A six-member coordination panel of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has proposed maximum relaxation to the people under the “controversial” property tax.
The committee would soon send its report of proposed changes in the property tax structure which is expected to be placed before the State Cabinet in its next meeting, scheduled for September 23.“We have prepared our report on the property tax, and have recommended major changes and rationalising it. We have proposed considerable reduction in the tax,” the coordination panel member and BJP Pathankot MlA Ashwani Sharma told The Pioneer, without divulging any further.
The panel, that held its meeting at Punjab Bhawan on Wednesday, met the Industries Secretary to “understand the mechanism of the VAT” (value added tax) along with the issues concerning the traders, industrialists, among other things.
“We have met the industries secretary and understand in detail the mechanism of VAT and the problems faced by the industrialists and their issues…we will hold the next meeting on September 26 when the officers of the concerned departments, that is Industries and Excise and Taxation, would also be present to guide us,” said Sharma.
In an attempt to iron out differences over the slew of issues including issues of VAT and property tax - that led to the coalition’s not-so-good performance during the parliamentary polls, the SAD-BJP coordination committee, in its first meeting had decided to “simplify and rationalise” the taxation structure, besides holding meetings with the concerned Ministers, officials to discuss the various aspects of the matter, other than the trading community.
The panel, comprising three members of both parties, has now fixed its next meeting on September 26 when it would finalise the report on VAT, and industry-related problems to be submitted to the State Government.But before that, the panel would launch an interactive tour with the traders, industrialists by visiting major cities across the State, including ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Bathinda and SAS Nagar.
“Our main purpose is to be at their doorstep to listen their grievances and find solutions for them…We would get the feedback of the traders, understanding the problems faced by them,” said Sharma adding that the panel would submit its final report to the Government after taking detailed information or opinions from the industrialists and general public.
To streamline the day-to-day functioning and cooperation between the alliance partners, the Committee was constituted by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. From the Akali Dal, the panel comprises Rajya Sabha MPs Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, and Balwinder Singh Bhunder, besides lok Sabha MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura.
Pathankot MlA Ashwani Sharma, senior BJP leaders Narottam Dev Ratti and Rajinder Bhandari were representing the BJP in the panel. Besides, Dhindsa, all members were present in the meeting.The Committee was necessitated following several incidents, in the recent past, leading to friction between the two allies, especially after the BJP blamed its ally, SAD, for coalition’s poor performance in 2014 general elections in Punjab despite having their own Government in the State, anti-Congress wave and Modi-tsunami sweeping across the entire country.
It was only in Punjab that the Aam Aadmi Party managed to bag four seats while drawing blank in all other states, affecting the vote shares of all the main political parties including BJP and the SAD.
The combine’s defeat on seven seats out total 13 in Punjab ensued in a blame-game with the BJP pointing out SAD’s “wrong decisions” on imposing taxes including property tax and taxes on trading community, high prices of sand and gravel besides its unavailability, deteriorating law and order situation, and above all, the growing drug menace.
The panel was formed after the BJP fact finding panel, headed by its senior leader Balram Ji Dass Tandon — now Chhattisgarh Governor, has listed these factors besides delay in VAT refunds, problems faced by industry and trade sector, stamp duty, coupled with burden on urban voters of power subsidy, among others as issues that led to loss of seven seats in the general elections.