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New Rajasthan tax anti-people: Congress

JAIPUR: The Congress has termed the newly introduced urban development tax in Rajasthan “an anti-people cess” imposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government in the State.

The new tax, which has replaced the house tax, would prove more burdensome to the public, the Congress has charged.

Abolition of the house tax was one of the election promises made by the BJP before coming to power in Rajasthan.

Pradesh Congress Committee president B.D. Kalla told journalists here over the weekend that the party has decided to oppose the new tax, coming in the guise of development tax.

The party would hold rallies and demonstrations in all districts to protest the new tax, which was the substitute for the house tax the Government had promised to do away with, he said.

Coming together with other taxes, levies and royalty imposed from time to time, the new tax would break the back of the common man, Mr. Kalla chaged.

“The new tax would prove more burdensome than the house tax which was abolished by this Government after being in power for more than three years and under pressure from the Congress,” Mr. Kalla said. In Jaipur alone the Government move was to collect Rs.500 crore as urban development tax, he noted.

Mr. Kalla said the new tax, which was notified would have different rates for plots/houses in different areas of the urban centres. Citing an example, he said in Sodala area of the capital, a person who had paid a house tax of Rs.250 on a plot measuring up to 500 sq. yards in the past would now be made to pay Rs.8,525.

“During the past four years the Government has imposed a good number of taxes and levies on the people.

This includes 20 per cent and 28 sales tax on petrol and diesel respectively and an increase in electricity rates, registration fees and fees in educational institutions,” Mr. Kalla pointed out.

The present tax, along with the recent hike in the royalty of essential items in building construction such as sand, bajri and minerals, amounted to “plain cheating” of the public, he charged.

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