Customs can’t meet target,says state to blame

The Department of Customs,Central Excise and Service Tax (Lucknow Zone) on Friday held the poor industrial growth,lack of fresh investment due to the policies of the state government and the miserable power scenario in Uttar Pradesh responsible for not achieving the target of revenue collection during financial year 2009-2010.

Chief Commissioner,Customs,Central Excise & Service Tax of the Lucknow Zone,B R Tripathi said the department was given a target to collect Rs 7,170 crore for Central Excise and Rs 850 crore for Service Tax. But,it could realise only Rs 5,808 crore and Rs 680 crore against the set targets.

Tripathi added that besides Ghaziabad and

Noida,none of the entrepreneurs showed interest in establishing industries in any part of Uttar Pradesh because of the policies of the government and poor power supply.

“Though there are industries in Kanpur,but majority of these are shifting to other states,” he said.

The Chief Commissioner said the department’s major revenue sources were from petroleum products,paan masala and gutkha,motor vehicles,plastic,cement,sugar,chewing tobacco and aerated and mineral water. There were 114 services which come under the service tax net,said Tripathi.