Jammu & Kashmir spent over Rs 77 crore to recover Rs 15.96 crore land revenue: CAG

JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir government spent over Rs 77 crore towards collection of land revenue in 2013-14, but the amount realised during the year was just about one-fourth at Rs 16 crore, CAG has said.

Besides, the state government registered 83 per cent decline in collection of land taxes.

"It may be seen that cost of collection of land revenue during 2013-14 was Rs 77.47 crore, which is 485 per cent the amount of land revenue realised (Rs 15.96 crore)," said the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on State Finances for the year ended March 31, 2014.

The report said that the reason for decline in collection of land revenue during 2013-14 was not intimated by the state government.

The report added that the J&K government has been spending exorbitantly to realise the land revenue in the past as well as the expenditure incurred is several times the actual amount realised.

"The land revenue realised in 2011-12 was at Rs 32.99 crore whereas the amount spent on collection was Rs 56.24 crore, which is 170.48 per cent more than the amount realised," it said.

In 2012-13, the amount realised as land taxes was Rs 95.45 crore and the money spent to collect this amount was Rs 63.84 crore, 66.88 per cent of the amount recovered.

According to the CAG report, the land revenue recovered in 2011 to 2014 was Rs 144.4 crore and the total amount spent on the recovery of this amount was Rs 197.55 crore, 136.9 per cent of the total amount realised.

The government has not only spent a huge amount to realise the land revenue but the CAG also pulled up the government for a steep decline in collection of land revenue.

"It is noticeable that the land revenue collection has decreased from around Rs 96 crore in 2012-13 to less than Rs 16 crore in 2013-14 a decrease of 83.33 per cent. The reason for the decline has not been intimated," it added.