Assam increases own revenue collection growth by 21.60% in last fiscal: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that, the state had collected its own revenue of Rs 15,620 crore in the financial year 2016-17 against Rs 12,848 crore in 2015-16.

“Overall increasing of own revenue collection has jumped to 21.60 percent and it is a highest revenue collection by a state in the country in last fiscal,” Sarma said.

The Assam finance minister said that in the last fiscal the state excise department had collected Rs 965.29 crore against collection of Rs 799.10 crore in 2015-16.

“Apart from excise department, the sales tax, transport department, land revenue likes department had increased their revenue collection in 2016-17. The sales tax department collected Rs 10,242.28 crore in last fiscal against collection of Rs 8,504.57 crore in 2015-16,” the Assam minister said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma further said that, in last two fiscals centre had released Rs 4,537.45 crore to Assam as oil royalty.

“In 2015-16, centre released Rs 1,672.03 crore to Assam as oil royalty while releasing Rs 2,865.42 crore in last fiscal,” Sarma said.

On the other hand, the state government has released to the departments Rs 53,561 crore from the state exchequer in the financial year 2016-17 against released of Rs 39,804 crore in 2015-16.

The Assam finance minister said that, in last financial year total plan expenditure was recorded of Rs 18,893 crore and non-plan expenditure recorded of Rs 23,447 crore.

“We have digitally collected Rs 8,343 crore and digitally expenditure was recorded of Rs 43,340 crore in last fiscal,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

“Assam has achieved one of the highest revenue and expenditure growth rates in the country,” Sarma said.

The Assam finance minister further said that, the state government has decided to increase the dearness allowance by 2 percent to the state government employees.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)