Shimla: The Excise and Taxation Department has collected total revenue of Rs. 500 crores in May 2021 as compared to Rs. 310 crores collected during May 2020 with the total revenue collection hike by 61 percent.

Disclosing this information here on Tuesday, the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that despite prevailing pandemic situation revenue worth Rs. 185 crores had been collected under State Goods and Service Tax (SGST), Rs. 234 crores under Sales Tax/VAT, Rs. 50 crores under State Excise, Rs. 25 crores under Other Tax and Duty (OTD) and Rs. 6 crores under PGT head in May 2021 as compared to revenue collection of Rs. 118 crores under SGST, Rs. 65 crores under Sales Tax/VAT, Rs. 108 crores under State Excise, Rs. 15 crores under OTD and Rs. 3 crores under Passenger and Goods Tax (PGT) heads in May 2020.

He said that the State Government has taken calibrated actions to handle prevailing pandemic situation very carefully, balancing the lives and livelihood of people.

Chief Minister said that total collection by Excise and Taxation department is floated across different revenue heads. The revenue collection under GST of current month reflects the performance of previous month. He said that considering the prevalent pandemic situation, certain relaxations in return filings were provided to taxpayers. Despite this the department collected Rs. 185 crores in May 2021 which is 56 percent higher than collection during same month of previous financial year. He said that due to restrictions on opening of liquor vends, the revenue collection under Excise has dipped this May.

He said that the department has collected Rs. 48 crores in May 2021 under Excise head and Rs. 234 crores under VAT head.  He said that since, no significant restrictions were imposed on functioning of petrol pumps therefore there has been minimal effect on the VAT revenue. Overall, when we compare total revenue of April and May 2021 Rs. 1147 crores to the same period of last year Rs. 387 crores, it implies 197 percent increase in total revenue collection, he added.