Written by: Harpreet Bajwa
3 min readChandigarhAug 27, 2012 02:08 AM IST
First published on: Aug 27, 2012 at 02:08 AM IST
The BJP on Sunday refused to go ahead with the proposed move of the state government to levy new taxes,which can generate an additional revenue of Rs 4,500 crore. It also put on hold the decision to implement professional tax.
According to sources,the core committee meeting of the state BJP — which was held on Sunday— decided that the party will go against the government’s proposal of “e-trip”,where sales and purchases made by iron and steel traders above Rs 2 lakh and general goods worth Rs 3 lakh and above will have to be reported to the excise department in advance by email. The SAD has proposed that every dealer will be provided with a password and the trader will have to inform the department in advance how long it will take for the goods to reach the destination and to which dealer,etc. If not followed,the trader will be penalised.
“The party is totally against it and will not allow this to be implemented. This is total harassment of the business community and the government has to take it back. Even the Uttar Pradesh government,which had first implemented the scheme,has retracted the decision,’’ said BJP spokesman Manoranjan Kalia said.
He added: “The committee is also against the government’s decision to impose VAT at a rate of 5 per cent on sugar and 10 per cent surcharge on the same to mobilise Rs 100 crore as part of its resource mobilisation exercise. The government will have to take back this decision. This will kill the sugar industry in the state. The committee is also against the government’s decision to increase VAT on branded atta,pulses and on textiles,’’ he added.
Sources said that at the meeting,the decision on implementing professional tax was put on the backburner — while many felt that it should not be implemented,there were some in its favour as a few BJP-ruled states have imposed such a tax.
On free power for farmers,the party decided to first let SAD take a call on it. Only when a decision is taken in this regard,will the party take a call on professional tax.
The meeting also reportedly agreed on the increase of retirement age to 60 from 58 years and was of the view that the age of Class IV employees should be increased from the current 60 to 62 years. The BJP also gave its nod to property tax being imposed in the state,as it was linked to JNNURM and grants worth Rs 2,000-crore from the Centre was on hold because of it.
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