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Cheema said that 5,644 winners have received prizes of Rs 3,35,80,215. The goal of this scheme is to motivate consumers to receive bills from dealers for the purchase made within the state.
Tax evasion in Punjab: Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said on Sunday that since the launch of the ‘Bill Lao, Inam Pao’ scheme in September 2023, the bodies found guilty of irregularities in issuing bills have been fined Rs 9.07 crore. Cheema said that 7.30 crore rupees have already been recovered from this, which is an important step towards ensuring fiscal accountability. He further said that this scheme has further expanded the Aadhaar by facilitating 135 new registrations. Cheema said in a statement that this scheme, focused on encouraging citizens to demand bills, has had a profound impact on tax enforcement. The Finance Minister said that the ‘Bill Lao Inam Pao’ scheme launched to encourage responsible consumer behavior and strengthen tax compliance has been a significant success.
Bills are uploaded on ‘My Bill App’
This initiative has seen encouraging public participation, in which a total of 1,76,832 bills have been uploaded on ‘Mera Bill App’ from September 2023 to July 2025. Cheema said that as a result of this increase in participation, 5,644 winners have received prizes of Rs 3,35,80,215. The goal of this scheme is to motivate consumers to receive bills from dealers for the purchase made within the state. Under this scheme, consumers are encouraged to upload their purchase bills on the ‘Mera Bill App’, after which they will automatically be eligible to participate in a lucky draw, which is held on the seventh of each month. The reward will be equal to five times the taxable value of the goods or services declared in the bill. There will be a maximum limit of Rs 10,000 for each award. He has appealed to the people of Punjab to actively involve the ‘Bill Lao Inam Pao’ scheme by demanding the bill for their purchase.
Draw on last month’s purchase
He said that each bill uploaded not only gives a chance to win, but also makes a meaningful contribution in the efforts of the state in preventing tax evasion and promoting the culture of compliance. Cheema clarified that petroleum products (including crude oil, petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel and natural gas), alcohol, state purchases and B2B transactions related bills are excluded from the eligibility criteria of the scheme. He insisted that only the purchase bills made in the previous month are considered for draw, which ensures fairness and operational effectiveness of the plan. He said that the success of this initiative is the proof of the power of civil-interested governance. This scheme reflects the AAP government’s resolve to build a more accountable and participant fiscal ecosystem.
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