Gaurav Masaldan nominated as nodal officer for issues related to customs clearance for COVID-related items

New Delhi [India], April 24 (ANI): As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Gaurav Masaldan has been nominated as the nodal officer in the Department of Revenue for issues related to customs clearance for oxygen and related items.
In a tweet, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs said that in case of any difficulty regarding the same, he can be contacted.
"Sh Gaurav Masaldan has been nominated as the nodal officer in the Department of Revenue for issues related to Customs Clearance for oxygen and related items. In case of any difficulty regarding the same, he can be contacted on mobile number 9810619628 and email id masaldan.gaurav@nic.in," the CBIC tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Customs Department is all set to expedite clearances for the import of consignments relating to the pandemic.
"It is imperative that import of critical raw material, life-saving drugs, etc reach the intended users/benefit in time for an effective fight against the pandemic," a letter signed by the Deputy Secretary of Customs read.
Earlier on Tuesday, the import of Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), injections and specific inputs were made import duty-free till October 31.
The country is in the middle of a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Hospitals across the country, especially in the national capital, have repeatedly flagged acute shortages in oxygen supply.
As many as 3,46,786 new cases and 2,624 new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day spike since the beginning of the pandemic.
According to the official data issued by the union health ministry, the country's total infection count has mounted to 1,66,10,481 cases, while 1,89,544 people have succumbed to it so far. (ANI)