Importers making false declarations beware. The Finance Ministry is all set to curb malpractices at the ports as well as swoop down on smuggling activities across the Indian shores.
A two-pronged strategy is being put in place in the coming fiscal that would make physical inspection of inbound container traffic partially redundant while simultaneously increase the vigil manifold over the country's 7,616 km long coastline.
The Revenue Department is in the final stages of installing seven new container scanners at Mumbai, Chennai, Tuticorin and Kandla ports at an estimated cost of Rs 172.9 crore.
Of these, one fixed scanner would be located at each port and one mobile gamma-ray scanner each would be installed at the ports of Chennai, Tuticorin and Kandla.
Marine vessels
Simultaneously, 109 new marine vessels would be deployed over the coastline and riverine/inland waters to detect movement of contraband goods, arms and ammunitions, explosives, narcotics etc through these areas.
The total estimated cost of the scanners and the marine vessels are approximately Rs 358 crores, officials said.
"The scanners would enable the customs department to make non-intrusive inspection of container cargo and would also bring down cost and time involved in such inspection," officials told Business Line.
"The absence of physical inspection would also put an end to the nexus between a section of customs officials who are hand in glove with certain unscrupulous importers and end up encouraging undeclared imports or permitting false valuations in one or the other pretext misusing the discretionary powers vested on them," officials said.
Modalities of system
Explaining the modalities of the functioning of the new system, officials said that "as it is now in the airports, the hand baggage of passengers is not opened but scanned and the picture of all its contents seen on the screen, the content in containers would be scanned and inspected on the screen."
"The technology also has the provision of storing pictures in the memory for a stipulated period of time for future references," he said, adding that of the country's total container traffic, approximately 76 per cent will be covered once the scanners in the four ports become operational.
Extra vigil
With regard to increasing vigil across the coastline and riverine/inland waters, the Ministry expects to deploy 109 new vessels by 2009.
There are three categories of vessels, namely Category I, II and III based on their technical specifications.
"Final orders for Category I and Category III vessels have already been placed and supplies are expected to commence within next two to three months. Procurement of category II vessels have been re-tendered and orders are likely to be placed shortly," officials said.
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