CM calls on officers to ensure that tax targets are met

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called upon officers to ensure that adequate amounts of taxes are collected at the departmental level and that relevant targets are met. He asked the officers to serve as a vehicle for reduction of inequality and bridging regional imbalances in Karnataka as well. He made the remarks during the programme under which he received a delegation of Chief Secretary (CS) Shalini Rajneesh and other officers at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

The CM directed his comments at officers of the Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Revenue Services (IRS), Indian Police Services (IPS) and Indian Forest Services (IFS). Siddaramaiah said the claim that the guarantees were taking up too many resources and therefore development works in the state had been scuttled was a lie. The five guarantees cost the State government Rs 52,000 crore every financial year. “They are repeatedly spreading the lie that there is no money for development. You know this is a lie. The previous (BJP) government called tenders and dealt damage without securing approvals for the same in the Budget.

They had left behind outstanding bills of Rs 39,000 crore. Moreover, the injustice by the Union government against us has been continuing (by way of insufficient devolution of taxes). Despite all this, we’re providing funds for development. Therefore, it is your responsibility and duty to stop the excess leakage of funds in various departments,” Siddaramaiah said.