Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring questions tax raids against traders

Chandigarh, December 6

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring today lashed out at the AAP government for allegedly resorting to “tax terrorism” in the state. “Enforce the law, but don’t terrorise traders,” he said.

“While there are serious charges against the government regarding the liquor scam, it is venting its ire on small-time businessmen and traders through its taxation officials,” Warring said while reacting to raids being conducted by the Taxation Department across Punjab.

Questioning the purpose of such raids, Warring said in case GST officials had any doubt or need any information, they could simply summon and call the particular traders and businessmen to their offices to explain their position.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa has urged the Bhagwant Mann government to ensure a level playing field for the development of industry.

He said the industry in Punjab had been ignored for a long time. Now that the government was in the middle of formulating a new industrial policy for the year 2022, it was imperative that the sector was given credit, he said.

Bajwa said the various associations of the industry as well as the individual industrial houses of micro, small and medium industry had already cautioned the state government not to enhance power tariff besides the groundwater extraction charges. The industry demanded the power tariff must not be enhanced from Rs 5 per unit to Rs 5.50 as it would put a heavy burden on its finances.