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Punjab pays tax of ministers, MLAs
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 17
A sum of Rs 77 lakh was paid from the state exchequer as income tax on the salaries and allowances drawn by Punjab Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries(PSs) for 2005-06. Besides, about Rs 70 lakh was paid as income tax on the salaries and allowances of MLAs.

The Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and MLAs are entitled to salaries and certain allowances which are paid to them from the state treasury.

A senior officer of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretariat, confirming the payments, said a provision in this regard was made in the Budget and the tax was paid from that allocation. Earlier, income tax was paid on the salaries and allowances drawn by Ministers.The benefit has been extended to MLAs for the past two financial years.

The maximum amount of Rs 5,08,200 was paid as income tax on the salary and allowances drawn by the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh. His total taxable salary and allowances amounted to Rs 16,76,462 during the financial year 2005-06. On the salary and allowances of Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Deputy Chief Minister, Rs 4,65,630 was paid as income tax from the exchequer.

At the number three position came Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, Public Works Minister. On his salary and allowances, the state paid Rs 3,94,160 lakh as tax. For the salary and allowances drawn by the Rural Development Minister, Mr Lal Singh, the government paid Rs 3,80,210 as income tax. And for the salary and allowances drawn by the Local Bodies Minister, Chowdhary Jagjit Singh, the governt paid Rs 3,42,790 as tax.

In the case of the Urban Development Minister, Mr Raghunath Sahai Puri, Rs 3,23,860 was paid as tax. On the salary and allowances of the Health and Family Welfare Minister, Rs 2,17,440 was paid as income tax. For the Animal Husbandry Minister, Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, the government paid Rs 2,26,080 as income tax and for the Excise and Taxation Minister, Mr Sardul Singh, Rs 2,31,560. In the case of the Transport Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh Kaypaee, Rs 2,41,830 was paid and for the Food and Supplies Minister, Mr Avtar Singh Henry, Rs 2,21,130.

For the Education Minister, Mr Harnam Dass Johar, Rs 1,99,370 was paid as income tax and for the Revenue Minister, Mr Amarjit Singh Samra, Rs 1,96,170. For the Cooperation Minister,Mr Jasjit Singh Randhawa, Rs 2,96,640 was paid as tax. For the Finance Minister, Mr Surinder Singla, Rs 2,00,240 was paid as income tax, for the Science and Technology Minister, Mr Rakesh Pandey, Rs 2,17,640, for the Forest Minister, Mr Hans Raj Joshan, Rs 2,32,480 and for the Social Welfare Minister, Mr Gurkanwal Kaur Rs 1,83,620.

The government also paid income tax on the salaries and allowances drawn by the Chief Parliamentary and the Parliamentary Secretaries. For the Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Malkiat Singh Birmi, Rs 1,92,440 was paid as income tax and for Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi Rs 2,27,170. For Dr Harbans Lal Rs 1,96,270 was paid as tax, for Mrs Harbans Kaur Dullo Rs 98,330 and for Mr Sunil Jakhar Rs 1,29,710.

For Mr Surinder Kumar Dawar Rs 1,34,370 was paid as tax, for Mr Parkash Singh Nawanshahr Rs 1,20,590 and for Rana Kanwarpal Singh Rs 1,23,160. The amount of tax paid for Mr Raj Kumar Verka was Rs 1,31,960 and for Mrs Razia Sultan Rs 2,02,610. The government also paid Rs 1,69,250 as tax for Mr Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Rs 1,45,660 for Mr Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. In the case of Mr Ashwani Sekhri the government paid Rs 2,26,500 as income tax.

It is not confirmed whether any legal provision has been made for the payment of income tax in case of the salaries and allowances drawn by Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and Parliamentary Secretaries. However, in the case of MLAs and Ministers, there is a legal provision for the payment of income tax from the state exchequer.The government pays income tax from the state treasury in the case of MLAs belonging to the ruling as well as Opposition parties.

In case of MLAs, Rs 87,140 was paid as income tax for the financial year 2004-05 in the case of Mr Adesh Partap Singh and Rs 79,440 in the case of Mr Ajit Singh Kohar. A sum of Rs 83,610 was paid as tax for Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon and Rs 78,770 for Mr Arvind Khanna,who has not been seen attending the Punjab Assembly sessions for several months. The maximum income tax was paid in the case of Mr Bir Devinder Singh. In the case of most MLAs, the payment of income tax was between Rs 75,000 and Rs 90,000 for 2004-05.