Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: The state government failed to collect approximately Rs 7125crore tax and dues of various companies towards mining royalty, water, power dues and others taxes due to litigation although it is dependent on market borrowing to meet its revenue shortfall.
Finance minister Pradip Kumar Amat told the assembly in response to a written question of member Sanjib Kumar Sahoo (BJD) Monday the state has prepared a list of firms who owe Rs 1crore or more but the revenue could not be realised due to court cases.
At least Rs 2085.96crore could not be realised as commercial tax from 109 organisations, the minister said adding Sterilite Energy Ltd/Vedanta Ltd owes `202.77 crore followed by Bhushan Steels with Rs 195.50 crore, G M R Kamalanga Energy Ltd owed `135.17crore and `113.87 crore of
IFFCO Limited.
Similarly, `1874.01crore could not be collected from 26 organisations as electricity duty by the energy department, he said. The highest amount of Rs 872.14 crore could not be realised as power bill from Indian Charge Chrome/IMFA followed by Rs 354 crore from central public sector Nalco and Rs 314.81 crore from Rourkela Steel Plant, he said.
The steel and mines department failed to collect Rs 1809.70 crore as mines royalty from 11 organisations, like Rs 1317.17 crore from MCL, Sambalpur, Rs 328.42 crore from Tisco, Joda East Iron Mines, Rs 65.88 crore from RP Sao, Joda Guali Iron Mines, 26.08 crore from Nalco, PP Mali, Rs 25.09 crore from Rungta Mines Limited, Joda, Jajng Iron Mines among others.
Likewise, water cess worth Rs 1281.66crore has not been recovered from 13 companies due to stay orders from courts. This includes Rs 439crore from Nalco, Rs 291.82 crore from Ballarpur (Seva), Rs 158.67crore from Ballarpur Industries, Rs 138.13 crore from SE Railways (Jharsuguda).
Excise revenue worth Rs 21.62 crore – Rs 13.52crore from Mangalam Timber and Rs 8.10crore from SAB Miller Paradip – is also pending due to court stay, while the state government has failed to collect Rs 52.29crore tax from the forest sector.
The finance minister, however, said the Chief Secretary is reviewing collection of such taxes every month. The state is consulting standing counsels to resolve the legal disputes to speed up collection of the pending taxes and dues.
