Commercial tax dues mounting to over Rs 2850 cr in AP

VIJAYAWADA: The state government has lost hopes of recovering commercial tax dues amounting to over Rs 2850 crore that have piled up over the years.
Many public sector undertakings like the Hindustan Shipyard Limited are in the defaulters'' list, according to commercial taxes minister K Vijaya Rama Rao.
"The total dues to the commercial taxes department amount to Rs 2900 crore of which we may be able to recover only Rs 45 crore.The balance is as good as written off," Vijaya Rama Rao told reporters on Wednesday.
The commercial taxes revenue this year, however, would be as per target despite the drought. Till July, the department has collected Rs 2668 crore as compared to Rs 2400 crore in the corresponding period last year, marking a growth of 7 per cent.
"The drought has affected commercial tax collections from agriculture and allied sectors. But the industrial and other sectors are offsetting this loss," the minister pointed out.
Vijaya Rama Rao inaugurated a dealers'' service center at the commercial taxes office here on Wednesday. The center would offer speedy services like issue of waybills, registration, etc.
Similar centers would be opened in all district headquarters by the month-end and in all CTO offices across the state by the year-end, Vijaya Rama Rao said.
BC Welfare Minister N Narasimha Rao, Krishna district Collector K Prabhakar Reddy and others were present.