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Pay income tax on your own: Amarinder to MLAs, ministers

In view of the severe financial constraints faced by the government, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) suggested elected representatives to pay…

Pay income tax on your own: Amarinder to MLAs, ministers

Captain Amarinder Singh (Photo: Facebook)

In view of the severe financial constraints faced by the government, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) suggested elected representatives to pay their own income taxes on Monday.

The CM has pointed out that these taxes are currently being paid by the state government while draining the exchequer of the much needed funds. The CM further mooted the proposal for self-payment of taxes by all elected representatives including himself.

The CM said, Punjab was possibly the only state in the country to follow the system of the government paying taxes for all ministers and legislators. He also added that the income tax being paid by the Punjab government on this account stood at Rs 11.08 Crore.

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While the bulk of Rs 10.72 Crore was for payment of income tax of legislators, the remaining was for the ministers, disclosed an official spokesperson after a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Fiscal Management, where the proposal was mooted by the CM.

The suggestion, if implemented, would lead to a saving of this entire amount, which the state could then use for various important development works and implementation of welfare schemes, many of which are facing serious hurdles due to paucity of funds, said the spokesperson.

In a bid to boost savings for the state government, the CM also reiterated his appeal to party colleagues and rich farmers to give up free power subsidy. The CM had first made this appeal during the Assembly session in June last year, when he personally set an example by giving up his own subsidy.

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