Jaipur, July 9 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Thursday directed all revenue-generating departments to intensify action against tax and revenue evasion, stressing that revenue collection is the foundation of the state’s development and public welfare.

Chairing a high-level review meeting, the Chief Minister instructed officials to maintain consistent momentum in revenue collection throughout the financial year and ensure that annual targets are achieved.

He called for strict, visible action against tax evaders and asked departments to leverage technology, innovation and decoy operations to strengthen enforcement.

Chief Minister Sharma also directed government officials to study best practices adopted by other states and integrate advanced technologies to make the tax administration more efficient and transparent.

He emphasised timely disposal of GST-related cases, effective representation in pending court matters and strict enforcement of GST return filing.

Officials told the meeting that Rajasthan recorded revenue receipts of Rs 33,969 crore during the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year, an increase of 11.54 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year.

The Chief Minister said that every department must work in coordination to fulfil the aspirations of the state’s 8.5-crore citizens and contribute to building a developed Rajasthan.

Chief Minister Sharma directed the Excise Department to intensify its campaign against illicit liquor and ensure the time-bound disposal of seized vehicles.

He also asked the Registration and Stamps Department to expand the use of geo-tagging and expedite the disposal of registration-related cases.

To curb illegal mining, the Chief Minister instructed the Mines and Petroleum Department to strengthen monitoring through GPS and CCTV-enabled systems under the e-Ravanna platform.

The State Transport Department was directed to launch strict action against illegal vehicles and unregistered vehicle body-building units while fixing accountability for enforcement officials.

The Chief Minister also instructed the Labour Department to strengthen cess collection from construction activities to ensure adequate funding for labour welfare schemes.

He ordered monthly monitoring of ongoing construction projects to improve compliance.

Reviewing urban development, Chief Minister Sharma asked Urban Improvement Trusts (UITs) to prepare new residential schemes equipped with modern civic amenities, including drinking water, sewerage, electricity, parks and parking facilities.

He also directed the Revenue Department to simplify and make land-use change procedures more transparent and time-bound.

Officials told the meeting that the state continues to strengthen revenue administration through technology-driven reforms.

Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to implement faceless GST scrutiny and currently ranks third nationally in GST return filing.

The State government is also using digital initiatives such as the Excise Department’s informer scheme, e-registration services and GPS-based monitoring of mining activities to improve transparency and curb revenue leakages.

State Chief Secretary V. Srinivas, senior officials from the Finance, Revenue, Mines, Transport, Urban Development and other departments attended the meeting.

–IANS

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