VIJAYAWADA: Revenue from excise, registration and stamps, and mining and geology departments has increased significantly in the current fiscal till July compared to the corresponding period in the last fiscal, officials told Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy during a meeting to review revenue-earning departments at his camp office in Tadepalli on Monday.
The officials explained that the State had already collected Rs 7,643.15 crore Goods and Services Tax (GST) by June in the current financial year 2023-24, which is 91 per cent of the total GST target (without compensation) for this fiscal. It was 23.74 per cent higher than that of same period in the last fiscal.
Stating that liquor sales saw a drop in volume since 2018-19, the officials said, “While 384.36 lakh cases of liquor were sold in 2018-19, the sales have come down to 335.98 lakh in 2022-23. Beer sales have also dropped to 116.76 lakh cases from 277.16 lakh in the same period. Percentage-wise, the sale of beer and liquor in the first three months of the present fiscal has come down by 56.51 and 5.28 per cent in comparison with sales in the corresponding period of FY2018-19.”
Further, Jagan directed them to focus on effectively implementing alternative livelihood opportunities for people involved in manufacturing illicit liquor. He was informed that Rs 16.17 crore was extended to families involved in brewing country liquor for alternative livelihood.
On income generated from the registrations department, the officials explained to the Chief Minister that Rs 2,793.70 crore has been generated till July 15 in the current fiscal as against Rs 2,291.97 crore in the corresponding period last year.
They said registration services have begun in villages where resurvey of lands has been completed. So far 5,000 registrations have been done in village secretariats fetching revenue of Rs 8.03 crore, they added.
The Chief Minister was informed that the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) was raking in more revenue from Mangampeta Barytes Reserves and Suliyari coal block which is expected to produce 5 million tonnes of coal this year.
APMDC’s revenue has increased to Rs 1,806 crore in financial year 2022-23 from Rs 502 crore in 2020-21, officials said, adding it is expected to go up to Rs 4,000 crore in FY 2023-24.
The Chief Minister noted that revenue in these departments has gone up in the last four years due to the transparent implementation of policies, the introduction of reforms and the plugging of loopholes.
Reviewing the transport department, he directed officials to implement the best vehicle tax policies in the State by introducing reforms after carefully studying the tax policies in vogue in other States.