THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The first stride towards integrating the functioning of various checkposts in the state under a single roof was made on Thursday, with the inauguration of such a facility at Amaravila near here. Inaugurating the integrated checkpost of Sales Tax, Excise and Motor Vehicle Departments, Finance Minister K M Mani said that a similar mechanism would be introduced at all border checkposts in the state soon, in a time-bound manner.
At present, a vehicle is doomed to cross four checkposts, including that of the Animal Husbandry Department, within a kilometre leading to considerable time and money loss to vehicle operators and consignment movers as well as causing unending traffic snarls on the National Highways.
The new facility will definitely help overcome the hurdles, he said and added that the idea was included in the UDF election manifesto.
Mani said that the sales tax revenue mobilisation for the current fiscal is set to go up by 20 per cent. As the Union Finance Commission has approved the state’s annual plan of Rs 12,000 crore, not less than Rs 20,000 crore had to mobilised as revenue.
Sales tax constitutes 75 per cent of the total revenue receipts of the state.