Giving a relief to those whose residential and commercial properties were damaged during the recent Jat quota agitation in the State, Haryana Government on Thursday decided to waive off the house tax and water tariff on such properties for one year.
The State Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar lal for the second consecutive day took a decision in this regard.A day before, the State Government had decided in principle to give relief in VAT to such traders and businessmen who suffered losses during the Jat agitation. Directions were given to Excise and Taxation Department to examine the matter.
To tone down the anger in Haryana’s residents, State Government has swung into damage control mode and in the past one week, has announced a number of measures to provide relief to the affected families besides transferring a large number of police and civil officers who had failed to maintain law and order situation in the state.
The Manohar lal Government had also announced to waive off electricity dues for the current and next billing cycles of all those consumers whose houses or commercial properties were damaged or looted during the agitation from February 15 to 22.
Haryana Cabinet Minister Ram Bilas Sharma while talking to the mediapersons after the Cabinet meet said that giving a major relief to those affected during the agitation, Haryana Government has decided to waive off the house tax and water tariff on such properties for one year.
The Government is making efforts to provide assistance to affected families and is hopeful that such measures would be a major relief for them, said he.
On the issue of inquiry into the apathy of police officials in handling the Jat agitation that turned violent in several parts of the state, the Cabinet Minister said that the former DGP of Uttar Pradesh, Prakash Singh, who had been appointed to probe the acts of omission and commission on the part of officers and officials, has started his probe.
Admitting that many police officials failed to fulfill their duty during the Jat stir, Sharma said that strict action would be taken against those found guilty during the inquiry.
The Jat agitation which had left 30 dead and more than 200 injured in the state had forced the State Government to cancel its maiden ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' to be held here on March 9 in Gurgaon while it would go ahead with Happening Haryana' Global Investors Summit’ to be held on March 7-8.
Reacting on the comments of Karnal MP Ashwini Chopra that state would not get any investments now, following the violent Jat agitation, Ram Bilas Sharma said that the State Government is quite hopeful that the summit would attract good response. As a result of Chief Minister’s visit to US, Canada, Japan and China and during the road shows held at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai in the run-up to the Summit, entrepreneurs have shown keen interest in investing in the State. The Wanda Group of China has decided to make huge investments in Haryana, he added.
A day before, the Karnal MP had said that following the violent Jat agitation during last month, no one from the country would like to invest in Haryana… forget about the foreign investments.
The MP also said that he would raise in Parliament the matter of alleged gangrape near Murthal during the agitation and will demand a judicial inquiry into the matter as the government did not want Murthal gangrapes to be highlighted.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Sharma has cancelled his foreign visit scheduled next week with an aim to give boost to tourism in Haryana.
State Govt. amends road tax
Haryana Cabinet has approved the amendment in Rule 9 of The Punjab Passengers and Goods Taxation (PGT) Rules, 1952, regarding Passenger Tax on contract carriage buses. As per the amendment, the passenger tax in case of ordinary bus with seating capacity of more than 12 would be Rs 125 per seat per month whereas it would Rs 175 per seat per month for Deluxe and semi Deluxe bus, Rs 200 per seat per month for Ordinary AC Bus, Rs 300 per seat per month for Deluxe and Semi Deluxe AC Bus and Rs 350 per seat per month for luxury AC Bus.
As per the earlier provisions, lump sum passenger tax for every kind of vehicle having seating capacity 5 to 12, excluding the driver, and for deluxe and Air-conditioned full body buses has already been prescribed in Rule 9. However, the rate of lump sum passenger tax for contract carriage permit holder vehicles having seating capacity more than 12 and for vehicles less than full body deluxe and AC buses, was not prescribed in Rule 9 of the Punjab PGT Rules, 1952. As per the earlier provisions, the lump sum passenger tax under Punjab PGT Rules was Rs 10,000 in case of Deluxe full-body bus and Rs 12,000 for Air-conditioned full-body bus.
Giving details about the amendments, Transport Minister Krishan lal Pawar also informed that Haryana Government has started a direct bus service from Chandigarh to Khatushyam and Salasar in Rajasthan.
He added that it would be an ordinary bus of Haryana Roadways and would pass through Panipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Kanina, Mahendergarh and Narnaul before reaching Khatushyam and Salasar.
Haryana amends rules
Haryana Government has made amendment in constitution of Refund Committee at the head office under Rule 42 of the Haryana Value Added Tax (HVAT), Rules 2003. According to the amendment, now the Commissioner would be enabled to designate an officer not below the rank of Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner posted at the head office to work as Member Secretary of the refund committee for approving refunds of value above Rs 25 lakh.
Committee comprising of three senior most Additional Excise and Taxation Commissioners from department side posted at the head quarter and an officer not below the rank of Deputy Excise Taxation Commissioner nominated by the Commissioner as the Member Secretary for approving refunds of value above Rs 25 lakh. The senior most amongst these Additional Excise and Taxation Commissioners would be the Chairman.