Rajbiraj, November 28

The three chhoti customs of Saptari that were displaced during the Maoist insurgency in the past have yet to be reinstated.

While the absence of the customs offices has made it convenient for smugglers to conduct illegal transactions of goods and commodities, it has also adversely affected revenue collection.

According to Rajbiraj Customs Chief Abhishek Kantha, Govindpur, Pato and Mauwahabelhi are the only customs that are in operation now. Of the total six customs in the district, Hanumannagar, Banainiyan and Swarnapatti Chhoti customs have yet to be reinstated.

“As there are no customs office in these places, this situation has given way to smuggling of things and commodities, which has adversely affected revenue collection,” said Kantha.

“A number of traders from India come to sell their things at Saptari’s Bodebarsain via the Swarnapatti entry point, but as there is no customs office at the border, they bring their things without paying any tax,” said local Ram Narayan Sah of Deuri.

Similarly, there are also reports of liquor being smuggled to India taking advantage of the absence of any customs office on the border. “As consumption and transaction of liquor is banned in Bihar, it is smuggled from Nepal. Similarly, as there are no security personnel deployed on the border deu to which also smuggling of drugs has increased, and disturbances and quarrels have also increased,” said Sah. “We requested the Deuri-based police post to increase patrolling on the border, but to no avail,” he lamented.

Rajbiraj Customs Chief Kantha admitted to depression in revenue collection caused by the absence of customs offices on the border and said initiatives were on to reinstate the cutstoms offices.