Jharkhand mining revenue outpaces neighbours, CM reviews fiscal performance

Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday said Jharkhand’s mining revenue performance was better than that of neighbouring Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and directed officials to further strengthen transparency, monitoring and enforcement in the sector to sustain revenue growth.

Chairing a high-level review meeting of the Finance and Commercial Taxes departments at the Jharkhand Secretariat, Soren reviewed the state’s financial position, revenue collection, budget implementation and progress of departmental programmes. He asked officials to ensure regular monitoring and timely achievement of targets.

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Officials informed the meeting that Jharkhand had recorded a stronger mining revenue position than Odisha and Chhattisgarh in recent financial years. According to the government, the performance was driven by better management of mineral resources, transparent policies and an effective monitoring mechanism.

Soren directed officials to maintain the momentum by ensuring transparency in mining operations, intensifying action against illegal mining and promoting the use of modern technology in monitoring and enforcement.

During the review of the Finance Department, discussions were held on budget estimates, revenue targets, establishment expenditure, capital receipts and central assistance. The Chief Minister stressed effective budget management and optimal utilisation of financial resources to support development initiatives.

Reviewing the Commercial Taxes Department, Soren emphasised the need to improve tax collection and strengthen GST compliance. Officials presented an assessment of revenue under various tax heads and discussed measures to enhance collections while checking tax evasion. The meeting also reviewed GST, VAT, professional tax and other state-level taxes.

The Chief Minister asked the department to encourage voluntary compliance among taxpayers, strengthen enforcement mechanisms and make greater use of technology to improve monitoring. He also directed officials to simplify departmental procedures and make them more transparent and accountable.

Soren further stressed wider implementation of biometric systems in government offices to improve accountability and transparency in administration. He called for better coordination among departments to ensure faster execution of development programmes and more efficient use of public resources.