Kolkata, June 24: The West Bengal government, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, is focused on increasing tax revenue without imposing additional burdens on the public. To achieve this goal, it is crucial to address shortcomings in tax collection.
A finance department official stated that although many believe that Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta’s budget proposals for 2026-27 lacked specific guidelines for improving tax revenue, the key to revenue growth lies in decisions made since the new cabinet took office.
The impact of these government decisions is already visible, with improvements in tax collection under certain rates. A significant step in this direction is the complete transparency of the tax collection system in stone quarries and sand mining businesses. Efforts are underway to eliminate the potential for fraud in e-challans, which was widespread during the previous Trinamool Congress administration.
According to the finance department official, the process of identifying government officials involved in e-challan fraud has begun, and they will be replaced by honest and reputable officials. Currently, e-challans are issued to trucks transporting sand from riverbeds at various check-posts.
On the surface, these e-challans appeared legitimate, but it was later discovered that fraud was occurring in their preparation. As a result, operators involved in mining and trade were evading proper tax payments to the state government, opting instead to make informal payments as bribes to corrupt officials.
The finance department official remarked, “By addressing these shortcomings, we will hit two targets with one arrow. On one hand, the illegal collection of bribes will cease, and on the other, the flow of revenue into the state’s tax system will increase automatically.”
Indeed, during the ongoing budget session in the West Bengal Assembly, statistics presented by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari indicated that the process of addressing these issues has already begun generating additional revenue for the state treasury.
According to the data, during the previous Trinamool Congress government, the state’s earnings from stone quarries, primarily located in Birbhum district, averaged around ₹60 crore. However, since the new cabinet took office on May 9, revenue from this source has surged to ₹83 crore.
The state government asserts that these figures exemplify how tax revenue can be increased without imposing higher tax rates on the public by rectifying flaws in the tax collection system.
During the budget speech on June 22, the finance minister also made a significant announcement related to ensuring the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in West Bengal. Under this initiative, all investment proposals of ₹100 crore or more will receive necessary approvals through the state government’s ‘single-window system.’ This will relieve investors from the hassle of obtaining separate approvals from different departments.
According to the finance department official, while the primary aim of this policy is to enhance ease of doing business, it also holds substantial potential for eliminating corruption associated with the approval process.
Suvendu Adhikari stated, “In the past, there have been numerous cases of corruption in obtaining approvals from various departments. However, when all approvals are granted through the single-window system, such possibilities of corruption will be eradicated. New entrepreneurs will only need to pay legitimate fees to start their businesses, thereby increasing the state’s revenue collection.”
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