Chief Secretary Dr Rajiv Sharma today directed the Commercial Taxes Department to take special steps to collect Rs 1,194 crore arrears.
The Chief Secretary today held a high-level review meeting with the Commercial Taxes department officials at the Secretariat in the wake of demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes by the Centre on November 8 and took stock of its financial implications on the State exchequer. The Chief Secretary asked the CT officials to launch a special drive to collect the arrears in a big way through sending messages to the dealers. Wide publicity should be conducted to ensure that the demonetized money was used in the open market until November 24 as the Centre extended the date to make use of high value notes, he said, adding that steps have to be taken to seize the assets and conduct auction to collect Rs 838 crore from closed businesses and other institutions.
Dr Rajiv Sharma said State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, HMDA and Housing Boards should file bids in the auction for seizure of the assets. Interacting with deputy commissioners of Commercial Taxes divisions, Dr Sharma directed them to give wide publicity on the defaulters and collect the arrears pending for quite some time. Besides studying the adverse impact of scrapping of the high value notes on the department, the officials should focus on the turnover and business of traders and ensure that arrears are collected.
Commercial Taxes Commissioner Anil Kumar has informed that Rs 182 crore have been collected from November 9 to 16. Through special drives the dealers are being encouraged to pay back the arrears, he said, adding that Rs 44 crore was collected by filing 3,244 cases during September and October. (NSS)