HYDERABAD:Whether the state will suffer any loss or gain in tax revenues following the introduction of General Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be known only after the announcement of commodity-wise tax rates by the Central government, deputy chief minister Kadiyam Srihari has said.
Replying to a debate on demands for grants for eight departments, including commercial taxes, in the state legislative Assembly on Monday, Srihari, on behalf of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, replied that once the GST slab rates were finalised, then the state government would think of increasing the number of commercial tax circles. “The work burden is heavy for employees in the commercial taxes department. However, once the purview of the dealers is decided under GST, then the it will plan an increase in the number of circles.”
Under GST, some traders would be covered under Central Excise Act and by assistant commissioners, and the remaining would be covered by the commercial taxes officers of the state, he added.
Animal husbandry minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav said the neighbouring AP government decided not to sell sheep to TS which planned to purchase 84 lakh sheep in two years from neighbouring states including AP. “But the state is purchasing sheep from private persons and the neighbouring state could not stop it,” Talasani added. He said that the number of sheep to be distributed by the state would rise from 84 lakh to three crore in two years and generate rural employment.
Agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said they were planning to set up chilli, turmeric and masala powder manufacturing units in Velpur in Nizamabad district at the proposed spice park. “Turmeric and other produces purchased from farmers would be powdered so that farmers get better prices. The state government would procure chilli, masala and turmeric powders to supply to Anganwadi centres, student hostels and schools for mid-day meals.
The state government’s aim is to see a debt-free, suicide-free and problems-free agricultural sector. “Once water is provided to one crore acres of land from Palamuru-Rangareddy and Kaleshwaram projects, there will be no farmer suicides in the state,” he said.
Deputy chief minister (revenue) Mohammed Mahmood Ali said the proposal to set up a debt recover tribunal (DRT) was on the anvil so that farmers’ debt related problems can be solved quickly.
Home minister N Narasimha Reddy said the death of a person in Mangalhat police station was a natural death. “Bhim Singh died of cardiac arrest. The CCTV footages of the police station were released to media also. However, the state government announced `5 lakh ex-gratia to the victim’s family and also assured to provide job to his kin,” Reddy said.