After rolling out a pilot project for Aadhaar-based biometric authentication for new GST registrations in Gujarat, the state government said on Monday that it has effectively curbed fake GST registrations happening in the state.

SGST officials pointed out that there has been a 24.3 per cent drop in the number of GSTIN applications filed in Gujarat since the pilot project began in November 2023. Compared to 2.02 lakh applications the department received between November 2022 and June 2023, the numbers fell to 1.52 lakh during the November 2023-June 2024 period.

 “In over 6,600 cases, fear of getting caught has kept suspected applicants away from visiting the GST Seva Kendras. We have managed to curb the number of bogus applications,” said an SGST official on Monday. Officials said suspicious-looking applications are red-flagged, and the applicants are called in person to the GST Seva Kendras for verification.

On November 7, 2023, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman while visiting Vapi in Gujarat had inaugurated the 12 GST Seva Kendras in the state that carry out the Aadhar-based biometric authentication. Both CGST and SGST officials work together at these GST Seva Kendras.

“It has been decided in the 53rd meeting of the GST Council to implement the GST Seva Kendras across the country,” said Kanu Mehta, the state finance minister who visited the GST Seva Kendra in Ahmedabad on Monday and reviewed the functioning.

Published on July 15, 2024