By TIOL News Service

BANGALORE, MAY 04, 2020: LIKE the species of same genre in other cities, the CB1C Officers of Central Tax (GST) & Customs in Karnataka have come together to provide volunteer relief assistance to the disadvantage and the vulnerable. Many other public spirited citizens, including the retired officers of the CB1C in Karnataka, joined hands with the CBIC Karnataka's COVID 19 Action Group volunteers in contributing funds and material necessary to support this endeavour. The solemn commitment of the Group was to reach assistance and relief to as many as possible.

For over the past seven weeks, the volunteers have succeeded in distributing freshly prepared meals packets (nearly 60000 food Packets served over 50 days), Dry ration (25 Mt. Tonnes ration consisting of Rice, wheat flour, pulses, oil, tea, sugar, salt, spices etc.), fruits, vegetables, Refreshment Packets to migrant labourers returning to their home States, personal hygiene products to women, economically disadvantaged settlements, talk time for communicating with home in the form of mobile recharges for migrant workers from other states, blankets, immunity boosting supplements and homeopathic medicines etc. In addition, PPE Kits & masks were provided to frontline health workers including to civic staff and Asha workers.

Their efforts have reached the most vulnerable sections of community such as migrant labourers, casual workers, forest dwelling populations, leprosy patients, widows, transgender, HIV+ population groups etc. across the entire length and breadth of the State of Karnataka. The relief activities of the CBIC Karnataka Zone have been noticed and appreciated by the Hon’ble Minister of Finance and the Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs, New Delhi.

The Central Tax (GST) & Customs Officers have continued to attend to their regular duties and have been under strict instructions to abide by and adhere to all safety and epidemic control measures that have been put in place by the State/ Central Governments. Using the new technology solutions put in place by the CBIC that allowed work from home the Central Tax GST officers in Karnataka have addressed 2128 claims and disbursed Rs. 1702 Cr as GST Refunds from 24.03.2020 to 31.05.2020. In the same period, the Customs formations in Karnataka have handled 35 incoming evacuation flights, 20 outgoing evacuation flights (from International Airports at Bengaluru & Mangaluru), disbursed about Rs. 400 Cr in drawback and Customs Refunds, prioritized C0VID19 related clearances to quickly clear international incoming shipments of totaling 1000983 units of Masks, 166000 units of full body PPE, 101059 units of Isolation Safety eyewear, 100000 Face Shields, 65000 units of IR Thermometers and 14500 COVID19 Test Kits.

Since it is the need of the hour still is to adhere to social distancing, wearing face-mask and maintain personal hygiene in the post-lockdown period, the CBIC Karnataka COVID Action Group has launched media/awareness /outreach campaign under the tagline "Mask India-Protect India" starting from June 1, 2020. The idea behind this campaign is to support the government efforts to prevent spreading of COVID-19 virus in and around our immediate vicinity or city, thereby, to protect ourselves & the society from this virus.

Yesterday in the forenoon, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Mr B. S. Yediyurappa, was presented with first set of facemasks jointly by the Principal Chief Commissioner GST Karnataka, Mr DP Nagendra Kumar (IRS) and the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Karnataka, Mr M Sriniwas (IRS), to mark the launch of this Campaign.