Hyderabad: Upset with the functioning of top-level officials in crucial revenue earning departments, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has planned a major overhaul of these departments once the ongoing Legislative Assembly session concludes on November 29.
Senior officials of four key departments commercial taxes, excise, transport and stamps and Registration are likely to get the axe.
These departments are considered to be the lifeline for any state government, as they contribute a major chunk of funds to the exchequer.
The government had fixed a revenue collection target of Rs 39,000 crore from these departments for the current financial year 2014-15. But after eights months are almost over, only Rs 16,300 crore had been realised so far.
There is still a backlog of collection of Rs 22,700 crore, which has to be achieved in the remaining four months.
Mr Rao, who reviewed the issue with Finance Minister Etela Rajendar and CMO officials on Saturday, felt that the possibility of meeting such a huge target in just four months with the existing officials were remote and these departments needed to be overhauled at the earliest.
With Telangana being a new state, the government has been under tremendous financial pressure due to implementation of crop loan waiver, purchase of power, special T-increment for employees, water grid project, restoration of water bodies etc. and the state’s current financial condition is not adequate to support these schemes.
It is forced to rely entirely on loans from various agencies, which has also become difficult as the state already surpassed the 3 per cent loan limit of GSDP .
Official sources informed that the Commercial Taxes department has collected only Rs 12,000 crore out of a targeted collection of Rs 26,963 crore. Similarly, only Rs 1,600 crore has been realised from the Excise department against the target of Rs 3,400 crore.
The Transport department meanwhile has collected only Rs 760 crore out of a target amount of Rs 2,226 crore.
The Stamps and Registration department could achieve a collection of Rs 1,100 crore out of a targeted amount of Rs 2,583 crore.
Mr Rao said that the situation in the Stamps and Registration was understandable due to a slowdown in the realty sector after the creation of Telangana.
