Why can’t Telangana reduce VAT, asks Bandi

Hyderabad: State unit of BJP has not responded to the demand of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao that the Centre should withdraw cess on petrol and diesel completely to benefit the common man, but argued that the TRS government had increased the Value Added Tax (VAT) in 2015. At a press conference here on Monday, […]

Hyderabad: State unit of BJP has not responded to the demand of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao that the Centre should withdraw cess on petrol and diesel completely to benefit the common man, but argued that the TRS government had increased the Value Added Tax (VAT) in 2015.

At a press conference here on Monday, BJP State unit president Bandi Sanjay argued that the Chief Minister was only misguiding people. “If the Central government earns Rs 27 per litre, State government gets about Rs 28 a litre. In addition, the State government gets a share of Rs 12 per litre in the Rs 27 earned by the Centre,” he said.

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He said the Telangana government was opposing inclusion of petrol and diesel in the GST purview. “Telangana is second in the country in terms of VAT earnings. When 24 States slashed VAT on fuel, why can’t Telangana government reduce VAT,” he asked.

On paddy cultivation in the State, the BJP State president charged that the Telangana government was making false claims on the extent of acreage. “The Chief Minister said paddy was cultivated in 62 lakh acres and this needs to be checked. Let experts be involved in finding these facts and helicopters be arranged for the purpose,” Bandi Sanjay said.

Regarding paddy procurement, he said the State government had written a letter to the Centre on August 31. In reply, the Centre said paddy would be procured from October 21 to January 20, he explained. “The Centre has nowhere announced that market committees will be abolished. Was that mentioned in the Centre’s letters? Same is the case with procurement centres,” he said.

He also accused that the State government was creating confusion among farmers regarding crop cultivation. In one season, paddy was being promoted and in another season farmers were being asked to take up cotton, he said. “It’s been three years, the State government is yet to waive farm loans. Chief Minister is conducting plenary and public meetings only to misguide people with false statements,” Bandi Sanjay alleged.

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