Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 20: The Excise Department has registered highest ever revenue of Rs. 520.63 crore upto ending October against Rs. 460.26 crore collected during the corresponding period of last financial year, marking an increase of 13.101 percent. The department is poised to realize highest ever targeted revenue of Rs. 905.54 crore during the current financial year against Rs. 813.54 crore revenue collected during the last fiscal.
This was stated at a meeting convened today in the Excise and Taxation Complex, Jammu to review the performance of various wings of the Excise Department during first seven months of the current fiscal.
The Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs, Abdul Rahim Rather presided.
The Financial Commissioner, Finance, M. I. Khanday, Excise Commissioner, Vineeta Gupta, Deputy Excise Commissioners and other concerned officers of the department attended the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rather said greater revenue was imperative for the development of the State. He called upon the officers of Excise Department to work with zeal and dedication for maximum realization of revenue. This, he said, was essential as the tax revenue comprised the major component of the overall revenue of the State.
Mr. Rather further emphasized the need for enhanced enforcement activities by the department, adding that the officers should conduct regular raids in their area of jurisdiction for the purpose. He urged for checking any attempt towards evasion of Excise & Toll revenue, adding that officers should redouble their efforts to eradicate menace of illicit liquor, bootlegging and illegal cultivation of Narcotic plants like Bhang and Poppy. He instructed the officers to maintain highest standards of integrity and be responsive to the grievances of the public.
While making power point presentation about the enforcement activities of the department, the Excise Commissioner informed that 107 persons were arrested in 2009 raids and 37249 kgs of Lahan destroyed upto October, 2012 with a penalty of Rs. 18.15 lakh recovered from the offenders. She said that upto ending October, this fiscal, a fine of Rs. 13.52 lakh has been collected from tax evaders at toll plaza Lakhanpur besides seizure of 6470 pcs of willow clefts, 4000 bottles of corex and 70 gms of opium. While in Kashmir valley, Bhang over an area of about 4658 kanals of land was destroyed which is also unprecedented.
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