New Delhi, April 30, 2013: Patron of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today called on the Nationalist Congress Party President and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to enlist his unstinted support to mobilise the public opinion against the Government of India (GoI) for rolling back the draconian Wealth Tax forthwith.
The Chief Minister called Pawar at his office in the Parliament House this morning and solicited whole hearted support and co-operation to persuade the GoI to immediately withdraw the wealth tax on agriculture without any further delay otherwise it could lead to an uncontrollable situation of nationwide social unrest, anarchy and resentment especially amongst the farmers and several other stakeholders directly or indirectly associated with the agriculture profession including farm labour, small and marginal traders and Arthiyaas.
Badal pointed that nearly 70% of the Agricultural land in Punjab would come under the ambit of this senseless act which was hell bent upon to crush the agrarian economy of the country in general and especially that of Punjab in particular thereby putting the national food security in quandary. He urged the NCP Chief to bail out the peasantry in this hour of crisis by mounting pressure on the Centre to withdraw this tax imposed on Agricultural land as it would have far reaching implications of leading the entire nation to the brink of economic disaster.
The Chief Minister apprised Pawar that Raja Chelliah committee on Tax reforms had recommended to levy wealth tax on non-productive assets adding that the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh who was the then Union Finance Minister in 1992, in his budget speech had underlined that Wealth Tax should be levied on individuals, Hindu Undivided Families and all companies only in respect of non-productive assets such residential houses including farm houses and urban land, jewellery, bullion, motor cars, planes, boats and yachts which were used for commercial purposes.
Appreciating the concern of Badal to abolish the Wealth Tax the Union Agriculture Minister told him that he would certainly look into the matter to ensure justice to the farming community and other related stakeholders in the larger national interest.
Earlier the Chief Minister also called the CPM leader Basu Deb Acharya, Shiv Sena Leader Sanjay Raut and Anant Geete and Telugu Desam Leader Nageshwar Rao to garner their support over this issue. Badal urged these leaders to vehemently oppose this ill-conceived and unwarranted move of the Union government to impose wealth tax on agriculture land. He was confident of positive outcome of these meetings with various leaders of national and regional parties, which would go a long way in protecting the rights of the farming community.
All these leaders offered fulsome support and co-operation to Badal for this national cause.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretary Gaggandip Singh Brar and Resident Commissioner K Sivaprasad