Haryana

• 08 Dec 2022

GST Tribunal to be Set up in State

Why In News?

On December 7, 2022, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said in a one-day tax dialogue program organized in Gurugram by the Excise and Taxation Department in collaboration with Haryana Tax Bar Associations that a GST Tribunal will be formed in the state for the convenience of tax payers and advocates, which is expected to start by March next. For this, recommendations have been made to the GST Council.

Key Points

• The Chief Minister also announced the opening of two Joint ETC Range Appeal Offices in Hisar and Gurugram to resolve GST related problems.
• The Chief Minister said that GST will be launched face-to-face at the divisional level by providing a common platform to taxpayers, advocates and officials of excise and taxation department to solve GST related problems in the state.
• At the initial level, it will be started in all the six divisions of the state - Ambala, Karnal, Rohtak, Hisar, Gurugram and Faridabad, in which taxpayers, tax advocates and officials will work together once every month to solve tax-related problems.
• Apart from this, the Chief Minister called for promoting voluntary registration for GST and said that three advocates who have done maximum registration in one year will be honored.
• Keeping in view the demand put forth by the tax advocates, the Chief Minister also announced to open a library of books related to tax related subjects in every district of the state.
• He said that this library will be opened in the DITC office premises. Along with this, a waiting hall with canteen facility will also be built for the tax bar association to sit, where tax advocates coming to the office for tax related hearings will be able to sit with their taxpayers and discuss and wait for their turn.
• Comparing Haryana with other states in tax collection, the Chief Minister said that the population of Haryana is only 2 percent of the country's population, while in terms of area, Haryana's area in the country is 1.6 percent, but Haryana's share in the country's tax collection is 6 percent.

Guidelines Issued for Enhancement in Contract Agreements

Why In News?

On December 7, 2022, Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal informed that the state government has issued fresh guidelines for transparent and uniform enhancement of contract agreements for projects. The decision has been taken after several cases of irregularities in enhancement enhancements came to the notice of the government recently.

Key Points

• The Chief Secretary said that as per the decision, the competent authority will take a decision in the matter of structural design and modification of scope of work. If the cost of the allotted work is less than Rs 1 crore, the existing arrangement can continue.
• If the cost of the allotted work is more than Rs 1 crore, in this situation up to 10 percent, the administrative secretary of the department, 10 percent to 20 percent, the committee headed by the chief secretary, which includes the administrative secretary of the department as a member, will take a decision.
• Further, in case of more than 20 per cent, the Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by the Chief Minister, in which the minister in charge of the department will join as a member, will take a decision.
• He said that the present system regarding increase in the cost of the project will continue due to the tender rates, price adjustment given in the contract agreement and change in the supply rates of the Directorate of Supply and Disposal for departmental supplies.
• He also informed all administrative secretaries, commissioners of Ambala, Hisar, Rohtak, Gurugram, Karnal and Faridabad divisions, heads of departments, chief administrators of boards, corporations, organization's, managing directors, Panchayati Raj Institutions, etc. Instructions have been issued to urban local bodies and district deputy commissioners. Strict compliance of this directive will be ensured with immediate effect from the date of issue.