Bhubaneswar, May 2: The state government has been unable to collect revenue to the tune of Rs 7,125. 24 crore with tax claims locked in various court cases, said finance minister Pradip Kumar Amat in the Assembly today.

The state is experiencing cash crunch due to closure of mines in the wake of scams, discontinuance of Centre-sponsored schemes and change in pattern of funding between the central and state governments.

Though the state government had set a target to collect Rs 21,280.37 crore from its own tax revenue and Rs 9,013.56 crore from non-tax revenue during 2015-16 financial year, it had been able to mop up only Rs 18,919.44 crore from the state's own tax and Rs 6,919.59 crore from non-tax sources by February.

Besides, the state has lost Rs 1,854.04 crore following the termination of eight Centre-sponsored programmes and it will not get the normal central assistance of Rs 732.17 crore. Additionally, the state has been burdened with Rs 6,473.83 crore, because it had decided to continue with a few centrally sponsored schemes and since it will have to bear Rs 3,887.61 crore following change in the state's share.

To meet the additional requirement, the state government has decided to step up revenue collection, especially recovering the pending tax revenue. The state government has prepared a list of companies and organisations, each of who owe the government Rs 1 crore or more.

The names of 13 companies, including the National Aluminium Company (Rs 439.01 crore), Ballarpur Industries (Rs 291.82 crore) and the South Eastern Railway (Rs 138.12 crore), have figured in the list of industrial water rate defaulters. A sum of Rs 1,281.66 crore could not be collected towards industrial water rate due to court stay orders.

Also, mining revenue to the tune of Rs 1,809.70 crore could not be realised from 11 mining companies, including Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, Tata Steel, Nalco, Rungta Mines, Indian Aluminium Company Limited and the Utkal Alumina.

Electricity dues to the tune of Rs 1,874.01 crore is lying unrealised from 26 companies, along with commercial tax to the tune of Rs 2,085.96 crore, from 109 organisations and industries due to stay orders from various courts.

Amat said the government was pursuing the court cases and in case of necessity, was engaging special lawyers for speedy trials. Besides, steps were being taken to reach out-of-court settlement.