Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 19: The Excise and Taxation Department, despite decrease in import into the State and floods, has recorded substantial revenue of Rs. 3488.13 crore during 2014-15 registering an increase of 6.72 percent over last year’s collection in Jammu division.
This was informed by Minister of State for Finance and Information Technology, Pawan Gupta, while chairing an officers meeting of the department held here to take an overview of working of the organization.
Reaffirming Government’s endeavour of extending a public friendly administration to the people, the Minister exhorted upon the officers to develop a cordial rapport with the dealers and motivate them that the tax being collected from them is only meant for their own growth and prosperity. “Now an attitudinal change has been noticed among the tax payers and they themselves are keen in paying their share in state’s economy so the need is only to manage things more pragmatically and logically”, he asserted.
The Minister asked the officers to adopt a humane approach while realizing revenue and ensure that no one is put to unnecessary harassment and inordinate delay at any level. He said that it is prime concern of the present dispensation to ensure an efficient and transparent dealer friendly tax administration for honest dealers besides dealing with tax evaders with an iron hand.
“Be strict in tax collection but with a complete humanitarian and pro-people approach” he emphasized upon the officers.
Gupta asked the officers to make optimum and judicious application of their aptitude and efficiency and evolve an effective mechanism for streamlining of this vital unit of the Government by identification and removal of flaws in the existing system for better outcomes. He also stressed the need for using pragmatic approach in plugging the tax revenue evasion besides bringing transparency and added accountability for convenience of the traders.
The Minister was apprised that an ambitious computerization project worth Rs. 18.88 crore is being implemented in the Commercial Taxes Department of the State to regulate and administer taxation functioning through introduction of an integrated and automated IT system.
The meeting deliberated upon several issues envisaging further streamlining of the department which interalia included VAT assessment, dealers registration, inspections, GST arrears, returns, MST, passenger tax etc.
Among others present were Additional Commissioner Commercial Taxes (Admn.) Jammu, Anoo Malhotra Puri, Deputy Commissioner Commercial Taxes (V&I), Jammu T. K. Bhat, Deputy Commissioner Commercial Taxes (Appeals), Jammu Arvind Kotwal, Deputy Commissioner (Stamps) Jammu Dara Singh Kotwal, Deputy Commissioner Commercial Taxes (Recovery) T. R. Shastri and other senior officers of the department.
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