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50,000 pending VAT assessments, new scheme on the anvil: Manpreet Badal
Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal said all issues pertaining to VAT will be elaborately discussed in the next cabinet meeting and a faceless system for taxpayers before Diwali this year.
Lending an ear to the Ludhiana industry, state finance and taxation planning minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Wednesday announced that the state government will unveil a new scheme to settle all VAT assessment cases pending for the last few years and bring a faceless system for taxpayers before Diwali this year.
Hundreds of industrialists from across the district attended the meeting chaired by Badal, along with state industries minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli and food and supply minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.
Making a call to the industry to re-impose their faith in Congress in the upcoming elections, Badal said all issues pertaining to VAT will be elaborately discussed in the next cabinet meeting.
“A scheme will be effectively rolled out to settle around 50,000 pending VAT assessments,” he said, adding, “A faceless system would also be rolled out to assess the taxes to ensure industrialists do not face any kind of harassment in the government offices.” Manpreet said he would be touring all major industrial towns in the next 10 days to address issues of the industrialists.
‘Unfortunate that 80% state dependent on coal for power’
Manpreet said the state government has taken up the coal-shortage issue with the union government. “It is unfortunate that 80% of the state is dependent on coal for power. Coal is not the future, solar and gas is,” he said.
Food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said the Ludhiana municipal corporation would spend ₹15 crore and Improvement Trust would give ₹10 crore for infrastructure development in industrial areas/focal points.
Industries and commerce minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli announced to set up a new focal point in Khanna soon and a grant of ₹20 crore would be issued for the infrastructure development of the existing focal point.
Factionalism evident
Factionalism in Congress came to the fore when a number of leaders, including KK Bawa, chairman of Punjab State Industrial Development Board (PSIDC), and Amarjeet Singh Tikka, chairman of Punjab Medium Industrial Development Board (PMIDB) were left fuming, claiming that they were not invited for the event even though they hold important posts pertaining to industry. “As many as eight of us holding important posts were not invited,” said Tikka.
