<p>In a candid remark, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Thursday said all governments, including the one he headed, did little to increase efficiency in tax collections, calling them “bogus.” </p>.<p>Siddaramaiah, who holds the record of presenting 13 state budgets, said this during a discussion on the supplementary estimates in the Assembly. The government’s supplementary estimates aggregate Rs 4,008 crore additional expenses incurred over and above the budget provisions. </p>.<p>“The supplementary estimates are in addition to the Rs 2.37 lakh crore budget,” Siddaramaiah pointed out.</p>.<p>“The government commonly says it will increase tax efficiency. It’s all bogus. Nothing will happen. It was like that even when I was there (as CM). Why lie to ourselves? We just say what officials write for us,” he said. </p>.<p>Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri jokingly remarked that it was uncharacteristic of Siddaramaiah to say this. </p>.<p>“Tax collections won’t increase. In fact, they won’t even meet the collection targets. Ultimately, we end up cutting expenditure,” Siddaramaiah said. </p>.<p>Siddaramaiah was referring to resource mobilisation through its own tax revenues. For 2020-21 fiscal, the BJP government has estimated that its own tax revenues will be Rs 1.28 lakh crore. </p>
<p>In a candid remark, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Thursday said all governments, including the one he headed, did little to increase efficiency in tax collections, calling them “bogus.” </p>.<p>Siddaramaiah, who holds the record of presenting 13 state budgets, said this during a discussion on the supplementary estimates in the Assembly. The government’s supplementary estimates aggregate Rs 4,008 crore additional expenses incurred over and above the budget provisions. </p>.<p>“The supplementary estimates are in addition to the Rs 2.37 lakh crore budget,” Siddaramaiah pointed out.</p>.<p>“The government commonly says it will increase tax efficiency. It’s all bogus. Nothing will happen. It was like that even when I was there (as CM). Why lie to ourselves? We just say what officials write for us,” he said. </p>.<p>Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri jokingly remarked that it was uncharacteristic of Siddaramaiah to say this. </p>.<p>“Tax collections won’t increase. In fact, they won’t even meet the collection targets. Ultimately, we end up cutting expenditure,” Siddaramaiah said. </p>.<p>Siddaramaiah was referring to resource mobilisation through its own tax revenues. For 2020-21 fiscal, the BJP government has estimated that its own tax revenues will be Rs 1.28 lakh crore. </p>
