Punjab expected to procure 132 lakh metric tons wheat: Chief Secretary
Punjab is expected to procure 132 lakh metric tons wheat, out of which 17.14 lakh metric tons have already been acquired, Chief Secretary Anurag Verma said on Sunday.
Punjab finance, planning, excise and taxation minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday announced that the Enforcement Wing (state Goods and Services Tax) of the taxation department has noted an increase of 63.7 per cent with the recovery of Rs 101.38 Crore in the first five months of the current financial year against Rs 61.92 Crore recovered during the same period last year.
Cheema highlighted that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government has adopted a supportive approach towards honest taxpayers and efforts are being made to resolve their grievances at the earliest. On the other hand, strict measures are being taken against tax evaders.
Singh said that taxation department has been undertaking various activities to make people aware about timely payment of GST. “The enforcement wing has so far recovered Rs 11 Crore in inspections alone with the help of field recce and data mining. During the same period last year, the department could recover Rs 4.67 lacs only”, he added.
The minister noted that a significant progress has also been achieved in goods in transit cases as the enforcement wing has remained more vigilant towards unscrupulous tax evaders. He said the enforcement wing has so far penalised 3191 cases of goods in transit resulting in revenue generation of Rs 90.40 Crore in this fiscal as compared to 2235 cases involving revenue of Rs 61.80 Crore during the same period in last fiscal.
The taxation commissioner, Kamal Kishor Yadav said better coordination between state and Central GST Authorities have resulted in swift investigation of Enforcement cases. He said the department was earlier short of vehicles but now, the government has sanctioned more vehicles for enforcement wings for better outreach to curb tax evasion in every nook and corner of the state.
“The department is planning to institute a tax intelligence unit at head office, Patiala to curb the big evaders besides planning to buy more advanced technical and analytical tools for identification of bogus taxpayers at the very beginning to secure the revenue of the State”, Yadav said.
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