Sales Tax Dept employees to collect LBT

 

* State Government to effect amendment to the MMC Act to pave way for the change
By Kartik Lokhande 

Though the trading community was hopeful about scrapping of Local Body Tax (LBT), Maharashtra Government has not given them respite. Instead of scrapping LBT or replacing it with some other option, the Government has decided to relieve the municipal corporation of the responsibility of collecting LBT.
As per the Government’s decision, now the employees of Sales Tax Department will collect LBT instead of municipal corporation employees. The announcement in this regard was made in Mumbai on Saturday by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, while replying to a call attention motion in Legislative Council.
Chief Minister also assured to make amendment to Maharashtra Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, if required. Giving a message that the State Government was not in a mood to scrap LBT, Chief Minister said that the revenue of 25 municipal corporations where LBT was introduced had increased considerably. He also said that the objective behind imposition of LBT was to give financial autonomy to municipal corporations.
The announcement of the Chief Minister has dashed the hopes of trading community that has been demanding scrapping of LBT for a long time. The meeting called by Chief Minister recently, also could not yield any result as far as finding out alternative to LBT was concerned. In the meeting attended by Mayors and Municipal Commissioners, some supported LBT while representatives of Nagpur, Sangli, Malegaon, Ulhas Nagar, and some other municipal corporations had opposed it. Chavan had suggested Mayors and Municipal Commissioners to organise meeting with local traders to find out better alternative to LBT. The meeting had, in effect, failed to break the impasse over LBT.
Options like re-introduction of octroi, entry tax, alternative tax, modification of LBT, levy on VAT were in discussion for quite some time. Some traders had suggested levying 1 per cent surcharge on VAT to make up for loss caused due to abolition of LBT. However, Law and Judiciary Department had opposed the proposal. It was estimated that 1 per cent increase in VAT would add only Rs 650 crore to State’s kitty, and hence the proposal was not feasible.
The issue of LBT has assumed political significance also as Congress workers from various parts of the State, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar also batted for abolition of LBT. The main Opposition party -- Bharatiya Janata Party -- has been leading agitation of traders and business organisations to press for the demand of abolition of LBT. 

14-06-14

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chanda boy Dr Vipin Itankar is UPSC topper in State

Image
12-06-14 * Efficiency and effectiveness are the keywords for the topper * Nagpur lads Aawesh Titarmare, Arpit Gudadhe, and Ankur Meshram also bring laurels to the region in UPSC examination results By Kartik Lokhande  “I am blessed. Vipin is extremely hard-working, dedicated and a confident guy I have ever met in my life. He was always at top since college days. I was confident that he would be in top ten in the UPSC examination as well.” (Centre) Dr Vipin Itankar, who secured 14th rank nationally and topped Maharashtra in UPSC Civil Services Examination-2013 results, celebrating with his family members in Chandigarh on Thursday. This is how Dr Shalini, wife of Dr Vipin Vithoba Itankar, reacted on learning that Vipin had emerged as the Maharashtra topper in Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination. Talking to ‘The Hitavada’ over telephone from Chandigarh, where Vipin and Shalini work in Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32, both exp...
Read more

Hinganghat: Here rests the great surveyor of India...

Image
  By Kartik Lokhande  Often, the work of explorers lives on but they get buried in the history. This is exactly what has happened in case of Lt Col William Lambton. The man credited with initiating one of the greatest scientific activities in the world -- The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India -- lays buried at a place now known as ‘Kala Gota’ amid a crowded locality behind Bus Stand in the town of Hinganghat in Wardha district. Sadly, the memorial of this great surveyor, whose work led to measuring the highest point on Earth 50 years later, has become a victim of neglect. And, surprisingly, not many know about it and the great significance of Hinganghat in the landmark survey.  Lambton Memorial, known locally as 'Kala Gota' in Hinganghat. (Pic: Kartik Lokhande) Lt Col William Lambton The benchmark stone of Great Trigonometrical Survey, in the courtyard of a house behind Bus Stand in Hinganghat. (Pic by Kartik Lokhande) Lt Col Will...
Read more

Eknath Ranade, the man with ‘Rock’ solid determination

* November 2015 marks the culmination of birth centenary celebrations of Eknath Ranade, a son of Vidarbha who made it the cause of his life to realise the dream of Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari By Kartik Lokhande  It was 1962, a year that had stirred the atmosphere in the country owing to several factors including a war with China. In January 1963, India was to celebrate the birth centenary of Swami Vivekananda. In down south, in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, tension was in the air over Swami Vivekananda’s memorial. There were attempts by some to claim the Rock off the shores of Tamil Nadu where Vivekananda meditated. A firm leadership is required to navigate through little storms in the journey towards realisation of a goal. Eknath Ranade, a man born in village Timtala in Amravati district of Vidarbha region in Maharashtra, was destined to be that firm leader as far as Swami Vivekananda’s memorial at Kanyakumari. Born on November 19, 1914, Eknath Ranade was the ...
Read more