BJP accuses Congress government of unleashing ‘tax terrorism' to fund guarantees
Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok, who initiated the debate in the Legislative Assembly on 'halted developments' in the State, said the government has increased taxes, user fees and hiked fares/prices, and mobilised ₹52,422 crore annually against the requirement of about ₹50,000 crore for funding five 'guarantees'. The tax hike was unprecedented in the State, he said.
Additional taxes
Mr. Ashok said that, for instance, by imposing additional taxes on fuel, the government earned additional revenue of ₹6,500 crore. He also cited bus fare hike (₹1,000 crore), vehicle registration fee hike (₹3,300 crore) and so on — together generating an additional ₹52,422 crore annually.
The fee for a birth certificate doubled from ₹10 to ₹20, the stamp paper price from ₹10 to ₹100 and now the government is 'extorting' money in the name of e-khata and charging for car parking space in apartments and individual households, he alleged. He demanded to know why we should pay to computerise (e-khata) property documents which already exist and called it a 'scam'. He said the Congress government had imposed 'tax terrorism to burden the common people'.
Hike in 'commission'
The Congress party, which labelled the previous BJP regime as a '40% commission' government, has increased the 'commission rate' to 70% for issuing commencement certificates (CC) for buildings. More than ₹35,000 crore SC/ST funds had been diverted to funding guarantees, the BJP leader alleged.
The Leader of the Opposition said the ruling Congress members, such as Raju Kage, B.R. Patil, Basavaraj Rayareddi, Home Minister G. Parameshwara, have themselves exposed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's failures in funding the development works.
State of roads
'Everywhere you look, there are potholes that have turned our roads into death traps. Continuous rains only expose government apathy,' said Mr. Ashok, criticising Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's leadership.
The bad roads reduced the speed of BMTC buses from 15 km per hour to 9 km per hour. More than ₹5,000 crore was spent on 874 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads around Bengaluru. Why were potholes seen on the roads, and where had the money gone?, asked Mr. Ashok.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
22 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Parliamentary panel raises concern on SAI's financial health
New Delhi: Sports Authority of India (SAI) is 'critically' under-funded and under-staffed, the parliamentary standing committee on sports has said, recommending a slew of measures to the union sports ministry. The panel, headed by Congress' Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh, presented a 40-page report to the upper house on Wednesday. Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya addresses a press conference at the Sports Authority of India (SAI). (Vipin Kumar) The report expresses concern over India's poor returns at the Olympics. 'It is extremely painful that we being a country of approximately 1.4 billion population could not win even a single gold medal in the last Olympics in 2024 and most of the Olympics before that. The Committee feels that there is some gap or deficiency at the policy level in this regard,' it said. It calls for broad-based talent spotting and holding more age-group domestic competitions. The committee also urged the sports ministry to adopt a targetted approach towards those sports in which India is likely to win more medals. 'Countries like Australia, Cuba, Kenya, China, USA are powerhouses in select sports like swimming, boxing, cross country, badminton, table tennis, and track & field events respectively. Each of these countries participates in a few targeted sporting events and win most of the medals in such events. The committee feels that it is worth emulating this model and recommends the ministry to take the concentrated approach in picking up the sports as such in which we have the potential and talent,' it said. Further, the parliamentary panel observed a 'substantial staff crunch in coaching and scientific cadres' in SAI and urged the body to fill up vacant posts. '...about 45 per cent of sanctioned posts in the Authority are presently lying vacant. The fact that these shortfalls in staff are being managed through contractual appointment may at best be only an ad hoc arrangement,' the report stated while commending to complete the recruitment in six months and furnish an Action Taken Report. The committee noted that during the last two financial years, the funds for Khelo India Scheme have been diverted to National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) of SAI. 'This diversion has denied precious funds of ₹38.79 crores to the Khelo India Scheme. This is more alarming as ₹122.30 crore of allocated funds under this scheme has also been returned to the Consolidated Fund of India,' it observed. '...such practice of diversion of funds from one central scheme to another is not a healthy one as it reflects poor estimation, planning and implementation on the part of a Central Scheme.' The report also said that an amount of ₹19.50 crore was allocated for play-field development under the Khelo India Scheme but has not been spent 'due to lack of proposal from eligible entities'
New Indian Express
37 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Centre tables Bills to remove PM, CMs, ministers held on criminal charges amid fierce Opposition uproar
Amid continuous noisy protests, the House was adjourned till 3 pm. As the protests escalated, BJP members, including Union Ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu and Kiren Rijiju came near Shah and there was a brief jostling between Opposition and ruling party MPs. Three House marshals formed a protective ring around Shah. Even after the House was adjourned, the Opposition members continued with the sloganeering. The three Bills are the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025; the Constitution (One Hundred And Thirtieth Amendment) Bill 2025; and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Bills have proposed that if the prime minister, union ministers or chief ministers, are arrested and detained in custody for 30 consecutive days for offences that attract a jail term of at least five years, they will lose their job on the 31st day. Opposing the Bill at the introduction stage, Owaisi said the Constitution is being amended to "destabilise governments". Tewari echoed similar views, saying that one is "innocent till proven guilty". "... this Bill is against the jurisprudence of criminal justice and distorts Parliamentary democracy. The bill opens door for political misuse and throws all constitutional safeguards to the winds," he said. RSP MP NK Premchandran alleged that the Bills are being introduced in "undue haste." "These Bills are not being introduced as per the procedures of the House. What is the undue haste in bringing such important Bills that they have not even been circulated to the members," he said. According to the Bill, there is no provision under the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (20 of 1963) for the removal of the chief minister or a minister arrested and detained in custody on account of serious criminal charges. Hence, there is a need to amend section 45 of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, to provide a legal framework for the removal of a chief minister or a minister in such cases.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Tripura tribal team seeks better collaboration between Centre & state
Agartala: In a pivotal meeting at Parliament House, Union home minister Amit Shah and commerce and industries minister Piyush Goyal engaged with a high-level tribal delegation of BJP leaders from Tripura on Tuesday, underscoring the need for robust collaboration between central and state leadership. The meeting assumes significance as the party seeks to strengthen the Janajati Morcha, BJP's tribal wing, ahead of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) due early next year. This strategic dialogue follows a recent meeting between Shah and BJP ally Tipra Motha, amid rising tensions after last month's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat programme. The TTAADC areas constitute two-thirds of the state's geographic area and are home to the tribals, who form one-third of the state's population. Tipra Motha Party, which became a BJP ally last year, has been in power in the TTAADC since 2021. The delegation, led by BJP Tripura president Rajib Bhattacharya, highlighted the urgent need for development in tribal regions, focusing on economic opportunities, infrastructure, healthcare, and education. Goyal emphasised enhancing trade and small-scale industries to empower tribal communities economically. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo He said, "A Rs 1,400 crore World Bank-aided project for socio-economic development of the indigenous people is underway in the state's tribal dominated areas. Our aim is to provide maximum benefit to the tribal people." Shah reassured the delegation of the Centre's commitment to peace and prosperity in Tripura, aiming to strengthen BJP's influence against regional parties. Central leaders urged state counterparts to boost grassroots involvement and counter opposition influence, positioning the BJP as the party of stability and inclusive development. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
