The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Yeddyurappa announces steps to boost revenue

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Sunday, Jun 28, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Yeddyurappa announces steps to boost revenue

Special Correspondent

He makes it clear that these steps will not hit the poor

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

FOCUSSED DISCUSSION: Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao with his colleagues at the Golden Spa Resort in Bangalore on Saturday after the review meeting.

BANGALORE: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Saturday announced a slew of measures towards resource mobilisation to speed up development projects in the State. They include computerising the commercial tax checkposts and introducing electronic tax registers in shops selling costly and fancy goods.

Winding up the two-day interaction between Ministers and senior bureaucrats of the State Government on a variety of issues at a resort on the outskirts of the city, the Chief Minister told presspersons that these measures would not affect the poor. Henceforth, such interactions would be held once in three months. But the Chief Minister did not spell out the details, and only said that they would be announced in due course. He said that there was also discussion on increasing revenue from non-tax sources. On the agricultural front, Mr. Yeddyurappa expressed happiness over the rain in some parts of the State on Friday and said that sowing had been taken up in 37 per cent of the 73 lakh hectares of farm land across the State. The figure was 17 per cent in the corresponding period last year.

However, he said that the catchment areas of the reservoirs in the Malnad region had received scanty rainfall.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said the water level in the hydel reservoirs had not been so low in the past 10 years.

This had affected power generation, and the State was likely to face serious power shortage. While maintaining that the Government would tackle the problem, he said decisions would be taken after watching the water level in the reservoirs.

The Chief Minister said a delegation would be taken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to impress upon him the need for the supply of 2,000 MW of power to the State and seek Rs. 5,000-crore financial assistance for developing infrastructure in Bangalore.

He said that the Agriculture and Cooperation departments had taken all precautions with regard to providing seeds and fertilizers to farmers.

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