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Navjot Sidhu demands VB probe against ‘Cable Nexus’

Punjab Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday accused Badal family-linked Fastway cable company of causing whooping loss of nearly Rs…

Navjot Sidhu demands VB probe against ‘Cable Nexus’

Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu addressing a press conference after the last session at Punjab Vidhan Sabha Chandigarh on Friday

Punjab Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday accused Badal family-linked Fastway cable company of causing whooping loss of nearly Rs 700 Crore to the government by not paying the due taxes and charges during the decade-long rule of the Parkash Singh Badal government.

Speaking in the Assembly during the concluding day of the budget session, Sidhu said Fastway started the business with Rs 25 lakh but earned a profit of Rs 30 Crore in an year.

"I fail to understand the mechanism that how can a company earned such an exorbitant profit. The company even did not paid any tax during the ten years of Akali rule," Sidhu alleged on the basis of information obtained under RTI Act.

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He claimed a tax evasion of Rs 684 Crore by the company and said his department has started issuing notices to the company for recovery of charges. Later addressing press in the Media lounge, Sidhu said, "The charges will be obtained by the department for the use of poles, digging of roads for laying the cables and towards entertainment tax."

He also sought the registration of FIR against the company and urged Punjab chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh, who was not present in the House, to order a Vigilance Bureau (VB)  probe against 'cable mafia' linked to the Badal family.

Demanding a separate probe into the under reporting of cable connections, Sidhu accused the company for hiding information as it mentioned only 1.25 lakh connections on papers which are actually 80 lakh. "Out of 8,000 cable operators, 6,500 were under the control of Fastway. Not only this, Union government had issued notice to the same company for Rs 250 Crore tax evasion. The company paid only 23 crore, said Sidhu. He further said, the entertainment tax was announced from 13 November, 2011 in Punjab. "Every cable operator was liable to pay Rs 15,000 as tax on monthly basis. But only 150 cable operators operators had paid tax resulting the embezzlement of Rs 184 Crore on the name of entertainment tax," the Local Government Minister said. 

He further said the Set Up Box (STB) security ranges from Rs 800 to Rs 2,500 per month and was never given to the consumers.  "The company never paid sale tax. In past five years sale tax amount is estimated as Rs 220 Crore No permission was obtained from Railway, Forest department, Local Government for laying of cables," alleged Sidhu. He also said the electricity department had been not paid Rs 30 Crore by the company.

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