The Excise department has registered a growth of 11.75 percent in the first five months of the current fiscal year with a revenue realisation of Rs 512.20 crores which is Rs 53.85 crores more than the corresponding period of the last financial year.This was given out during a meeting convened under the Chairmanship of Commissioner Secretary Finance Mr Navin K Choudhary IAS here today to review the physical and financial achievements registered during the current financial year.Excise Commissioner, Tsering Angchok IAS, while highlighting the physical and financial achievements of the department in the sectors of excise, toll and entertainment duty informed about the status of income generation at toll post Lakhanpur and toll post Railway Station. The activities of executive, enforcement and distillery wings were also put on the anvil for evaluation.While apprising about the enforcement activities for the department, the Commissioner Secretary was informed that till August 2016 about 1814 raids were conducted in Jammu division and four in Kashmir Division during which about 63145 Kgs of Lahan, 42 working stills and Bhang cropped over 16.15 kanals of land was destroyed in Jammu division .
In addition to this about 20,100 kgs of polythene was seized. A fine of Rs 12.75 lakh was realised by the department and 54 persons were arrested during such raids. In Kashmir division poppy grown on about 2678 kanals was destroyed during the raids.While addressing the meeting, Commissioner Secretary stressed for working in tandem to ensure that the set targets are optimally achieved. He emphasized that Taxation is the backbone of the state governance. He exhorted field functionaries to be business friendly while collecting taxes as they are the important stake holders of the Taxation system. He also directed the department to work with transparency and dedication for enhancing revenue generation of the state. He stressed on providing specialized training to the officers for smooth handling of tax dispute cases and ensure their time bound disposal.He emphasized on further enhancing the enforcement activities, adding that the officers should conduct regular raids in their respective areas of jurisdiction for the purpose and make all out efforts to eradicate the menace of illicit liquor, bootlegging and illegal cultivation of Bhang and Poppy.The meeting was attended by Deputy Excise Commissioner Distilleries/Executive, Nagendra Singh Jamwal, Deputy Excise Commissioner Accounts, Shagun Sharma , Deputy Excise Commissioner Lakhanpur, Rajesh Sharma, Deputy Excise Commissioner Executive Kashmir Khurshid Ahmad Shah, Principal, Excise Training Institute Nagrota, Renu Kumari and other officers of the department.