3 september 2024 : The Punjab government’s ‘Bill Lao, Inam Pao’ scheme, led by the Aam Aadmi Party, has proven to be a milestone in encouraging compliance. The scheme aims to motivate people to obtain bills from dealers after purchasing goods. This has increased the enthusiasm among the general public to collect bills after their purchases.
Under this scheme, the Punjab government provides cash prizes of up to ₹1 lakh every month through a lottery drawn from the bills uploaded by consumers on the app. Many consumers in the state are winning cash prizes under this scheme. It is proving beneficial not only in engaging the public in the lottery but also in preventing tax evasion.
According to recent figures released by Punjab’s Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, a total of 97,443 bills have been uploaded on the ‘Mera Bill’ app. As a result, 2,601 winners have received a total of ₹1,51,62,335 in prizes. The remaining 709 winners will receive ₹41,39,450 in prizes soon. The scheme has also led to a significant increase in tax compliance.
Strict action is taken against those who issue bills irregularly under this scheme. Recently, fines totaling ₹7,92,72,741 have been imposed on those found guilty of irregularities, with ₹6,16,98,869 of the fines already collected.
The success of the ‘Bill Lao, Inam Pao’ scheme is evidence of the Punjab government’s efforts, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, to introduce transparency and accountability in the tax system. It is also strengthening the tax framework within Punjab.