The BJD-BJP government which boasts of having introduced several schemes from the states own resources is faced with a slowdown in tax collections as it prepares for a pre-election populist vote-on-account during the second week of next month.

Reliable sources here said the meltdown has hit the industrial sector in a big way across the state resulting in slow and low tax collections since the third quarter of 2008-09 fiscal.

Finance minister, Mr Prafulla Chandra Ghadei admitted that the global meltdown has impacted the economy of the state.
Against a target of mopping up Rs 5099.98 crore for the year 2008-09, the collection is Rs 3646.75 crore by 31 December, 2008. The VAT collection is Rs 2745.91 crore and central sales tax collection Rs 397.80 crore.

The total collection during December was Rs 407.57 crore which showed a drop over the collections during the December 2007.

The over all tax collections did show a growth but the December figures reflect a decline and this has worried the finance department here. n sns