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VAT woes scare industry
Ludhiana, December 15 Mr P.D. Sharma, president of the chamber, said here today that to compensate the states for abolition of CST, certain harmful proposals were being made. There was a move to introduce a slab of 8 per cent VAT, in addition to the prevailing slabs of 4 and 12.5 per cent. In other words, it meant that some items would be shifted from the 4-8 per cent slab, which in turn, would have adverse impact on business of these items. He said at present declared goods attracted 4 per cent tax. Even though being of national importance, there was reportedly an immense pressure to remove a ceiling on the tax rate on these items which also included iron and steel. In case of a hike in the rate of tax on these items, steel-based business and engineering industry would not be in a position to sustain the burden. The states were also pressuring the Central Government to allow them to levy service tax on certain kind of services. “It is clear by now that service tax is becoming a multiple tax. At present, 99 types of services are under service tax and If the states are also allowed to levy service tax, there will hardly be any service left untaxed.” He maintained that even now the service tax of 12 per cent was very high, but still the government was said to be moving towards increasing the rate to 14 per cent in the next Budget. The Finance Minister, Mr Sharma pointed out, was making wrong plea to hike the service tax. The proposal to increase the service tax to a level of unified goods and service tax, proposed to be implemented by 2010, was totally unjustified. The fact remained that any further hike in rate of service tax would be an unbearable burden on the industry. Apart from these cumbersome tax proposals, the dealers in Punjab were still finding it difficult to obtain refunds. Indirect exporters were supposed to give l-F form and bill of lading to get refund. However, the excise and taxation officials were also demanding shipping bills, which were not required. For that matter, no supplier of indirect exporter could obtain shipping bills, Mr Sharma added.
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Coop milk union directors threaten stir
Ludhiana, December 15 Addressing a press conference, the directors alleged that the Verka Milk Plants, managed by the Milkfed, were being run by bureaucrats without and they were not taken into confidence. They said the price of milk sold to the consumers was increased while the price paid to the producers was reduced. All this was done by the bureaucrats. They threatened that if the orders were not reversed at the earliest, they would join hands with the milk producers and go on strike. They alleged that this was being done deliberately to facilitate some big private players. Some leading industrial houses like Reliance was learnt to be entering the retail milk business in Punjab.
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Vacant posts irk research scholars
Ludhiana December 15 Addressing a press conference here today, the association president, Mr Harmeet Singh Gill, and the secretary, Ms Pukhraj Kaur, said, while the government was raising so much hue and cry about diversification, it had failed to fill the posts lying vacant for so many years. Giving the break up of vacancies, the association leaders told that 550 posts of agricultural development officers, 150 of soil conservation officers, 60 horticulture development officers and 340 agriculture lecturers were lying vacant. They said, only 15 posts of agriculture teachers had been filled till now and only male candidates had been appointed. They pointed out that while the number of trained agricultural graduates and post graduates, and even doctorates was increasing every year, the government had almost blocked all employment opportunities for these highly qualified technocrats. They urged the government to fill the vacant posts on the
priority basis.
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Blood donation camp
Mandi Gobindgarh, December 15 Dr. Ranjeet Singh, SMO, Renu Bala and Satinder Kaur, lab assistants from Civil Hospital, Mandi Gobindgarh, Mr. Sanjay Singla, secretary, Swami Viveka Nand Samiti, Mandi Gobindgarh and Mr. Gulshan, a social worker, helped organise the
camp. The blood donors were awarded donor certificates.
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Councillor hurt in road mishap
Mandi Ahmedgarh, December 15 Mr Harpal Singh
Fauzi, councillor of Ward number 4, was injured seriously when the motor cycle which he was driving, was hit by some unknown vehicle near Jagera village, near here, last evening. The profusely bleeding councillor was brought to the local Hind Hospital by passersby last evening. Though nobody could give complete details of the accident, the condition of the injured and the vehicle suggested that he had a head on collision with some vehicle. The collision seemed to be very powerful as Mr Fauzi received multiple injuries on skull. His mandible, maxilla and hard palate were fractured, the doctors attending on him said.
Sihar police has recorded a complaint but action was yet to be initiated as the injured had not been declared fit to give statement till the filing of the report. In another case Pyara Singh, son of Biker Singh of Latala village, was hurt in an accident that took place on
Ahmedgarh-Latala road today morning.
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