TMC to move Pvt Member Bill to include CM Relief Fund tax free

Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress will reach out to all non-BJP chief ministers for their support of a private member's bill on keeping contributions to the chief minister's relief fund in all states outside the tax purview.

A TMC MP will move a private member's bill in the upcoming winter session of parliament.

All contributions to the Prime Minister's relief fund in India are not taxed. The TMC will push for all contributions to the CM relief fund to be regarded as a part of corporate social responsibility and therefore entitled to tax benefits.

In 2014 the Centre amended the Companies Act and notified all the state governments that they would not get any tax benefits under CMRF, as was the case with PM relief fund..

Last year, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her Odisha counterpart Navin Patnaik wrote to the Prime Minister highlighting this anomaly.

The TMC also raised this issue on the Parliament last year. The party would sound out all Opposition parties before the winter session to discuss the way forward.

TMC leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O Brien has been entrusted by the TMC supremo to get opposition leaders on board to make the CM relief fund tax-free.