Her government unleashes a tax whammy on Delhiites already reeling under rising prices
DELHI chief minister Sheila Dikshit has a plan to fund the beleaguered 2010 Commonwealth Games in the Capital -- she is going to make you pay for it.
" I would appeal to the residents ( of Delhi) to understand our position," Dikshit told PTI soon after finance minister A. K. Walia's budget speech on Monday which raised taxes on various goods and services in the city- state. " We need money for the Commonwealth Games. I am sure people will extend their cooperation to the government." She then said the budget was " development- oriented" and that it would " further increase economic activity in the city". As a result of Dikshit's tax raid on the common man, essential commodities such as diesel, domestic cooking gas, tea, coffee, ghee, aerated drinks, cutlery, kitchen utensils and CNG fuel for public transport will be dearer after April 1.
If that were not enough, the Delhi state budget has increased taxes on luxury products such as expensive watches, mobile phones priced above Rs 10,000, pens costing more than Rs 1,000, and readymade garments priced at Rs 5,000 and above. This is a direct result of an increase of 7.5 per cent in the value- added tax for all these products.
Walia said Central government funding for the Commonwealth Games was much less than what the state had hoped to receive, therefore raising taxes was inevitable. In the previous fiscal, the government had allocated Rs 2,105 crore for Gamesrelated projects. The finance minister said Delhi state has already spent Rs 15,000 crore on improving infrastructure ahead of the event that will be held this October.
with thanks : source : http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=2332010
No comments:
Post a Comment