Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday announced that her government has disbursed Rs 694 crore Goods and Services Tax (GST) refunds for traders and entrepreneurs, which is a record achievement. She alleged that the previous government had failed to take the issue of GST refunds seriously, leading to a significant backlog. However, she said her government treated the matter with due urgency. “Our effort is to ensure that by Diwali, substantial refund amounts reach the business community, further strengthening their faith in the government and making their festive celebrations even more joyous,” said the CM. The GST Department, in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad, has developed an advanced IT module based on data analytics, data automation, and rapid verification mechanisms to make the refund settlement process faster and more transparent. This system allows refund applications to be processed much more efficiently, officials said. Delhi’s GST collection has seen a 6.56 per cent growth in the first six months of this fiscal year compared to last year, according to data from the government. Data shows that from April 1 to September 30, Delhi collected a revenue of Rs 22,443.21 crore, while last year it collected Rs 21,061.65 crore during the corresponding period. The government has set a target of around Rs 49,000 crore through GST collection this year, which is Rs 5,000 crore higher than last year's target. Officials said that the collection is expected to increase in the coming months, especially around the festival season.
