Many Indian retail e-commerce websites selling electronic items do not ship to West Bengal and to some other states. Dell, the world leader in customised notebooks and desktop computers, also prefers not to ship to these states. The deterrent is the hassle involved in getting a waybill for an unregistered person for the entry of merchandise into these states. Some shippers, however, manage to ship to these states with the help of unscrupulous courier companies, which appear to smuggle these shipments without tax payments. Better sense can prevail if the state governments allow courier companies to clear these shipments upon the payment of requisite commercial taxes on behalf of the addressee. This is already operational in case of Customs Duty. Additionally, the state governments can put up a convenient interface with a payment gateway on their websites to facilitate instant issue of waybills. It is high time the babus woke up to the need of the hour in the interest of revenue and the public at large. This could be a win-win situation for all.
Vikash Agarwal, Kolkata
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