Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has set an ambitious target of 8% growth in the state’s revenue for the current financial year compared to last year, directing officials to intensify efforts to boost income from all possible sources. Chairing a review meeting at the Secretariat on Thursday, Naidu instructed revenue-generating departments to closely monitor collections, tap central funds and tax devolution, and leverage technology to plug leakages.

The Chief Minister said the Andhra Pradesh Tax Information System should be actively used to track tax collections, noting that the services sector holds significant potential for higher tax revenue. He urged measures to ensure that petroleum products used in contract works are procured within the state to prevent loss of revenue, pointing out that some contractors have been sourcing fuel from neighbouring states.

Reiterating the coalition government’s stance, Naidu said public health would take precedence over excise income. He directed that land registration values should align with actual market transactions and warned against arbitrary hikes. He added that Artificial intelligence must be deployed to detect tax evasion and stop revenue leakages.

Naidu stressed the need for GIS-based mapping of land records, integrating e-registrations and boundary demarcations with digital mapping tools. For vehicle tax compliance, he called for the use of Regional Transport Office (RTO) surveillance systems and CCTV monitoring. The existing incentives for electric vehicles will continue, he confirmed, while the state will implement a scrappage policy in line with central guidelines.

The Chief Minister directed that municipal corporations implement technology-based auto-mutation using data from the RTO and other linked systems. Errors in municipal records must be corrected, and geo-tagging completed. Tax collection processes will be strengthened by integrating Aadhaar, mobile, and electricity consumption data. The ongoing ownership survey for village boundary identification is scheduled for completion by February 2026.

Naidu asked the Forest Department to expedite the sale of red sanders stocks, estimated to yield around Rs.1,500 crore in revenue, and to explore opportunities in bamboo-based products. He emphasised that all departments must prepare comprehensive plans to expand self-generated income while maximising the use of technology for transparency and efficiency.