Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday demanded immediate waiver of fixed charges for all industrial and trade establishments for three-month lockdown period besides allowing both sectors to retain State share of GST for the period.
“I have started a series of meetings with representatives of trade and industry on the directions of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and the overwhelming consensus was that in case, the Congress Government did not extend any concessions to the industrial sector, it would go back by 20 years,” said SAD spokesperson and SAD’s Beopar Wing’s former president NK Sharma.
“Punjab, which had earlier faced indebtedness amongst its peasantry, will now experience this amongst the trade and industry. Small traders, including petty shopkeepers, hardware sellers and professionals like photographers and barbers have been most affected. A cycle shop owner has already committed suicide and there is a sense of utter despair amongst the trading community at large,” he said.
Stating that instead of helping the industry, the Congress Government was playing cruel jokes with it, Sharma said that the Government had promised not to levy fixed power charges on establishments which had been closed during the lockdown but had not kept its word. “Similarly, instead of waiving power bills of shopkeepers whose shops had been shuttered for two months, the Government has issued power bills to them on average basis,” he said.
Akali leader said that the least the Government can do is to give relief where possible including allowing the industry and trade sector to retain State GST share for three months. “Similarly, the government should not charge rent from shops leased out by Municipal Corporations and Committees during this period. Water charges as well as Property tax for this three-month period should also be waived off,” he demanded.
Alleging that there was great resentment among the people forgiving Rs 673 crore relief to liquor contractors and Rs 150 crore to sand mafia instead where needed, Sharma said that this was the reason why as many as 32,000 industrial units had not restarted their operations till yet.
“Bicycle and textile industry of Ludhiana have been most affected although the effect is felt all over the State,” said Sharma adding that instead of offering some package to these units so that they could restart operations, the Congress Government was asking them to take loans from Rs 20,000 crore subordinate debt fund announced by the Centre which has demoralized the entire sector as most industrialists are unable to pay their present instalments and are in no position to take further loans.
Sharma assured the trade and industry that the SAD would raise their voice in appropriate forums including approaching the State Governor on this issue to force the Congress government to resolve their grievances and extend due relief to them.