Chandigarh, May 3: Punjab has established a historic fiscal milestone by recording its highest-ever monthly Goods and Services Tax collection since the implementation of the regime. Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema announced Saturday that the state secured the top position in the country for GST revenue growth during April 2026.
The state generated a gross GST collection of ₹2987.38 crore, while the net GST collection reached ₹2725.08 crore. This performance represents a year-on-year net growth of 70.70 percent, which signifies an increase of roughly ₹1,129 crore compared to the same period in 2025.
“This establishes us as the highest-growing state in the country, significantly outperforming the all-India growth average and leading all North Indian states,” the Finance Minister stated. He noted that Punjab recorded a 66 percent growth in post-settlement GST, rising from ₹1,795 crore in the previous year.
Minister Cheema explained that the sharp year-on-year rise was partly influenced by a specific IGST adjustment of ₹859 crore from April 2025. However, he maintained that the underlying fiscal health remains strong regardless of these adjustments.
“Neutralizing this factor reveals an adjusted gross growth of 12.57% and an adjusted net growth of 10.97%,” the Minister affirmed. “This clearly demonstrates our sustained, organic improvements in core tax administration and compliance.”
The revenue surge follows a period of increased enforcement by the Taxation Department. Authorities recently targeted the iron and steel sector in a specialized anti-evasion operation that saw nearly 200 vehicles detained within 24 hours.
“Our robust GST growth is directly supported by intensified enforcement activities across Punjab,” Cheema declared. He stated that the use of data analytics and intelligence-based inspections resulted in penalties exceeding ₹175 crore.
