In a move to curb massive tax evasion by transport companies and business establishments in the State, the Telangana government has decided to step up vigil and strengthen commercial tax check posts at all major places and border areas. Stating this at a press meet here on Monday, Commercial Taxes Minister T Srinivas Yadav said the check posts would be modernised using latest technology and special drives would be conducted to corner the offenders.

“About 30 per cent of businessmen in twin cities are evading taxes, instead of paying them and helping the government implement welfare schemes,” he said. Earlier, the Minister held a high- level review meeting with the commercial tax department officials and deliberated on diminishing taxes. The Minister said tax monitoring cells, comprising of Transport and Police departments officials, would be formed to take necessary measures to check tax evasion, besides taking up special drives to collect taxes.  

Vigilance will be stepped up at State borders like Madhira in Khammam, Adilabad and other key places to check transport vehicles evading taxes. Though the government would not levy any fresh taxes as of now, it might be revised in the new fiscal year of 2015, he said. Officials will be pressed into the field to collect information from agencies, net servers and other businesses pertaining to tax evaders to initiate further action.

Yadav exhorted businessmen, software and IT companies, malls and other establishments to pay their taxes in time. Since the government had taken up many ambitious projects and welfare schemes, it needed to collect taxes from those who come under tax purview, he said adding that evaders would be dealt with seriously. He expressed concern over about 2 lakh medium level shop owners and businessmen evading taxes despite doing business of about Rs 2,000 crore everyday and a total of Rs 50,000 crore  a month. The government suffered a shortfall of Rs 20 crore a month from petrol pumps alone, he said.

All textile stores, cinema halls, transport companies, paan and gutka vendors and similar businessmen should pay taxes without fail to strengthen the exchequer and help the government to implement various welfare schemes and developmental works, he said.

The Minister said the focus would be on the following businesses who were not paying taxes  – gold and jewellery shops, coconut, rubber material, paan masala, steel, furniture, cigarette, grocery, dry fruits, sugar, pulses, flour, electrical, electronic accessories, computer spare parts, films, flexi banner rolls, printing, submersible pumps, hardware tools, fans, plywood, lamination, timber trading, metal scrap, steel fancy goods, toys and cosmetics, plastic, footwear, housing and construction material, automobile and transport companies.