CM calls for OTS scheme to recover tax dues

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officials here on Friday to introduce a 'One Time Settlement' (OTS) scheme to recover tax dues in various departments from the public. The stamps and registration and commercial taxes departments were specially identified by him for the OTS scheme to garner revenue and recover dues.

At a review meeting to augment the revenue inflows, the Chief Minister asked the officials to improve the collections by recasting their priorities. He said OTS registrations should be undertaken speedily through the village and ward secretariats too. A total of 650 villages have been identified and 14,000 staff being trained in the processes, he said.

Referring to the TIDCO (AP Township Development and Infrastructure Corporation) houses, he said the public must be educated on the benefits of getting their registrations done. If the land was registered, then the buyers would be assured of it legally and hence they must be told of this particular benefit in educating them, he added.

He directed the officials of key revenue earning departments like stamps and registrations, commercial taxes, transport and mining to increase their collections. "All your efforts must be on zooming up the collections. Do it without fail," he said.

He said awareness of registration services in the village and ward secretariats should be enhanced among the public for their benefit. People must be told about the security inherent to the registration.

Further, he said that steps should be taken to roll out registration of services in the selected secretariats by October 2 along with providing permanent land deeds under Jagananna Saswatha Bhu Hakku - Bhu Raksha scheme. This would come into effect in 650 villages where 14,000 village and ward secretariat staff were being trained.

He asked the forest department officials to focus on promoting bamboo cultivation in the state. He also directed the officials to make 2,700 non-operating quarries functional so that revenue could be earned from those too. Coal production from Suliyari mines should be supplied to industries, he said.

Discussing commercial taxes and excise, CM advised to restructure the commercial taxes by assigning clear responsibilities to everyone in the department. He told the authorities to establish data analytics section along with legal cell and OTS facility to collect pending arrears by the end of June. He also ordered strict action against transport and manufacturing of illicit liquor.

Deputy Chief Minister (Excise) K Narayana Swamy, revenue minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, minister for energy, forest and mines Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, chief secretary Sameer Sharma, forests and environment special CS Neerab Kumar Prasad, revenue department special CS Rajat Bhargava, commissioner for land administration G Sai Prasad, special CS finance SS Rawat, principal secretary for transport MT Krishnababu, principal secretary for panchayati raj Gopalakrishna Dwivedi, principal chief conservator of Forests N Prateep Kumar and other officials were present.