State taxes form an important component of state revenues and play a crucial role in determining the size of the State Plan. States’ efforts in raising revenues through additional taxation are observed to be limited by both political expediency and inelastic nature of most of their taxes. The necessity to rationalise and restructure state taxes assumes added significance in the context of the ongoing economic reforms and the Eighth Five Year Plan which seeks to place the economy on a sustainable high growth path. This book is study of growth and structure of state taxes in India in general and in the State of Bihar in particular. It also examines the role of additional taxation in financing State Plan. Bihar has a long tradition of state taxation. It has also been a pioneer in agricultural income tax. The state, however, is on a very low rung of development despite its vast resource base. While its fiscal needs are high, its tax base is low. This is a problem typical to most of the states in the country and as such, it becomes a representative case study of less developed states in India.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chandra Shekhar Prasad
Dr. Chandra Shekhar Prasad, M.A., Ph.D. in Economics, was a Lecturer in Bhagalpur University from 1967. He joined the Indian Economic Service (IES) in 1969. As a Member of IES, he held important posts in the Planning Commission, and Union Ministries of Industry, Agriculture, Defence, Home Affairs, Finance, and Small Scale Industries. He was Economic Adviser in the Office of Development Commissioner, Small Scale Industries (DCSSI) from October 1992 to August 1995, and Additional Development Commissioner and Economic Adviser from August 1995 to June 2004. He had been instrumental in the formulation of the Credit Guarantee Scheme and the successful conduct of the Third All India Census of Small Scale Industries in the country. Dr. Prasad was Professor and Head of the Department of Economics at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussorie, from 1988 to 1991. He has authored a book titled State Taxation in India which was published in 1997. Besides, he has contributed over hundred articles to various journals. He has visited a large number of countries to attend international conferences, representing India. Dr. Prasad recently retired from the post of Additional Development Commissioner and Economic Adviser in the Office of DCSSI, Ministry of Small Scale Industries, Government of India, New Delhi.
There are no reviews yet.