MADURAI: Many merchants affiliated to Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Association Limited, Madurai were aggrieved over the penalty imposed by the GST authority for minor clerical errors in E-Way billing.

It is unfortunate that a stakeholder of this association has been penalised Rs 9,118 by the officials for a minor error in mentioning truck number. But, in his E-Way bill, the GST number, details of the buyer and seller were correct, except for the minor error, SP Jeyapragasam, advisor, Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association Limited said on Saturday.

Some GST officials were misusing the powers. Therefore, D Jagannathan, Commissioner of Commercial Taxes through the government should look into this issue seriously to ensure that the stakeholders should not be penalised for such minor mistakes.

Earlier, when TV Somanathan was the Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, he gave instructions to the GST officials to penalise Rs 1,000 only for minor mistakes in the E-Way bill.

But the official concerned in this case had charged huge sums of penalty and a receipt and a copy of it was also enclosed. In this regard, merchants across the State were worried and continuously complaining. Due to this, genuine stakeholders were facing hardships.

“Citing these, the TNFMAL re- quested the GST authorities to give instructions to flying squad officials not to harass the traders for such minor mistakes,” he said.