Chennai: The Montek Singh Ahluwalia-led revenue augmentation committee constituted by the state govt to suggest measures to improve Tamil Nadu’s revenue met chief minister C Joseph Vijay at secretariat on Thursday and outlined a five-point approach.After holding meetings with heads of high revenue-earning departments, the panel decided to examine measures to plug revenue leaks and curb evasion, improve efficiency of revenue administration and use technology to strengthen collection mechanisms. It will also assess gaps between potential and actual revenue, study best practices followed by other states and suggest measures that can be implemented in the short, medium and long term.Ahluwalia and team met officials of commercial taxes, registration, prohibition and excise, Tasmac, transport, geology and mining, CMDA, and town and country planning. The departments presented revenue collection trends, administrative structures, use of technology and challenges such as leakages, tax evasion, administrative bottlenecks and the gap between potential and actual revenue, a govt statement said.Ahluwalia and the committee members discussed the scope of the study, the timeline for submitting their report and plans for further consultations with stakeholders. It had also invited suggestions from the public, associations and academicians.The panel’s interaction with the CM marked the beginning of the next phase of its work, with the committee expected to undertake further consultations before finalising its recommendations.Finance minister N Marie Wilson and chief secretary M Sai Kumar, who are members of the committee, were also present at the meeting with the CM.
