Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday announced that the Taxation Department has launched a large-scale, coordinated enforcement drive across Punjab to curb tobacco tax evasion, leading to the detection of unaccounted goods estimated at Rs 1.50 crore.Sharing details of the operation, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated, “Following the recent increase in tax rates on tobacco products such as cigarettes, bidis and allied items, the department received specific inputs regarding a surge in tax evasion activities within this sector. Acting swiftly on this intelligence, teams from four State Investigation and Preventive Units (SIPUs) based in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Jalandhar were mobilised. These units carried out simultaneous inspections at eight locations, comprising five registered business premises and three operating entirely without registration.”Detailing the findings of the enforcement drive, the Minister stated, “Major detections were made in Ludhiana and Amritsar, where enforcement teams put in significant efforts to identify concealed storage locations and unaccounted stock. During the thorough inspections of both main shops and associated godowns, substantial quantities of goods were found being stored and traded without valid invoices.”He added that the seized stock includes approximately 1.32 lakh packs of Indian cigarettes, 18,472 packs of Indian bidis, 302 packs of zarda, 13 packets and 95 boxes of imported cigarettes, 148 pieces of foreign-made hookah material, 13,000 lighters and 18 packs of Coolip.Providing the financial assessment, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated, “A tax liability exceeding Rs 50 lakh, along with applicable penalties, will be firmly recovered on the detected goods as per the provisions of the law. An amount of Rs 12 lakh has already been recovered so far, and further recovery proceedings are actively underway.”Reaffirming the Bhagwant Mann Government’s zero-tolerance stance on tax evasion, Cheema said, “Such coordinated enforcement actions will continue unabated to ensure strict tax compliance and to safeguard state revenue.”He also issued a stern advisory to traders, urging them to maintain proper documentation and strictly adhere to statutory provisions to avoid severe penal action.