Forest revenue collection nosedived during Cong regime

Revenue collected by Mines and Minerals department too fell sharply in 2015-16

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, April 23: While the BJP-led coalition government in the State has set a record in revenue collection and expenditure in the just concluded fincial year 2016-17, in comparison the amount of forest revenue collected in fincial year 2015-16 during the Congress regime had nosedived considerably. This has been ascribed to large-scale corruption and other malpractices in collection of forest royalty.

According to official records, only Rs 61.2 crore was collected by the then Congress government as forest royalty in 2015-16. In the earlier 2014-15 fiscal, Rs 115 crore was collected as forest royalty. In the fincial year 2016-17, Rs 135 crore as forest royalty was collected by the incoming BJP-led coalition government in the State.

Similarly, the Mines and Minerals department too witnessed sharp decrease in its revenue collection in the fincial year 2015-16, which happened to be an election year in the State.

In 2015-16, the State government collected mines and minerals revenue to the tune of Rs 32.58 crore. In 2014-15, it was Rs 51 crore and in 2016-17, it was Rs 33.51 crore.

During the Congress regime, there were widespread allegations of illegal cutting of stones and collection of sand in different parts of the State, right under the nose of the authorities concerned.