Sushil questions 16.23 pc shortfall in tax collection

Reacting to Bihar finance minister Abdul Bari Siddique's assertions that demonetisation will hit commercial tax collection, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today asked why tax collection fell by 16.23 per cent by the end of the second quarter of this fiscal.
"Commercial tax collection was short by 9.75 per cent by the end of second quarter of this fiscal as compared to that in 2015-16," Sushil Modi told reporters here.
"The overall shortfall in tax collection by the end of second quarter of the current financial year was 16.23 per cent vis-a-vis that of the previous year during this period," Sushil Modi, who was finance minister during the NDA rule in Bihar, said quoting from figures presented in Bihar Appropriation (No.4) Bill, 2016 which was approved by the Legislative Assembly yesterday.

While replying to a discussion on the Appropriation Bill, Siddique had said "Demonetisation will adversely affect commercial tax collection in Bihar following the scrapping of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes by the Centre. It will have a cascading effect on the financial health of Bihar as it has been proposed under the GST Act that reimbursement by the Centre will be in proportion to the quantum of commercial tax collection of any state."
Siddique said Bihar government would oppose the proposed formula for reimbursement of funds to the state on the basis of commercial tax collection.
Sushil Modi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, attributed the shortfall in tax collection to lack of constant monitoring and review meetings to take corrective steps.

"Koi mai-baap lagta hain hai hi nahi in sabhi cheejo ke liye (there seems nobody to take care of such things in the coalition government)," the BJP leader said taking potshots at grand-alliance ministry.
"Tax collection had risen by 15-20 per cent during the NDA rule in Bihar as we used to constantly monitor the situation," he claimed.