Several Opposition parties including JD(U), SP and BSP on Tuesday expressed concern in the Rajya Sabha over reports of generation of black money by terming it as agriculture income to avoid paying income tax and said public perception was being formed to tax farmers. The Government said there was no proposal to tax farmers’ income and probe was on against prominent people who were exploiting it.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, JD-U leader Sharad Yadav said some television channels were showing reports that more than Rstwo lakh crore was generated as black money by showing it as agriculture income. It is exempted from income tax.
Mayawati (BSP) demanded a high-level probe into it and strict action against the guilty. She also used the occasion to slip in a demand for Bharat Ratna for her party founder Kanshi Ram on his birth anniversary on Tuesday. Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) saw a conspiracy of taxing agriculture income in reports that huge black money was being hidden as agricultural income. He warned the Government against taxing farm income.
Allaying their apprehensions, leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said there was no proposal to impose income tax on farmers. However, some people were exploiting it and probe was on to bring them to book, he said. Elaborating upon it, Jaitley said many prominent people were under the scanner for allegedly concealing taxable income as agricultural earnings and told the Opposition not to brand it as political victimisation.
He however refused to share details, despite the Opposition members seeking the names of such persons. Charging Jaitley with misleading the House, Digvijaya Singh(Cong) asked the Finance Minister to reveal the names and “not threaten us.”
Unsatisfied by Jaitley’s reply, members were up on their feet continuing to raise the matter.Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said the Finance Minister had given a proper reply to issue raised by Sharad Yadav.