Residents flay move to levy 2% municipal tax on power

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 17

Residents are irked over the state government’s decision to levy 2 per cent municipal tax on the consumption, use or sale of electricity in urban areas that are under MC limits across the state. Now 2 per cent power tariff is set to be hiked in urban areas of the city with effect from November 1.

Residents maintain that this is not the appropriate time for an increase in power tariff by imposing any taxes as the GST and inflation have already affected business. The levying of a new tax will upset the monthly budget of middle-class families.

BJP leader and senior deputy mayor Tarsem Goyal condemned the decision of the state government to impose another tax on power and it would badly affect the common man.

He said during the election campaign Congress leaders had promised to bring down the commercial tariff to 5 per cent, but at that time they did not inform that it would be done by putting burden on others.

Social activist Gian Chand Bansal said people were already reeling under various taxes, and now this new tax seemed to be a strange gift by the state government to people on the occasion of Diwali. He said it was wrong that the state government was giving benefit to one section of society at the cost of others.

Another resident NK Gosain said to increase the revenue of the government, the Congress government was putting unnecessary burden on the common man. He said businesses were already on the verge of closure due to the Goods and Service Taxes and demonetization. Instead of healing and providing support to the common man, the state government was taking anti-people decisions.

Neha Gupta, a housewife, said the hike would upset her family budget. Rising inflation was already taking its toll on commoners and now it would become difficult for them to make both ends meet.