Ban on mining resulted in revenue loss: Sangma

Admitting that the National Green Tribunal ban on mining and transportation of coal has hit Meghalaya's exchequer hard, chief minister Mukul Sangma today said the ban resulted in revenue loss of around Rs 600 crore in the last Financial Year.
To tide the crisis, the state government is developing a framework for safe and scientific mining and has constituted a Task Force Committee to improve the tax realization, the chief minister told the Assembly.
"As per the latest trend of revenue collection of major revenue earning departments, the revenue loss from the GNT ban on coal mining is worked to be around Rs 600 crore," he said while replying to a query posed by UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh.

While alternative sustainable sources of revenue is being worked out for a long term basis, Mukul said the government has implemented a 20 per cent cut on non plan expenditure, revision of VAT for certain items, tax slabs besides tax on luxuries and introduction of efficient revenue realization mechanism.
Denying reports of leakages of revenue, the chief minister however, said, "We have constituted a Task Force Committee to come up with recommendation required to be adopted by revenue generated departments of the state."
He said the state government would look into the recommendations provided by the committee to improve tax realization and revenue collection to tide over.

One of the measures taken by the state government is the Mission Mode Project for Computerization of Commercial Taxes with e-services, which are going to be implemented in the state, he said.

"The e-payment adopted by Meghalaya has also received award of payment from the Computerize Society," he said.
The Chief Minister also informed that all integrated check gates will also be covered under the computerization project, which will include installation of CCTVs.
He said due to the four-laning project at Jorabat, there was certain delay in the process but in respect to Dainadubi and other entry and exit points and land identification will be jointly taken up with other departments.