Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday directed the Department of State Taxes to refrain from unnecessary inspections or raids during the upcoming Dhanteras and Diwali festivals, saying traders and entrepreneurs should not face harassment at a time when business activity is at its peak. The CM issued the directive during a review meeting to assess the State Tax Department's revenue performance for the current fiscal year. At the meeting the Adityanath also issued a key administrative directive that field postings in the state Tax Department must be decided strictly on the basis of performance. He asked that officers with a clean record and a strong commitment to achieving targets be assigned field responsibilities, and urged greater transparency and accountability across zones. The Chief Minister reviewed the performance of all zones including Varanasi-I & II, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Lucknow-I & II, Kanpur-I & II, Etawah, Jhansi, Agra, Aligarh, Moradabad, Meerut, Ghaziabad-I & II, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Saharanpur. Officials told the Chief Minister that by September in FY 2025–26 the State Tax Department had collected a total of Rs 55,000 crore, comprising about Rs 40,000 crore from GST and Rs 15,000 crore from VAT and other non-GST sources. For the same period last year, collections stood at Rs 55,136.29 crore. The department’s target for the current year is Rs 1.75 lakh crore, roughly Rs 18,700 crore higher than last year’s target of Rs 1,56,982 crore. The meeting reviewed progress in investigations into bogus firms and fraudulent Input Tax Credit (ITC) claims. Officials said probes have so far identified Rs 873.48 crore in dubious ITC claims across 104 firms, and punitive action is underway against those involved. Adityanath emphasised that while enforcement is necessary, actions should not unduly burden honest taxpayers, especially during festival season. Zonal performance was discussed in detail. Officers reported that divisions such as Bareilly (64.2%), Saharanpur (63.7%), Meerut (63.0%), Gorakhpur (62.5%) and Jhansi (62.1%) have performed relatively well against targets, while several other zones achieved only 55–55% of their targets. The chief minister directed zonal officers to explain shortfalls in divisions with less than 50 per cent collection and to prepare immediate corrective action plans. The chief minister asked senior officers to intensify engagement with the business community by visiting markets, conducting market mapping exercises and meeting traders to understand their concerns. He stressed the need to boost GST registrations and ensure timely filing of returns as part of a broader effort to widen the tax base and strengthen compliance. Reiterating that taxpayer convenience and trust are the cornerstones of sustained revenue growth, CM Adityanath called for a taxpayer-friendly environment and reinforced the need to strengthen the department’s e-governance framework. He said transparency, accountability and integrity must remain the guiding principles of revenue collection in the state.
