A local barber in Vijayawada was left stunned after receiving a Goods and Services Tax (GST) notice demanding payment of Rs. 72 lakh. Srinivasa Rao, who has been running a modest salon at Panja Center for the past 40 years, suddenly found himself accused of operating a scrap iron business in Visakhapatnam.
The issue came to light when Rao’s bank account was suspended. Upon inquiry, bank staff informed him that they had frozen his account as per the order of the GST officials for nonpayment of GST. Shocked, Rao insisted that he has never owned or operated any iron business, and survives on daily earnings of just ₹300–₹400 from his salon. Expressing their helpness in this matter, they advised him to visit Visakhapatnam to resolve the matter.
He alleged that his PAN and Aadhaar details would have been fraudulently misused for transactions linked to the scrap business and clarified that his phone number and email ID were not associated with those records. The ordeal has left him in distress, as his welfare scheme benefits have also been suspended. Rao is now seeking help from local authorities to clear his name and restore his bank account so that he can continue his business.
