The State Goods and Services Tax (GST) Department has detected turnover suppression amounting to Rs 157.87 crore during surprise inspections across restaurants in the State. The inspections, code-named 'Operation Honeydukes,' began at 6 PM on Wednesday and continued into the early hours of Thursday.
The coordinated operation was jointly conducted by the intelligence and enforcement wings of the State GST Department. A total of 41 squads carried out simultaneous inspections at 42 restaurants, uncovering significant instances of tax evasion and unreported income.
According to provisional data released by the department, the inspection teams identified tax evasion worth Rs 7.89 crore in addition to the suppressed turnover. Officials stated that the inspections were based on data analytics and intelligence inputs suggesting large-scale discrepancies in sales reporting.
A senior official from the department noted that similar inspections will continue in the coming days as part of a State-wide campaign to curb tax evasion and enhance compliance among restaurants.
The GST Department emphasized that operations like these are part of a larger initiative to strengthen tax transparency and ensure a level playing field for compliant businesses.
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