Energy cess breather for steel makers
Team News Riveting
Raipur, July 14
Boozing will now be a costly affair in Chhattisgarh as the state government has decided to levy additional excise duty to raise the revenue.
The state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel gave approval to the proposal to levy extra duty on liquor. “To meet the excise revenue target for the year 2022-23 as well as to meet the requirement of additional amount for the development of gauthans and other development activities, Cabinet has approved the proposal to increase the ‘Additional Excise Duty’” the state government spokesperson said. The levy slab was not revealed.
The state excise accounts for the second highest contribution in state’s own-revenue. According to Chhattisgarh’s budget document for financial year 2022-23, the excise revenue was pegged at Rs 5500 crore. The budgeted revenue was however the same as the revised budget estimate for previous fiscal 2021-22.
While the liquor will now cost more in the state, the hike is likely to compensate the revenue loss that Chhattisgarh is likely to incur following curtailing of certain central cesses.
In another decision, the cabinet has approved the proposal to provide Stand Alone Rolling Mills under HV-4 category steel industry with the concession in energy cess under special relief package of State Government from 01 July 2022 to 31 March 2023. The move is aimed to aid the steel makers so that the sector may sustain the competition despite the challenges of industrial and economic slowdown.
Chhattisgarh government, in yet another significant move, has decided to regularise the youths who fought against the Maoists and have been absorbed as assistant constable when Salwa Judum movement was abandoned following Supreme Court order in 2011. Under the movement, the tribal youths had given a fight to the rebels.
The state government spokesperson said the proposal for sanctioning the formation of District Strike Force cadre by dissolving the posts of assistant constables in the state has been approved. This will remove the discrepancy related to the salary of the assistant constables in the police department and all the assistant constables of the state will get a regular pay scale.
