Govt warned of agitation on tax policies

Hyderabad, Nov 23, 2012: YSR Congress Party on Friday warned the Government of a people’s agitation if it continued with its policy of burdening the people with more and more taxes.

Addressing media persons here, party spokesperson Janak Prasad said the Government has made a revenue of Rs.30,000 Cr during the last three years in shape of various taxes but failed to implement any welfare programme properly.

Slamming the Government for its reported decision to collect service charges from RTC passengers including rural commuters, Janak Prasad said Kiran Government has so far collected more than Rs.1700 Cr by hiking the RTC charges thrice in the last three years and asked the Government not to impose fresh burden on the passengers.

“Because of the Government’s policies only the RTC’s losses have accumulated to more than Rs.4200 Cr,” he said, adding that passengers should not be burdened financially for its mistakes.

Slams service charges on free power

Janak Prasad lambasted the government for harassing farmers by forcing them to pay service charges on free power and said the Government will pay the price for its decisions. “Already it is collecting hundreds of crores of rupees from consumers in the name of surcharges and fuel adjustment charges. As if this is not enough, it is harassing the farmers and forcing them to pay service tax on free power supply,” he observed.

When the Centre hiked the price of the subsidized cooking gas cylinder by Rs. 50 during YSR period, the Government decided to bear the hike, Janak Prasad said, adding there was no increase of the power tariff and RTC charges when YSR was at the helm. “Now, people have to pay at the rate of Rs.1000 per cylinder after the six cylinders.”

Janak Prasad said the government has been funcitioning like a commercial organization and become profit-oriented throwing the constitutionally- enshrined welfare concept to the winds. He said the Kiran Government has been following the path of TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and terrorizing people with its tax- hike policies. “In the next elections, people will teach a fitting lesson to Kiran Government,” he warned.