Revenue increase due to taxes on people, says Bali

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 8

Former minister and senior Congress leader GS Bali has questioned the claim of the present government that its revenue collection has increased by 17 per cent.

While addressing a press conference here today, Bali alleged that the collection of taxes has increased because of increase in the taxes on common people.

The state government has increased VAT on petrol and diesel resulting in an increase in price by about Rs 2.50 per litre. Due to increase in taxes in diesel and petrol, the prices of essential commodities have gone up. The state revenue has increased because of the extra burden on the people of the state and the government should not list it as its achievement, Bali alleged.

Bali was reacting to the statement of the Chief Minister issued yesterday in which he had claimed that the government tax collection had increased by 17 per cent.

Bali alleged that the Chief Minister, during the recently concluded byelection of Dharamsala, had promised people of Kangra that he would announce a major package for the area. Now, the people want to know what package he has announced for Kangra district.

Bali alleged that the investors meet organized by the state government in Dharamsala had proved nothing but a ‘Dham’ (traditional Kangra lunch). The government was unable to provide infrastructure and facilities to the existing investors.

“Brother of former Bollywood star Vinod Khanna, who remained as a minister in the BJP government at the Centre, has constructed a hotel with an investment of about 50 crores in Nagrota Bagwan assembly constituency. However, he has been running from pillar to post for more than year to get power and water connection,” Bali alleged.

In many cases the projects have been held up waiting for installation of transformers and sub stations to get quality power. The government has no policy to provide even assured water, quality power and roads for projects. If this was the plight of the existing investors, how government can expect new investors to come in the state, he asked.

He alleged that the present government has not done anything worthwhile in the last two years. The Chief Minister was just inaugurating old projects that were awarded and started by the previous Congress government.