Sigh of relief - Govt raises gold limit for air passengers

Bellevision Media Network

New Delhi, 28 Feb 2013: In a huge relief to passengers from abroad, the government on Thursday February 28 raised the limit on the gold that can be carried by passengers through the customs of the airports in the country.

 

Presenting the 82nd budget, union minister for finance P Chidambaram announced that the government will allow male passengers to carry gold worth Rs 50,000, and female passengers gold worth Rs 1 lac.

 

 

Earlier, this limit was set at Rs 20,000 worth gold for women and Rs 10,000 for men.

 

Chidambaram said that the government had received various complaints of harassment by customs officers in airports around the country. Hence the limit has been raised.

 

It may be mentioned here that daijiworld had carried an extensive campaign on the harassment faced by passengers at Mangalore airport customs since June 2012. Memorandum had been submitted to former overseas affairs minister Vayalar Ravi, after which the Prime Minister had assured an amendment to the 1967 Customs Rule. Requests and appeals had been made to the top officials and ministries of ports and of finance through MP Jayaprakash Hegde and Oscar Fernandes.

 

Various NRE associations, especially Kerala-based ones too have played a key role in the matter.