Telangana sets new revenue collection record : Harish Rao

HYDERABAD: Telangana Finance Minister Harish Rao hailed the Commercial Taxes Department on Saturday for exceeding expectations by collecting Rs. 72,564 crore in taxes during fiscal year 2022-23.

He expressed his deepest appreciation to everyone in the department for their unrelenting dedication and hard work in achieving this great milestone.

Harish Rao attended a brainstorming conference hosted by the Commercial Tax Department at Golconda Resort with a focus on boosting income sources. He expressed his joy at the Saturday conference, emphasising its importance in maintaining momentum and meeting the goals established for the current fiscal year 2023-24.

He emphasised the Telangana state government's dedication to different welfare programmes, citing it as a national leader among all states. Harish Rao commended the Commercial Taxes Department's critical contribution in collecting cash to support these projects. As a result, the department was given a budget target of Rs. 85,413 crore for the current fiscal year.

Minister Harish Rao encouraged the attendees, emphasising the critical role they played in the growth of the state. He said that the success of countless public welfare programmes was dependent on their hard work, and he asked them to remember that every rupee collected helps to elevate up the underprivileged parts of society.

According to Harish Rao, Chief Minister KCR also lauded the department's achievements at numerous conferences, recognising its important contributions to the state's prosperity. He urged all staff to strive hard for the betterment of the state and nation.

He said that Telangana acted as a model for the entire country, with its social measures serving as inspiration for the central government's welfare initiatives. Both the state and federal governments had embraced as examples the state's exceptional programmes, such as Mission Bhagiratha and Rythu Bandhu, as well as initiatives like providing ambulances for animals and creating medical institutions in each district.

Harish Rao said the state's great performance in GST meetings, which outperformed other states. He said that Telangana had ranked top in India in terms of state-owned revenue growth rate during the last eight years. He ascribed this outstanding rise to transparent government, which had come to be associated with state management.

In addition, the Minister said that Telangana's economic growth might be assessed by per capita income. Notably, per capita income had increased from Rs. 1,12,162 in 2014 to Rs. 2,65,942 in 2022, demonstrating the state's thriving economy.

The Minister also said that Telangana was a zero cess-taking state from the centre, saying the state's commitment to equitable taxation policy. He also assured the commercial tax department of unwavering government support, reiterating the state's commitment to its success and growth.

Harish Rao proudly claimed that Telangana had the highest agricultural growth rate of any state in South India. He attributed this amazing success to Chief Minister KCR's visionary leadership, which had pioneered the state's growth by combining areas such as agriculture, welfare, information technology, and others.