JAMMU: Excise Commissioner, J and K T. Angchuk convened annual revenue review meeting of various officers of Excise and Taxation Department here at Excise and Taxation Complex on Saturday. The over-all growth scenario of the revenue receipts of the Excise Department for the year 2015-16 was discussed threadbare viz a viz targets fixed. It was noticed that the revenue realisation of the Department remained exceedingly well during the whole financial year. The total revenue realised by the Excise Department during the financial year 2015-16 has been recorded to the tune of Rs. 1186.69 crore against a target of 1185.10 crore in comparison to the 1007.99 crore against a target of 1008.00 crore realised during the financial year 2014-15. The Department recorded remarkable and highest ever growth of 17.73 per cent with 100.13 per cent achievement. The total Excise revenue realised by the Department, during the financial year 2015-16 has been recorded to the tune of Rs. 531.39 crore against 464.89 crore realised during the financial year, 2014-15. The targets fixed for realisation of Excise revenue for the current fiscal has been achieved to the tune of 109.56 per cent. The total Toll revenue realised by the Department during the financial year 2015-16 has been recorded to the tune of Rs. 655.12 crore against 542.87 crore realized during the financial year, 2014-15. The distilleries wing of the Department has also performed exceedingly well by achieving the targets. The total revenue realized by the distilleries wing, during the financial year 2015-16 has been recorded to the tune of Rs. 300.75 crore against a target of Rs. 296.00 crore.
On the front of Eradication and Enforcement activity, the Excise Commissioner appreciated the comprehensive drive launched by the Excise Department in Jammu division to arrest the menace of illegal smuggling of liquor, illicit distillation and other violations of the J&K Excise Act, 1958. It was appreciated by the Excise Commissioner, Jammu that during the last fiscal, Nakas were laid on various national highways to check the Toll evasion and smuggling of illicit liquor. More than 93,935 Kgs of Lahan as against 33,746 Kgs of previous year, meant for manufacturing illicit liquor, has also been destroyed in the entire Jammu Division by the Excise sleuths. The efforts made by the field functionaries towards eradication of illicit distillation were highly appreciated by the Excise Commissioner especially the efforts made by Sandeep Gupta, ETO, Kathua Excise Range and his team. At Toll Post Lakhanpur, the Excise sleuths had put extra efforts to arrest the smuggling and import/export of banned items. In the process, 463 toll evasion cases were detected during the fiscal 2015-16 as against 330 during the 2014-15. Further during the fiscal 2015-16, 26,359 willow clefts as against 4,550 of previous year, 2403 Kg Bhukki, 780 bottles of drugs, 15,440 Kg polythene, 20,515 Kg herbs were confiscated by Excise sleuths at Lakhanpur Toll Post. In Kashmir valley, massive action of Bhang destruction was started and completed by the Excise Department Kashmir during the fiscal 2015-16. In the process Bhang on 7,949 kanals of land as against 1,440 kanals for the year 2014-15 and poppy on 83 kanals of land was destroyed. During the meeting, all the officers of the Excise Department, were exhorted and impressed by the Excise Commissioner, J&K towards day and night strict vigil to improve revenue realisation during the current fiscal and work hard to generate revenue for the State. All the Deputy Excise Commissioners and Excise and Taxation Officers were present in the meeting.