Punjab pensioners to bear development tax burden

After preparing to impose registration fees and stamp duties on vehicle and home loans, the Punjab government on Thursday ordered the imposition of a development fund of Rs 200 per month on approximately three lakh pensioners in the state. The government’s plan is to earn an annual income of Rs 72 crore by imposing a development tax on pensioners. On Thursday, the Punjab Finance Department approved the proposal of the Financial Commissioner (Taxation) prior to this, when Manpreet Badal was the Finance Minister, the previous government under former CM Amarinder Singh had imposed a development tax for professionals working in the state. However, the former government had exempted pensioners.
Punjab’s opposition leader (LOP), Pratap Singh Bajwa, targeted the government over the imposition of taxes. Bajwa stated that after increasing VAT on petrol and diesel for the second time and raising electricity rates, Punjab’s “Koh-e-Noor” (Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann) has now given a new gift to the pensioners of Punjab.
Now, when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is implementing austerity measures and trying to generate resources, it has approved the levy on pensioners. Taxes will be deducted from this month’s pension. “Despite the promises made by Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP government in Punjab has failed to generate revenue of Rs 20,000 crore from sand mining and eliminate corruption to raise Rs 34,000 crore,” added Bajwa. The opposition leader said that there are millions of pensioners in the state who will be adversely affected by the harsh directives of the AAP government.
Bajwa said, “The AAP government, led by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, has done nothing to improve Punjab’s deteriorating financial health, resulting in the state teetering on the edge of an economic crisis.” Bajwa said that the state’s day-to-day activities are being funded by borrowed money.