AMARAVATI: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has instructed officials to make comprehensive plans, adopt latest technology, and intensify efforts to boost the state’s overall revenues, considering that projections indicate an 8 per cent growth in income this fiscal year, compared to the last fiscal year.
During a review with officials from revenue-generating departments at the Secretariat on Thursday, the Chief Minister urged them to focus on securing Central funds and tax devolution. He stressed the importance of monitoring tax collections through the new AP Tax Information System and highlighted the potential for increased tax revenue from the services sector. Suggesting ways to bolster the state’sown financial resources, Naidu directed officials to ensure that contractors working on state projects purchase petroleum products, such as petrol and diesel, within Andhra Pradesh. He pointed out that the state has been losing revenue as some of the contractors are buying fuel from neighboring states and called for measures to address this issue.
The Chief Minister wanted officials to ensure that land registration values are in line with actual economic transactions, without giving scope for artificially inflating land values. Towards this end, Naidu suggested using data analytics to understand market values and property data scientifically. He instructed officials to use Geographic Information System (GIS) technology for land-mapping, including e-registrations and property boundaries.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that the process of identifying Grama Kantham (village common lands) through the “SVAMITVA” survey is expected to be completed by February 2026. The Chief Minister ordered audits of accounts maintained in all panchayats. Furthermore, he directed officials to use drone and satellite technology to identify mining activities and monitor revenue through data analytics.
Chandrababu Naidu directed the Forest Department to explore ways of generating and boosting revenues from various forest products. When officials shared their estimate that the existing red sanders reserves could generate up to Rs 1,500 crore, the Chief Minister urged them to focus on selling these reserves in the international market. He suggested exploring new revenue streams from bamboo products.
While referring to the Excise Policy, the Chief Minister reaffirmed that the coalition government prioritises public health over excise revenue.
To promote the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), the Chief Minister ordered the continuation of existing subsidies. He called for the use of Real-Time Governance System (RTGS) and CCTV cameras to ensure timely payment of vehicle taxes. He suggested the implementation of vehicle scrap policy that is in line with the central government’s guidelines.
The Chief Minister called for the implementation of an “auto-mutation” process in municipal corporations, leveraging technology and data from RTGS. He advised officials to correct municipal records, perform geo-tagging, and link data from Aadhaar, mobile connections as well as electricity records to strengthen tax collection. He directed officials to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) so that they can identify tax evasion and prevent revenue leaks.
The Chief Minister emphasised the need for integrating technology with comprehensive plans to boost the state’s revenues overall.
