Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei on Monday said in the Assembly that sales tax amounting to? Rs 4,650 crore has been collected by November as against a target of? Rs 7,563.58 crore set for the 2011-12 financial year. This is 61.48 per cent of the target.

?To a query from Suresh Kumar Parmanik (Cong), the Minister said sales tax was not the cause of price rise.
Ghadei said the State Government had slashed sales tax on some items and exempted tax from some other items.? To Jogesh Kumar Singhs (Cong) query, the Minister said the Commercial Tax Directorate has received a report from the special investigating team (SIT) about tax evasion by 77 big, medium and small companies.

?Ghadei said tax and a fine of? Rs 22,448.01 lakh has been imposed on 51 companies out of which? Rs 597.87 lakh has been collected. He said steps were being taken to determine tax evasion by 26 other companies.

?To another query from Ramesh Chandra Chau Patnaik (BJD), the Minister said out of the 17 checkgates in the State, modernisation has reached final stage at Luhurachati checkgate. Modernisation work has started in Laxmannath checkgate in Balasore district and the work will be completed within a year, he said. Besides, modernisation work has been started in seven checkgates in PPP mode, he said.