In an attempt to iron out differences over the issues of VAT and property tax, the six-member coordination panel of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP on Thursday resolved to review the same and iron out the differences.
The panel, comprising three members of both parties, decided to call a meeting of the concerned Ministers and the officials to discuss the various aspects of the matter, other than the trading community.
The panel, scheduling its next meeting for September 2, decided to “simplify and rationalise” the taxation structure.
The first meeting of the SAD-BJP coordination committee took up the two issues and discussed it in depth, and decided “to call the meeting to discuss whether to give some relaxation or decrease the same so that the general public is not suffered,” said a senior BJP leader.
The panel, to streamline day-to-day functioning and cooperation between the alliance partners, was recently constituted by the 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, Brahmpura, all members were present in the meeting.
At the onset, the Committee took note of the problems faced by the people including trading community with regard to property tax and VAT.
“We have decided to rationalise and simplify the taxation system in a way that people or traders do not feel the burden on one hand, and the changes do not have any negative effect on the State Government’s revenue mobilisation,” said the BJP leader.
For the same, the panel would take into consideration the opinion of the concerned ministers, and the officers of the concerned departments - local Government and Excise and Taxation.
Subsequently, the panel would also consider the views of the traders, besides other stakeholders including industry associations, unions and public associations.
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 — 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.