Himachal CM urged to withdraw tax facility to ministers and MLAs
Shimla: In spot over raising the limit of MLAs travel allowance, both within the country and abroad, former PCC president and sitting MLA Sukhwinder Sukhu on Sunday racked-up a new issue as he shot off a letter asking Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur to withdraw tax concessions to MLAs and cabinet ministers.
Sukhu said, "There is a practice in the state wherein the state government has been paying the Income-tax dues of the cabinet ministers and MLAs. This means the ministers and MLAs — who are public representatives are not paying the income tax outcome of their earnings, salaries and allowances. It is sending a very wrong message to the public."
Congress MLA suggested the Chief Minister get the issue examined and accept his demand to put this practice to an end. "Why not the cabinet ministers and MLAs be paying their Income Tax for the salary and allowances they have withdrawn?" he asked.
He was of the view that if the state government stops paying income tax dues of the ministers and MLAs it will send a right message to the public and restore faith in them, which was gradually eroding.
"It will also have some other advantages like clearing an impression that cabinet ministers and MLAs are a privileged class. They are required to pay their income tax," Sukhu underlined.
Further, he claimed that the decision to withdraw the facility will bring a lot of transparency in politics and public life. Currently, the MLAs and also MPs are not getting due respect in the eyes of the public.
Sukhu's move comes close to the heels of state assembly passing a bill to raise the limit of the travel allowance for the cabinet ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and MLAs from Rs 2.50 lakh to Rs 4 lakh per annum. The move had attracted strong public reactions as people had questioned the justifications behind this.
Lone CPM MLA Rakesh Singha has not only opposed the facility but has announced not to avail it. He has termed it a burden on the state exchequer, which was already under financial stress because of Rs 50,000 crore debt on the state.
Sukhu, on the other hand, had supported the move and also maintained that the facility doesn't was a farce. "This benefit accrues to the MLAs only if they travel abroad or else outside the state. It's like LTA benefit. The limit raised to Rs 4 lakhs is notional and not in any manner going to the MLAs pockets. The state assembly records reveal 90 per cent of the MLAs has never available the facility," he explained. He rather had asked for adopting Punjab pattern to provide official vehicles to the MLAs. The Rs 4 crore so raised should rather go to bank accounts of the MLAs for travelling within the constituency or else.
The Chief Minister admits that he should not have agreed to the MLAs demand as the issue has drawn flack without anything paid to the MLAs in reality. "If MLAs surrenders facility voluntarily, I will roll back the decision," he offered.
