil along the ‘sensitive coastlines’.
Earlier, Mr Routray inaugurated the grid connected 15 kv Roof-top solar PV systems in the presence of J. Mohamed Navfal, Joint Commissioner of Customs (preventive), Tiruchi, and V. Rajkumar Moses, Assistant Commissioner, Ramanathapuram Customs Division.
The solar system, a Government of India initiative to tap the green and renewable energy, has been established at the total cost of ₹ 7 lakh, he said. While 10-kv capacity system was installed at the division office here, 2-kv capacity systems have been installed each at Rameswaram and Thondi customs preventive units and 1-kv capacity system at Mandapam preventive unit, officials said.
