Customs - Free Baggage Allowance for pax up to 10 years of age - Bungling Royale by CBEC?
THE Finance Minister of India does not need an opposition party - his bureaucrats are out to embarrass him and make him do all kinds of bungling with the Law.
What is the Free Baggage Allowance for passengers up to 10 years of age returning after stay abroad of more than three days?
An alert Netizen raised this question before us recently. DDT called up several airports right across the country and all Customs Officers were unanimous in their view that it is Rs. 6000/-
In his Budget Speech 2012, in Para 217, the Finance Minister said,
Baggage allowance for Indians travelling abroad was last revised in 2004. I propose to increase the duty-free allowance for eligible passengers of Indian origin from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 35,000 and for children of up to 10 years from Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 15,000 .
In his DO Letter, D.O.F.No.334/ 3/2012-TRU dated 16.03.2012, the Joint Secretary, TRU repeated the statement of the Finance Minister in Para 21.1
21. Baggage Allowance:
21.1. The duty-free allowance under the Baggage Rules is being increased from Rs.25000 to Rs. 35000 for passengers of Indian origin and from Rs. 12000 to Rs. 15000 for children upto 10 years of age.
Accordingly, Notification No. was issued on 17.03.2012, which amended the Baggage Rules as follows:
In the Baggage Rules, 1998, in Appendix A, in column (2),-
(i) against item number (a) in column (1), for “Rs. 25,000”, “Rs. 35,000” shall be substituted;
(ii) against item number (b) in column (1), for “Rs. 12,000”, “Rs. 15,000” shall be substituted.
So, both the FM and the JS spoke in one voice and affirmed that the baggage allowance for passengers below ten years was Rs. 12,000/- and it has been increased to Rs. 15,000.
But the Law and facts are otherwise.
It is Appendix A to the Baggage Rules, which is the subject here. This Appendix A prior to its amendment by Notification No. on 17.03.2012, read as: