State govt to rejig revenue-generating departments soon

Hyderabad: “Get the targeted moolah or get out of the way” seems to be the mantra that will soon animate Telangana’s revenue- generating departments that have failed to achieve their targets. In this context, the Commercial Taxes, Excise and Prohibition, and the Registration and Stamps departments will be rejigged soon. Based on performance, officials of the three wings will be shuffled to achieve the targets.

The Cabinet Sub-Committee on mobilization of revenues has taken serious note of the slowdown in revenue generation in the three wings, despite the government taking initiatives to boost revenues and meet the growing financial needs of the state to implement a lot of welfare and developmental programmes.

The Sub-Committee has suggested lifting of the ban on transfers in the three wings so that efficient officials could be deployed to increase revenues by plugging the loopholes. The Committee observed that officials who have been stationed in the same position for a long time are to be shunted out.

The Sub Committee Chairman Deputy Chief Minister, Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, said that that revenue collections have recorded a growth of only 4.7 per cent in the Commercial Taxes Department and 18.6 per cent in the Mines Department, while other departments are showing a lag in revenue mobilisation. He instructed officials to expedite desiltation works in major irrigation projects. He explained that desiltation would not only enhance the water storage capacity of irrigation projects but also generate revenue for the state through sand. He suggested that the desiltation program be immediately launched in one project as a pilot.

The Ministers proposed that sand mining works in agency areas should be carried out entirely through tribal agencies. Since tribal communities do not have access to heavy machinery, the Ministers recommended that the Engineering Division of ITDA provide machinery support.

This would economically empower tribals in the agency regions.

Besides, the Ministers directed the officials concerned to formulate procedures within three weeks for shifting polluting industries located within city limits to outside of the Outer Ring Road (ORR).