Efficient’ Bihar officials may win a trip to Bangkok

GOVERNMENT officials of the commercial department in Bihar may be heading for Bangkok on an excursion at the cost of the state exchequer.
However, there is a rider attached to it. The officials will have to first match their performance to the desired level before earning the trip to Bangkok.
On the flip side, officials who will fail to measure up to the minimum performance level may even invite action against themselves from the state government . Desperate to shore up its revenue earnings, the state government has clearly employed a carrot and stick policy, especially for the officials of the commercial tax department.
Earlier, the state government did come out with initiatives for augmenting commercial tax collections, however, all of them failed to work wonders on the revenue collection front. It may, however, be a matter of conjecture whether the one announced by the state government now - in the form of incentives and disincentives - will end up revitalising the officials or not.
The state government has said the Top 5 officials, who will post excellent commercial tax collection figures will be selected for the Bangkok tour along with their spouse and two children.
At the same time, it will hold back promotion of laggard officials or may even suspend them. The state government will allow a three month period for the officials to show improvement or face action, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said.
Mr Modi, who is also incharge of the commercial tax department, wondered as to how there were only 52,000 registered traders in Bihar, which boasted a population size of nearly nine crore.
"For instance, Asom which has a population of less than 2.5 crore, has 2.5 lakh registered traders in the state. As a result, commercial tax collection is Rs 3,500 crore, against Rs 2,500 crore in our state," Mr Modi said. He added the amount collected as sales tax in Bihar is around Rs 5,000 crore.
Mr Modi added: "The commercial tax officials will have to pull up their socks. They should also see to it that more traders come forward to register themselves under the department."
Firm action would be initiated against traders indulging in tax evasion in connivance with department officials.