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The State revenues were on the track as the half year revenue collections stood at ₹25,928 crore as against the target of ₹27,445 crore by September 1, which amounts to 94.47%. Also, the Goods and Services (GST) collections in Andhra Pradesh registered 28.79% while the national average is 27.8%. All other revenue collections are close to the targets.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was informed about the revenue status by officials at a meeting on revenue-generating departments on Thursday.
The officials told the Chief Minister that transparent policies and implementation of rules strictly helped in keeping the revenue collections on track. Necessary steps were being taken to plug the loopholes. Tax Information System and Investment Management System were developed, they said.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that taxpayers should feel the flexibility and transparency of the policies, which was a must for the smooth collection of taxes. The revenue-generating departments had to ensure transparency while plugging loopholes and leakages in tax collection in order to increase revenues. “There should be no leakages while gaining more efficiency in tax collection. If necessary, avail the services of established professional organisations and agencies for this,” he said.
Illicit liquor
Exhorting the officials to provide alternative employment opportunities to improve the living standards of people brewing hooch, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy directed them to get daily reports from women police working in villages on illicit liquor and belt shops. “You need to draw and work on a special action-oriented plan to stop illicit liquor manufacturing,” he stressed.
Aiming at increasing revenue generation in the Stamps and Registrations Department and meeting targets, he constituted a special committee with senior IAS officers and directed it to submit a report in two weeks.
The committee, consisting of IAS officers M.T. Krishna Babu, Rajat Bhargava, Nirab Kumar Prasad and Gulzar, would submit a report on the steps to increase revenue generation while ensuring flexible and transparent policies for the benefit of people.
“The registration procedures should not be cumbersome. Taxpayers should feel that there is transparency and the policies are flexible,” he said and told the officials to study the registration policies and methods in vogue in other States.
Deputy CM (Excise) K. Narayana Swamy, Minister for Science and Technology, Mines and Geology, Forest, Environment and Energy Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, Chief Secretary Sameer Sarma, Science and Technology Department Special Chief Secretary Nirab Kumar Prasad, Finance Department Special Chief Secretary S.S. Rawat, Excise department Special Chief Secretary Rajat Bhargava, Transport department Principal Secretary M.T. Krishna Babu, Rural Development Department Principal Secretary Gopala Krishna Dwivedi, Home Department Principal Secretary Harish Kumar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Y. Madhusudhana Reddy, Commercial Taxes Chief Commissioner Girija Shankar and Municipal Administration Commissioner Praveen Kumar were present.
