By SK.Vyas,
Jalandhar, August 17: Sukhpal Singh Khaira Leader Of Opposition Party in Punjab Vidhan Sabha (LOP) addressing the media persons here on Thursday criticised Narendra Modi led centre government, he said that it is extremely painful to learn about the latest decision of the Modi government to further extend for another ten years the tax holiday to the neighbouring states of J&K, Himachal, Uttrakhand etc. This decision is not only erroneous but is gross discrimination with the state of Punjab, its industry and the agriculture sector with farmers committing suicides in large numbers.
Khaira said, “As we are aware, it was the then Vajpayee government in 1999 that first initiated complete tax benefits of central excise duty, sales tax, income tax etc. to the said hill states. This policy was further pursued carried forward by the Dr.Manmohan Singh led Congress government for 10 more years. Now again, the Modi government has decided to extend tax benefits to the hill states for another 10 years.”
The LOP said that since the benefits of complete waiver of central excise duty, sales tax etc. cannot be given to the hill states in view of the recently adopted GST law, the GOI has taken a mischievous route to refund all such taxes collected by central and state governments back to the industrial units of these hill states. As per record, as many as 4284 industrial units will benefit from new tax waiver decision by the BJP government and a sum of Rs. 27,413 crore will be refunded as a subsidy, to the said units.
“Needless to mention, the industry of Punjab is on the verge of collapse, due to such discriminatory and partial behavior of successive central governments. Capt. Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister Punjab, has recently revealed that almost 30,000 industrial units of Punjab have either shut down or moved to the hill states to avail these whopping tax benefits. Our major industrial units of Punjab including steel rolling mills of Mandi Gobindgarh, the hosiery industry of Ludhiana, small scale industrial units of Goraya and Batala, sports and leather industry of Jalandhar and the cotton spinning units of the Malwa region are the biggest sufferers of this anti Punjab and anti industry decision of GOI.” said Khaira.
Khaira said that It is pertinent to mention here, that the agrarian economy of Punjab is also facing a colossal debt of Rs. 1 lac crore, due to which farmers and ‘Khet-Mazdoors’ have taken to suicides in large numbers. The farmers of Punjab are also suffering due to the anti farmer’s policies of all successive central governments.
“This discriminatory decision is also a big setback and a tight rap to Capt. Amarinder Singh who has been repeatedly going to Mr. Modi PM with a begging bowl, therefore he must lodge a strong protest on the behalf of Punjabi’s against the central government. It is now abundantly clear that no new industrial investment will come to Punjab till this package to hill states is withdrawn.” the leader said.
Therefore, AAP holds all the traditional parties including Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal responsible for the collapse of industry in Punjab, through mischievous, discriminatory and erroneous decisions of the central and state governments. “Hence, I demand that the GOI must immediately reverse this anti Punjab and anti industry decision without any further delay so that the industry in Punjab does not suffer any further. It is also regrettable, that the Modi government instead of giving a magnanimous package to the beleaguered industry or farmers of Punjab has gone in for yet another cruel decision, which is going to add to the woes of Punjabi’s in general.” Khaira demanded.