Himachal Excise, Taxation Dept inspects stocks of Adani Wilmar at Parwanoo

The company's entire GST input was adjusted through tax credit but no payment was made in cash, the excise department has said

The Himachal Pradesh government’s excise and taxation department inspected an Adani Group company, scrutinising records and checking the stock at the Adani Wilmar warehouse in Parwanoo, officials said on Thursday.

The officials were apparently investigating possible GST violations by the company, a 50:50 joint venture between the Adani conglomerate and Wilmar.
 

The inspection on Wednesday evening in the Congress-run state comes at a time when the group finds itself in the middle of a political row at the Centre, triggered by a scathing report by US-based Hindenburg Research.

But a Himachal Pradesh excise department official said that it was a “routine” exercise, a point also made by an Adani Wilmar statement later.
 

A state excise department official said the company’s entire GST input was adjusted through tax credit but no payment was made in cash. But, in its statement, Adani Wilmar cited the Goods and Services Tax rules and claimed "the company is not required to pay tax liability in cash”. 

The Adani Wilmar statement claimed that officials who visited the warehouse did not find any irregularities. All operations by the company are in “full compliance with relevant laws and regulations”, it said. 

It said depot operations are functioning normally after the inspection.

“This was a routine inspection by the relevant authorities and there was no raid as previously stated or reported in the media," it said. 

The staff extended their support during the inspection, fully cooperating with officials and local authorities, the company spokesperson said.