Online payment or land taxes by March next, says CM Biren
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 21 2023:
To reduce the problem of non-avail-ability of staff at the time of paying taxes and to facilitate the public to clear land taxes on time, the state government has taken up measures to allow e-payment of taxes by March 2023, informed chief minister N Biren Singh in the state assembly on Tuesday.
The chief minister was responding to a question raised by opposition MLA K Ranjit during the question and answer hour on the first day of the budget session.
MLA K Ranjit enquired the tax amount levied by the government under the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, 1960 from taxable lands annually and whether the computerisation process of land records of both the hills and the valley has been completed.
In response, chief minister N Biren informed that a total amount of Rs 6,33,26,446.54 is collected annually from land falling under the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, 1960 while taxes totalling Rs 23,24,23,632.46 is pending collection as of January 2023 .
As for the digitisation of land records, 80 percent of the process has been completed and the government is targeting to complete the whole process by June 2023, the CM said.
While acknowledging complaints over absence of employees to entertain the tax payers, the chief minister informed the House that the government is planning to recruit casual staff.
Moreover, e-payment of taxes online will also be initiated by March, 2023 .
Land taxes will also be increased, he added.
To a question raised by opposition MLA Okram Surajkumar on whether there is any possibility of reviving the old pension scheme which has been scrapped by the government, chief minister N Biren Singh said that the state cannot follow what other states are undertaking without considering the resources available.
"Double the amount of the total income from available state's sources is being used on payment of pensions.
Moreover, experts are of the opinion that since the amount for payment of the old pension scheme was deducted from unplanned money, there could be financial crisis in the long run.
However, since 10 percent of the amount for the new pension scheme is provided by the employees and another 10 percent by the government, there will be no issue in this regard.
The government is even thinking of increasing the government's share from 10 percent to 15 percent," he added.