Chennai, Aug 11:
Six senior GST officials have been transferred out of Chennai following allegations of harassment and corruption by traders in the Sowcarpet area, triggering a major reshuffle in the Central GST department.
Those transferred include Madan Mohan Singh, Principal Chief Commissioner, Chennai CGST; Pradip Kumar Suman, Principal Commissioner, CGST Chennai North; Shivaprakash Veeresh Baddi, Additional Commissioner, CGST Chennai North; and B. Lokanath Reddy, Additional Commissioner, CGST Chennai (Appeals-II).
Two Deputy Commissioners of CGST Chennai North — M. Pandaram and N. Sudhakar — have also been transferred.
The transfers come in the wake of complaints from traders in Sowcarpet, who had alleged that GST officials subjected them to harassment and demanded money during inspections and enforcement-related proceedings.
Two separate sources confirmed that the action followed the allegations raised by the traders. The large-scale transfers involving senior officials have sparked attention within the department and are being viewed as a significant administrative shake-up following the Sowcarpet controversy.