GST Network crash: Will e-way bills system bring back border check posts and Inspector Raj in new form?

It has been fifteen days since the e-way bill system under the goods and services tax regime was deferred as the GST Network portal had crashed on its debut day, but there is no word as yet when it will restart. Finance secretary Hasmukh Adhia had, in interviews and interactions with industry in the early days of GST, assured that this was not the case; there would only be random checking to see if trucks were carrying the e-way bills or not. The GST Council finalised the e-way bills rules in August, but a planned rollout in October was deferred after the GSTN portal was found to be wanting in coping even with GST filings. The larger firms may find this easier, but the inability of the GSTN to deal with the large number of e-way bills generated on 1 February has left a bad taste in their mouths.