With an eye to collect more tax revenue and tighten the noose around the defaulting traders, a change has been effected in the State’s Commercial Tax organisation with Bishnupada Sethi being appointed as the new Commercial Tax Commissioner. Sethi would also continue hold his earlier posts of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) and Odisha State Disaster management Authority (OSDMA) managing Director.
The State Government is facing a difficult time with the new tax regime of Goods and Services Tax (GST). With the changing rates of GST, the State Government is facing a tough time on this count. Sethi was appointed as Commercial Tax Commissioner to gear up the system for more revenue generation as the spending in the developmental, social and infrastructure sectors has gone up. Accordingly, the State Government is stressing upon more own tax collection according to higher targets, but the Commercial Tax Officers are failing in their job. Besides, tax evasion is on the rise and enforcement is lacking, for which Sethi is expected to rein the system.