Telangana Congress Govt Delivers on Election Promises Within 100 Days
By : l. venkat ram reddy
Update: 2024-03-23 18:57 GMT
HYDERABAD: The Congress government which recently completed 100 days in office has mobilised resources to pay for five of the Six Guarantees that the party had promised before the Assembly elections, the data obtained from the finance department show.
Revenue earnings increased by Rs 8,000 crore in December and January, while expenditure on the guarantees was Rs 5,000 crore. This comes amidst scepticism by Opposition parties which called the guarantees a drain on state's resources and that the government would not be able to pay for them.
During the previous BRS government's tenure, the average monthly earnings of the state government did not cross Rs 10,000 crore. The Revanth Reddy government which assumed office on December 7, 2023, achieved earnings of Rs 28,425 crore in two months.
Official sources said that the state government earned an additional Rs 8,425 crore in the last two month and the data for February is yet to be compiled. But officials expect February earnings to cross over Rs 15,000 crore.
The government is spending Rs 250 crore per month on free bus travel for women and nearly Rs 2,100 crore per month on free power to households up to 200 units and nearly Rs 80 crore on the `500 gas cylinders scheme and `80 crore on the extended Arogyasri.
Sources attribute the increase in revenue earnings to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's special focus on plugging leakages in tax collections.
Mobile enforcement units have been increased to carry out raids on tax evaders. The government stepped up vigilance and strengthened the intelligence network to catch offenders, prevent evasions of GST and other taxes. Following the CM's directions, officials stepped up raids across the state.
Income through sand mining and sales had increased as compared to the BRS regime. GST collections also increased by nearly Rs 350 crore per month since the Congress came to power in December.
Revanth Reddy issued strict instructions to officials to achieve the annual targets set for the tax collections by plugging loopholes and leakages. Sources said he was regularly monitoring collections by the commercial taxes, excise, stamps and registrations, transport, mines and mineral departments.
Excise officials are cracking down on supply of non-duty paid liquor (NDPL) from neighbouring states and probing the variations in the computation between the supply and sale of liquor. CCTV cameras have been installed at every distillery and the GPS tracking system set up for liquor delivery vehicles.
Bottle tracking system and way bills for the liquor supply vehicles are being strictly monitored, sources said. A GPS tracking system has been put in place to track sand transport vehicles.