Rs 762 crore revenue generated through imposition of cess

The state government will prepare a standard operation procedure (SOP) to facilitate use of the Rs 762.13 crore funds generated through imposition of cess by the respective departments.

"We are preparing a SOP so that the control and use of the money generated through various cess does not remain with the Finance Department only and the concerned departments can utilise this money," Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said. He informed that a sum of Rs 762.13 crores has been generated through imposition of these cess till now.

Replying to a query by Jaswan MLA Bikram Singh during the question hour in the Vidhan Sabha today, he said the cess have been imposed not just by our government but also during the previous BJP regime. "The Covid cess was imposed by your regime which generated Rs 145 crore. The Covid cess is not being charged now but some of this amount is still lying unspent which cannot be spent elsewhere," he said.

Agnihotri said successive state governments had imposed 11 cess but only on people who can afford to pay as this was a major source of revenue for the state government. "In a welfare state, the government has to generate funds to provide facilities to the common man like quality education, health facilities and roads," he said. Maximum cess has been imposed on liquor bottles on which nobody should have any objection, he said.

Bikram pointed out that people had been burdened by imposition of 10 cess, including Covid cess. He said cess on mining, environment and on power bills was burdening the common man. Naina Devi MLA Randhir Sharma said government should ensure that the burden of the cess on stone crushers should not be shifted on the common man. He said funds at the rate of Rs 700 per cow had not been given to the Gau Sadana despite charging of Gau Vansh cess.