Kolkata, 08 August (H.S.) : In a major administrative step aimed at curbing alleged irregularities in the collection of revenue from stone quarries, the Birbhum administration has introduced an online system for issuing DCR receipts at quarry check gates.

The move comes in the wake of the alleged financial irregularities associated with stone trader Tulu Mondal, who has been accused of running an extensive illegal operation involving fake DCRs, or Duplicate Carbon Receipts.

The new system was inaugurated on Friday at the Raipur check gate under Mohammedbazar police station area. Additional District Magistrate (Land and Land Reforms) Shubham Agarwal, Sainthia MLA Krishnakanta Saha and other administrative officials were present at the inauguration.

Under the new arrangement, DCRs will be issued only through the online system. Truck owners transporting stone from the quarries will pay the applicable government revenue directly through the online platform and receive the DCR token from the system.

Saha said the state government had adopted a “zero tolerance” policy towards corruption and described the new system as part of that initiative. According to him, the online mechanism would eliminate the scope for irregularities in the collection of revenue from stone transportation.

No cash transactions at check gates

According to administrative sources, officials posted at every check gate in the stone quarry areas will collect the applicable revenue through designated devices. The DCR receipt will be generated directly from the same device after the payment is completed.

Officials believe the system will significantly reduce the possibility of cash transactions, manipulation of receipts or collection of additional amounts from truck owners.

The administration has also planned increased monitoring along roads connecting the quarry areas. Police and administrative officials at different levels will conduct surveillance to prevent vehicles from being allowed to pass in exchange for illegal payments.

Officials responsible for revenue collection will also face action if they are found allowing vehicles to pass in exchange for money. The administration has indicated that both the truck owner involved and the official responsible for the concerned check gate could face action.

How the DCR system became controversial

When trucks carrying stone leave quarry areas in Birbhum, their owners are required to pay the state government a levy for transporting the mineral resource. The receipt issued against the payment is known as a DCR, or Duplicate Carbon Receipt.

According to the administration, irregularities had been reported in the system of manual revenue collection, with some truck operators allegedly managing to evade payment.

In 2016, the responsibility for collecting DCR revenue was reportedly handed over to a private agency in an attempt to check such irregularities. Tulu Mondal, a stone trader, was subsequently given responsibility for the process in the district.

Mondal was later accused of exploiting the system by allegedly producing and using fake DCRs. Allegations surfaced that revenue collected from a large number of trucks did not reach the state exchequer.

Following the change in government, the administration tightened its monitoring of the system. Officials have claimed that revenue collected through DCRs in Birbhum increased substantially after the new government assumed office.

The alleged fake DCR operation associated with Mondal was also brought under investigation. Searches at the residences of his employees and relatives reportedly led to the recovery of documents, cash, gold and other materials allegedly linked to the case.

However, the administration maintained that isolated instances of fake DCRs continued to surface even after the larger alleged operation was disrupted. The introduction of an entirely online DCR system is now being seen as an attempt to eliminate the scope for manipulation at the source.

The administration has said that the new system will bring greater transparency to revenue collection from the stone quarry sector and help prevent both fake receipts and unauthorised cash transactions.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh