Finance vs excise: Siddaramaiah's tough targets give Satish Jarkiholi a fit

The unrealistic target fixed by the finance department for the excise department for this fiscal has reportedly created bad blood between chief minister, Siddaramaiah and his close associate and cabinet minister Satish Jarkiholi who holds the excise portfolio.

First, Mr Jarkiholi wanted the social welfare ministry, however, Mr Siddaramaiah refused to concede this demand. To top it, the finance department controlled by Mr Siddaramaiah is dictating terms to the excise department which Mr Jarkiholi considers annoying, sources close to him said.

The communication gap between the two leaders has grown too wide. Recently, when a senior officer belonging to the excise department had to attend a review meeting convened by the chief minister, Mr Jarkiholi instructed him to express displeasure over the finance department fixing an unrealistic target for the department.

Despite the excise department conveying it in writing on a couple of occasions to the finance department that it could not meet the target fixed by the latter as their target was unrealistic and unscientific, the finance department fixed Rs 14,430 crore, which is Rs 850 crore in excess compared to the target fixed for the last fiscal.

In the end, the state may not realise a revenue of Rs 680 crore during this fiscal, sources in the excise department said.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior bureaucrat in the Excise department observed that even after both excise minister, Mr Jarkiholi and excise department heads conveyed it to Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah that the target set by him could not be met owing to the exaggerated targets fixed by the CM himself following the advise of the finance department officials, noting had happened.

"It is a known fact that unless deadlines are pushed at least during festive seasons like the New Year, Christmas and other popular festivals, it becomes increasingly difficult to meet this kind of mammoth target.

On one hand, the finance department want us to meet the target, on the other hand, the home department has tied our hands in achieving targets by setting early deadlines," the source explained.