Dry port in Jalna sealed over non-payment of non-agri tax

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Revenue department authorities on Saturday sealed the premise of the Multi-Modal Logistics Park, also called the Dry Port, at Jalna over non-payment of Rs52 lakh towards the non-agricultural (NA) tax.Jalna tehsildar Chhaya Pawar said the follow up for necessary payment was on since Dec last year, but the authorities considered failed to make the desired payment."While the state govt has recently abolished the NA tax, the dry port authorities were defaulter on past dues. As no payment was made despite the fiscal being nearing to an end, the facility was sealed," she told TOI.Pawar said the authorities concerned assured of partial payment on Monday, following which the decision on removing the seal would be taken.Hailed as the country's first inland dry port, Jalan Dry Port last year was officially declared a Customs Port by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) of the ministry of finance, marking a major milestone for trade and logistics in the region.Coming under the aegis of the Navi Mumbai-based Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), the dry port along with Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway and Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) was considered as game changer for Marathwada.Spread over 400 acre of land near Jalna, the dry port has been designed to handle up to 10 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units), emerging asa major logistic hub for the region. The facility was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 12, 2024.The office-bearers of the Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA) said they do not have immediate information about the sealing of the dry port."We hope the issue gets fixed soon and the dry port becomes operational to its designed capacity soon," a CMIA office bearer said. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) officials could not be reached for comments.