VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed officials to initiate measures to further simplify the process of commercial taxes and create more awareness about payment of taxes in time among businessmen.
Reviewing the performance of revenue-earning departments on Monday, Jagan asked the officials to ensure cordial atmosphere in all sectors and at the same time advised them to be vigilant about the agencies that are committing irregularities and take appropriate action as per available information.
The officials should create awareness among taxpayers and clear their doubts from time to time, which will help improve revenue. The officials should also hold trade advisory committee meetings regularly, he stressed.
Taking stock of the excise department, he observed that liquor sales had come down now compared to previous years. He attributed the decline in liquor sales to various measures taken by the government like removal of belt shops and closure of permit rooms. The Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) should focus on curbing bootlegging in the State, he said.
The officials informed the Chief Minister that they laid emphasis on curbing illegal transportation of liquor and intensified raids to check bootlegging. He advised the officials to motivate bootleggers to opt for alternative sources of livelihood by providing aid to them under Cheyutha and Asara schemes.
Special emphasis should also be laid on curbing ganja smuggling from Agency areas. Tribals should be encouraged to take up cultivation and other alternative sources of livelihood. The officials should check whether they have RoFR pattas and if not, pattas should be provided to the eligible. Farmers who got pattas, will get aid under Rythu Bharosa. The officials should supply quality seeds and fertilisers to them. These initiatives will help bring about a positive change in the lives of rural people, he opined.
While reviewing the performance of stamps and registration department, the Chief Minister said the officials should create awareness about registration where permanent land rights and land survey programmes are being taken up. Orientation should be given to the village and ward secretariat staff in this direction. Taking stock of the mining department, Jagan instructed the officials to focus more on non-operational mines and ensure that activities start in the unused mining area to increase the revenue to the exchequer.
Minister for Mines Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma, Special Chief Secretary (Environment and Forest), Neerabh Kumar Prasad, Special Chief Secretary (Municipal Administration) Y Srilakshmi, Special Chief Secretary (Excise, Registration and Stamps) Rajat Bhargava, Principal Secretary (Transport) Praveen Prakash, Principal Secretary (Rural Development) Gopal Krishna Dwivedi, Finance Secretary KVV Satyanarayana, Excise Commissioner Vivek Yadav, Chief Commissioner of State Taxes Girija Shankar, CID DIG PV Sunil Kumar and other officials were present.