T-T officers? body warns of agitation

UP VYAPAR Kar Seva Sangh, at its emergency meeting today, said it would initiate a state-wide agitation if the Government did not consider its demands in 10 days.

UP VYAPAR Kar Seva Sangh, at its emergency meeting today, said it would initiate a state-wide agitation if the Government did not consider its demands in 10 days.

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The prolonged meeting chaired by the sangh president, Srikrishna Yadav and attended by many office-bearers from various parts of the State, discussed various issues before them. The leaders regretted that the government was not restructuring the trade tax officers’ cadre, depriving them of promotional avenues.

They said the sangh’s demand for setting up a trade tax board on the pattern of Board of Revenue was justified and the Government should immediately set up a Board. They said, as against the revenue department, which contributed only around Rs 75 crore to the exchequer, the trade tax department contributed Rs 15000 crore to the exchequer. “But the revenue department still has its own Board headed by a chief secretary level officer whereas our demand for setting up a Board for the trade tax department was not being considered,” they added.

According to general secretary, Shashi Bhushan Singh, the issue of impractical revenue targets set by the State Government also came in for discussion at the meeting. He said the Government increased revenue targets every year without keeping in mind the ground realities. He said this year it was very difficult to meet the targets in view of slump in the oil sector and also Government not having introduced any new taxes.

He said the meeting decided that if the Government did not consider their demands in 10 days, the trade tax officers would be forced to take to a course of agitation. Agitation may include strike also, he added.