A six-member coordination panel of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday drew a roadmap to study the problems faced by the traders and common masses on the issues of property tax and value added tax (VAT).
The panel, comprising three members of both parties, has decided to launch an interactive tour with the traders soon. For the purpose, the panel would visit the major cities across the State to get the feedback of the traders, understanding the problems faced by them, among other things in case of property tax and VAT.
The panel, that held its meeting at Punjab Bhawan, met the concerned Government officials of the local bodies, including local Government Secretary Ashok Gupta to understand all the modalities of imposing the property tax, including its necessity, the issues, among other things.
In an attempt to iron out differences over the issues of VAT and property tax — that led to the coalition’s not-so-good performance during the parliamentary polls, the SAD-BJP co-ordination 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 has decided to hold its next meeting on September 9.
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 members Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, and Balwinder Singh Bhunder, besides lok Sabha member 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.
“We have collected all relevant information regarding property tax and VAT from the officers of the department of local bodies…we will hold another co-ordination meeting on September 9 in Chandigarh for further information on both issues,” said a committee member.
He said that the panel would submit its final report to the Punjab Government after taking detailed information or opinions from the industrialists and general public. “For the same, we are going to visit all the major cities like ludhiana, Jalandhar, and meet the traders to get their opinions,” said the leader, adding that we would act as a bridge between the people and the Government.
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.