Govt encouraging inequality with tax breaks to rich: MP Amar Singh

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 23

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday praised two Lok Sabha Members from Punjab – Dr Amar Singh and Ravneet Singh Bittu – for their contributions during the debate on the Finance Bill.

“I am grateful. It was indeed unusual,” she said of Dr Singh’s intervention during the debate while she appreciated Bittu for “taking care of the Opposition”, in a reference to the Ludhiana MP being made the new Leader of Opposition for the ongoing Budget Session as Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is busy with the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Sitharaman began her reply to the Finance Bill by stating that it was a “very much pleasing experience to have a member from the Opposition benches recognising some of the good work done by the government.

Dr Singh went into the details of the Finance Bill and pointed out areas where appropriate action was taken although he also had points where he thought the government could have done differently,” she said.

“I was pleasantly surprised that for a change there was recognition from the Opposition benches,” she remarked amidst laughter.

However, Dr Singh’s speech praised a few aspects only in passing while in the main he criticised the government’s overall approach.

The biggest worry was the speed with which inequality was increasing, pointed out the Fatehgarh Sahib MP, while not thinking much of the government’s claim that the economy will rebound with great vigour.

“Having fallen so much, rebound is bound to happen but when will it reach the 2019-20 GDP figures?” he asked.

The steady rise of borrowings suggested a problem in revenue collection. “You said I spent and spent. But the truth is you could not collect taxes,” he said while pointing out that in 2020-21, GST collection was short by Rs 1.75 lakh crore, corporation tax was less by Rs 2.35 lakh crore, income tax by Rs 1.8 lakh crore though excise collection increased by Rs 1 lakh crore.

Moreover, 24 per cent of the revenue is from cess and surcharges which the Centre does not share with the states.

“We should see cooperation somewhere,” he proposed. Dr Singh also cast doubts over the government being able to meet its disinvestment targets.

Dr Singh wanted Fatehgrah Sahib to be made into an international tourist destination, wanted a rail link to Raikot and raised the GST woes of entrepreneurs in Mandi Gobindgarh, Khanna, Doraha and Sahiwal.