Bhubaneswar, June 23: Assembly members, especially those belong to the BJD, today expressed concern over decline in tax collection during 2013-14 fiscal.

Finance minister Pradip Kumar Amat admitted that the state’s tax revenue collection during this period was Rs 16, 891.73 crore against the target of Rs 17,605 crore.

The state has fallen short of target in collection of land revenue, stamp duty and registration fee, motor vehicles tax and forest development tax. The collection of land revenue, stamp duty and registration fee was Rs 1,036.74 crore (68.21 per cent of the targeted revenue of Rs 1,520 crore). Similarly, the state could mobilise Rs 40.23 crore (82.35 per cent of Rs 48.85 crore) as forest development tax and Rs 859.67 crore (95.52 per cent of Rs 900 crore target) as motor vehicles tax, said the minister.

Amat said Rs 500 crore more revenue was excepted from a hike in stamp duty. However, it could not be realised as the amendment to the Indian Stamp Duty Act was challenged in the high court, which stayed collection of stamp duty at the revised rate.

As a result, the state could collect Rs 483 crore less than the target.

Tax collection from forest development declined during 2013-14 as the state government reduced it from 16 per cent to 2 per cent and the dividends were being paid as bonus to kendu leaves pluckers, he explained.

The state has incurred a loss of Rs 1,700 crore during 2012-13 and 2013-14 as it did not get any compensation on account of central sales tax abolition, said Amat.

“Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has taken up this matter during his recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union finance minister Arun Jaitley,” he said.

Satpathy suggested to introduce holding tax collection in panchayats to augment resource mobilisation as per the recommendations of 13th Finance Commission.