The state tax department has made use of body-worn cameras mandatory for enforcement officials while checking any commercial establishment or a consignment.
This has been done to check harassment and extortion of traders.
People aware of the development said that state tax commissioner Ministhy S has issued detailed directions in this regard. She has also directed the enforcement staff to not misbehave with traders in the name of checking.
“The directions came after complaints about many enforcement officials misbehaving with and harassing traders during checking of their commercial establishments or consignments,” the official said.
“Use of body-worn cameras will help the department to verify and cross-check traders’ charges,” he pointed out.
In her circular, issued on April 17, Ministhy said that complaints kept coming despite previous instructions to stop harassment of traders during checking by enforcement squads.
“It is therefore directed that use of body-worn cameras by enforcement officials during checking/inspection must be ensured apartment from seeing to it that officials take legal action against a dealer without being discourteous,” the circular said. The controlling official too has been warned of action, if any official or employees of an enforcement wing was found to be indulging in harassment of a trader or misbehaving with him.