Commercial Taxes up 4.7%, Mining revenue surges 18.6% in Telangana: Dy CM Bhatti

Hyderabad: Telangana has recorded a 4.7 per cent increase in Commercial Taxes receipts and an 18.6 per cent surge in Mining revenue, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu said on Monday.

He urged other departments to adopt innovative measures to boost collections and close the revenue gap.

Boosting irrigation through desiltation

On the occasion, Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy called for fast-tracking desiltation in major reservoirs, noting it would enhance water storage and generate revenue from sand.

Officials were advised to launch a pilot desiltation project immediately.

Empowering tribal communities in sand mining

The ministers recommended that sand mining in agency areas be handled entirely by tribal agencies. To address the lack of heavy machinery among tribal communities, the ITDA Engineering Division would provide necessary equipment, promoting economic empowerment.

Relocating polluting industries

Officials were directed to formulate procedures within three weeks for shifting polluting industries currently inside the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to designated zones outside city limits.

Commercial tax revenue up by 6% in 2025

In May this year, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the Commercial Taxes Department recorded a 6 per cent increase in revenue over the previous year.

He also mentioned that, although the department had aimed to collect Rs 600 crore in March through CST and VAT, it managed to achieve approximately Rs 500 crore in collections.

Bhatti Vikramarka termed the progress encouraging but emphasised the need for a structured plan to sustain and accelerate the momentum. He also directed officials to identify and plug any revenue leakages in the Excise Department.

Although there has been a surge in the sale of apartments and flats, he pointed out that the expected growth in the sale of agricultural lands and open plots is yet to be realised. The ministers instructed officials to analyse the market trends and implement appropriate measures to stimulate transactions in these segments.