BJP taxed Dal, Rice, Pencil, Books, Medicines, Agricultural appliances and other common items.
Paddy crops getting dried up due to failure to restore irrigation – Bhalla.
Damage assessments is slow, faulty – Ravinder Sharma
Jammu, Sept 23: Congress today charged Modi-led BJP Govt. of fleecing common man for 8 years through nine ( 9) different tax slabs of G.S.T. and collecting over 55 Lac Crores and it was rightly described as Gabbar Singh Tax by LoP Shri Rahul Gandhi and opposition pressure for reforms, lastly worked.
After fleecing people for 8 years, the BJP Govt now claims for credit for the reforms in its own anti people GST regime and now terms it people friendly, after 8 years of congress pressure for reforms, which worked, although belatedly, after bringing common man on knees.
Addressing a press conference here today JKPCC Senior leaders including Working President Raman Bhalla, Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, Chief Media Co-ordinator Neeraj Gupta,, PCC Spokesperson Kapil Singh, Seva Dal Chief Vijay Sharma and others the Congress said that Prime Minister Modi and BJP should apologize to the common people for the ruthless tax regime imposed by 8 years ago against congress reservation on multiple and confusing anti tax regime. They said that Modi Govt. changed one nation, one tax to one nation 9 taxes. It included tax slabs of 0%, 5 %, 12%, 18%, 28% and special rates of 0.25%, 1.5%, 3% and 6%. All important items of common and poor people use like Dal, Rice, Pencil, Notebooks, Medicines and agriculture items etc. were taxed, fleecing the common man. These GST rates were anti-people and congress demanded its review but it took 8 years to Modi Govt to review. Congress had mentioned in its manifesto against Gabbar Singh Tax and promised reforms in 2024.
The reforms now are under continuous pressure of Shri Rahul Gandhi and Congress party. They reminded that it was congress which announced GST in Lok Sabha first time on Feb 28, 2005 and then in 2011, when then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee introduced GST bill. Needless to mention that P.M. Narinder Modi then C.M. of Gujrat and BJP were most vociferous against GST. The same BJP then today same BJP celebrates record GST collection from common man by huge taxes and as per as report 64% collections in 8 years were from Poor common man, they added.
On the issue of relief and restoration of rain and flood affected people, Shri Bhalla termed it very slow and assessment system defective besides expressed concern over the delay in the announcement of comprehensive relief by the Centre.
He expressed great concern that paddy crop in border areas Jammu, Samba, Kathua etc. is getting dried up due to failure to restore power and irrigation. The farmers are crying but restoration work is no where despite several representations of congress and farmer bodies. There is no progress on KCC loan waiver and other relief measures, sought by people and highlighted by congress pat regularly.
Bhalla said that house damage assessment system is defective and faulty as the patwari and lower revenue staff are making the same at their will and wish. Several complaints of improper assessments and non-inclusion of their names are being received. It would be injustice to poor people and influential people will avail the benefits. We urge the Govt. to direct the DCs and lower staff to include all damage cases and have proper assessments by including engineering wing of PWD, Irrigation and Flood Control and Rural department and others. For the first time in the history of the country farmers have been taxed. This Modi Govt imposed GST on at least 36 items of the agriculture sector. Milk, curd, flour grains and even childrenis pensil books, oxygen insurances and hospital expenses- on every body things like tjhese, the Modi has imposed GST tax, that’s why we named this BJP’s GST the Gabbar Singh Tax.
They said there are numerous complaints of non-restoration of water and power supply in several rural areas. People are without water supply for over months and supply motors not repaired. Even there is no tanker service in rural areas.The water supply in Bhajrial area of Sunderbani has not been restored for over a month due to fault in motor and damage to transformer, cited Ravinder Sharma alleging that there is not even a single water Tanker in whole Sub-Division of Sunderbani, which is very unfortunate. He also highlighted the huge traffic jamming on Akhnoor-Sunderbani due to failure to vary out urgent repairs by BRO at couple of places and rush of fruit trucks and other traffic.
