Shimla – In a bid to improve efficiency and develop expertise within the state’s Excise and Taxation Department, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced today the creation of two distinct wings: the GST Wing and the Excise Wing. The restructuring aims to provide better services to the public by streamlining operations and addressing long-standing issues that have persisted since the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act in July 2017.
Regarding the need for this reform, CM Sukhu said, “The creation of separate wings is essential to improving the efficiency and functioning of the department. This move will ensure that officers receive specialized technical, legal, and regulatory training, resulting in better performance and more effective public service delivery.”
With the separation, officers in the GST Wing will focus on taxpayer services and revenue monitoring. At the same time, the Excise Wing will concentrate on regulatory tasks, including managing the societal impacts of its operations. Currently, officers juggle multiple roles, which has often led to inefficiencies. The restructuring is expected to remedy this by ensuring a clear division of responsibilities and reducing the overall workload.
As part of the restructuring, 38 new posts will be created, further strengthening the department’s workforce. The common pool will have 87 personnel, with 718 and 632 personnel allocated to the GST Wing and the Excise Wing, respectively. The Chief Minister emphasized that this reorganization mirrors steps taken by neighbouring states such as Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Uttarakhand, which have already implemented similar changes in their Excise and Taxation departments.
“This restructuring will allow each wing to adopt a more focused approach, leading to improved public services and regulatory functions across the state,” Sukhu added.
