The Hindu : National : Tax arrears to be collected

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Wednesday, Nov 21, 2007
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Tax arrears to be collected

Staff Reporter

V.S. Achuthanandan

KOCHI: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said that the State government will take steps to collect tax arrears of about Rs. 8,000 crore from lottery operators.

Speaking after inaugurating the “From Walayar to Ernakulam” project here on Tuesday, he urged officials of the tax department to gear up to recover the arrears.

Mr. Achuthanandan said the previous United Democratic Front regime had failed to collect arrears of about Rs. 5,000 crore from lottery operators.

He said Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac had said in the Assembly that the lottery operators had incurred tax arrears of about Rs. 8,000 crore. Effective steps had to be chalked out to collect the money.

Pointing out that the State had to mop up revenue, Mr. Achuthanandan said the tax recovered could be used for implementing development projects.

He said the State had not received its tax share due from the Union government. Efforts would be made to pressure the 13th Finance Commission to ensure that the State received its due.

Delivering the presidential address, Dr. Isaac said that social audits would be soon introduced in all offices under the tax department to ensure transparency and make them corruption-free.

He said complaint boxes would be set up at all tax offices to weed out corrupt practices. Taxpayers could register complaints online also. Senior officials and he would redress the complaints fast.

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