punjab Sets New Benchmark: Highest Gst Collection Since Inception, Tops India In Growth: Harpal Singh Cheema

May1,2026 | Jagrati Lahar Bureau | Chandigarh

*Punjab records highest ever monthly Gross GST collection of ₹2987.38 crore in April: Harpal Singh Cheema*

*Punjab Achieves an exceptional 66% growth in post-settlement GST, the highest in the country: Harpal Singh Cheema*

*Punjab's Net GST collection reaches ₹2725.08 crore, registering a staggering 70.70% year-on-year growth: Harpal Singh Cheema*

*Taxation Department's Anti-evasion drives yield over ₹175 crore in penalties; nearly 200 vehicles detained in a single-day operation: Harpal Singh Cheema*

Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday announced that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government has set a historic benchmark in tax revenue for April 2026 as the state achieves its highest-ever monthly Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection since the tax's inception, simultaneously topping the nation in overall GST revenue growth.

Detailing this unprecedented achievement in a press communique issued here, Finance Minister Harpal Singh said, "The State has recorded a Gross GST collection of ₹2987.38 crore alongside a Net GST collection of ₹2725.08 crore. This exceptional performance reflects a remarkable year-on-year Net GST growth of 70.70%, translating to an impressive increase of approximately ₹1,129 crore over our collections in April 2025."

Elaborating on Punjab's national standing, the Excise and Taxation Minister said, "According to Government of India data, Punjab has recorded a staggering 66% growth in post-settlement GST, surging from ₹1,795 crore last year to ₹2,987 crore. This establishes us as the highest-growing state in the country, significantly outperforming the all-India growth average and leading all North Indian states."

Providing context on the fiscal metrics, Finance Minister Harpal Singh said, "While the year-on-year comparison is influenced by an abnormal IGST adjustment of ₹859 crore from April 2025, neutralizing this factor reveals an adjusted gross growth of 12.57% and an adjusted net growth of 10.97%. This clearly demonstrates our sustained, organic improvements in core tax administration and compliance."

Attributing this financial milestone to rigorous administrative measures, the Excise and Taxation Minister said, "Our robust GST growth is directly supported by intensified enforcement activities across Punjab. Through the extensive leverage of data analytics, coordinated field action, and intelligence-based inspections, we have successfully imposed penalties exceeding ₹175 crore. Furthermore, during a special anti-evasion operation in the iron and steel sector this April, we executed a record enforcement drive by detaining nearly 200 vehicles in a single day."

Reiterating Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government's commitment to strengthening the revenue base if the state, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema emphasised, "Punjab's top ranking in GST revenue mobilization is a testament to the Taxation department's focused strategy, which perfectly combines technology-driven enforcement with genuine taxpayer facilitation. We remain entirely committed to continuing strict action against tax evasion while ensuring a fair, transparent, and supportive taxation system for all compliant taxpayers."

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