Plug Loopholes in Tax Collections To Achieve Annual Targets: Revanth Reddy

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday directed all revenue-generating departments to achieve annual targets set for tax collection by plugging loopholes and leakages in tax collections. While reviewing tax collections by commercial taxes, excise, stamps and registrations, transport, mines and mineral departments for the year 2023-24 at the Secretariat on Monday, Revanth Reddy questioned the big gap between the targets set by the government and revenue generation from the commercial taxes department.

Officials informed the Chief Minister that the Union government had not paid more than Rs.4,000 crore under the GST compensation till last year. Gap in revenues is clearly visible due to non-receipt of those funds from the Centre even after the deadline was over, the officials said. The Chief Minister ordered the officials to stop the supply of Non-Duty Paid Liquor (NDPL) into Telangana from neighbouring states. He asked the officials to take stringent action following the reports of variations in the supply and sale of liquor. 

Excise and Prohibition department officials have been asked to install CCTV cameras at every distillery and the liquor delivery vehicles should be equipped with GPS for tracking them.

He also directed the installation of a bottle tracking system, and wanted the officials to maintain the way bills for the liquor supply vehicles accurately. Revanth Reddy also directed the officials to submit a report on the progress of several cases registered in the past along with non-duty paid liquor. While reviewing the performance of the stamps and registration department, officials informed the Chief Minister that the offices of the sub-registrar and the district registration offices are functioning from rented



buildings. 

Commercial taxes department commissioner T.K. Sreedevi also brought to the Chief Minister that her department’s offices are also functioning from rented buildings.

Disapproving the functioning of government departments from rented buildings, Revanth Reddy directed the officials to prepare proposals for the construction of new buildings and suggested to the officials to utilise vacant government buildings in Hyderabad and district headquarters as per the requirements. He also asked the officials to find suitable government lands for gravel selling points in Hyderabad in the wake of growing sale counters at many places in the city.

Revanth Reddy also ordered the officials to formulate a comprehensive sand policy for the sale of sand. Along with Way Bills, the Chief Minister suggested that there should be tracking of sand transport vehicles to curb illegal transportation. The Chief Minister reminded that fines have been imposed on many mines in the past and cases have been registered for violating the rules. The officials have been asked to collect the fine amount immediately. He instructed the officials to submit a report on the reasons for reducing the fine amount in some cases. 

Revanth Reddy also observed that many officials in TSMDC and the mines department have been continuing in the same post and same place for years and some of them are facing graft allegations. He ordered the transfer of the long serving officials immediately. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, state revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari and senior officials of the respective departments were present in the meeting.