Kerala - Alappuzha

Cabinet to decide on vacating stay on Sales Tax cases: Isaac

ALAPPUZHA: Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac said here on Saturday that the forthcoming Cabinet meeting would decide on vacating government stays imposed on Sales Tax cases while steps were on to speed up settlement of pending cases related to the Tax department by appointing a special pleader.

Talking to reporters after a Tax department review meeting here, Dr. Isaac said the stays were mainly on Kerala General Sales Tax cases before 2005, which could earn the government tax revenue of Rs.300 crore. These would be vacated and the cases settled within three months, while a special pleader would be appointed to clear nearly 10,000 pending cases, all related to the Tax department and including cases under the amnesty scheme for settlement of tax arrears.

The government will also set up an office in Alappuzha to fix targets and increase luxury tax revenue from the tourism sector here. The tax income from the tourism sector in Alappuzha last year was only Rs.7 crore, which the Minister said was “unacceptable” given the income generated by houseboats and other tourism-related facilities here. Reacting to the Opposition’s criticism that the government was unable to earn any tax income from the tourism sector, Dr. Isaac said last year’s tax earnings from the sector stood at Rs.238 crore. On the e-filing of tax returns, the Minister said training was being imparted through Akshaya centres and the procedure would begin in five districts — Kannur, Malappuram, Kasaragod, Kozhikode and Ernakulam within three months.

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