Cracking the disciplinary whip, the UP government suspended three District Excise Officers with immediate effect and suggested action against seven others for failing to meet the revenue target of their respective districts in the current fiscal.
Besides, Deputy Excise Commissioner of lucknow was transferred and the government has ordered adverse entry in the character rolls of the erring officials.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had asked for review of the Excise department to learn about the ground realities on revenue collections. “The CM asked for the review after it came to light that revenue collection in Excise department has been abysmal in this fiscal in several districts and there was shortfall in almost a dozen districts,” a senior official said.
The review meeting was held on Tuesday and orders were passed to suspend the District Excise Officers at Jhansi, Agra and lakhimpur Kheri districts for failing to meet the revenue target. The axe also fell on District Excise Officers of Sitapur, Meerut, Kahnpur Nagar, Jalaun, Mainpuri, Allahabad and Sidhartha Nagar.
The CM also ordered disciplinary action against seven others for laxity in their work.
A government spokesman said that government has also ordered disciplinary action against Deputy Excise Commissioners of Allahabad, Agra and Kanpur divisions for their failure to monitor revenue collection regularly and take corrective steps as and when required. “Government has also ordered the transfer of Deputy Excise Commissioner of lucknow and adverse entry has been given to all District Excise Officers where revenue shortfall has been reported,” the spokesman said.
As a corrective step, the government has ordered the setting up of a control room in Allahabad to keep it posted about revenue collections on a daily basis. This information should be passed on the Principal Secretary (Excise) and Chief Secretary on regular basis. Against the target of Rs 17,500 crore as revenue from Excise for 2015-16, the collection is estimated to be close to Rs 16,000 crores, thus there is a shortfall of Rs 1,500 crore. “This short fall has angered the Chief Minister because he wanted that the government should earn good revenue from Excise in this fiscal,” a senior official said. The Excise revenue target in 2014-15 was Rs 14,500 crore but the recovery was only Rs 13, 271 crore, a shortfall of Rs 1,282 crore. The target for the next fiscal 2016-17 is likely to be over Rs 19,000 crore.