22 Nov : Reference the advertisement that appeared in some newspapers in which the facts related to the state revenues have been grossly misrepresented by the Akali-BJP government. The details in the advertisement that seeks to compare the revenue collection by the Akali-BJP government with those collected during the Congress regime are only half truths. Moreover, the government would have done better if it had revealed the comparative debt figures also which have increased in much greater proposition during the current regime than the revenue.
Even if the government figures were to be believed, it (the state government) has no contribution in increasing the revenues. It is mainly for three reasons which include increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat and paddy, increase in the crude oil prices and the fourfold increase in the infrastructure cess.
During the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre the MSP of wheat and paddy has almost doubled thus doubling the purchase tax which considerably contributed to increase in state revenues.
Similarly the crude oil prices in the international market witnessed threefold increase that ultimately led to the increase in revenue collections by way of additional tax imposed by the state government on petroleum products here.
Another major source of increase in revenue has been increase in the infrastructure cess from one per cent during the Congress regime to four percent in current regime.
Moreover, it was because of the introduction of VAT by the Congress regime that has helped the state to generate extra revenue. Otherwise there has been no contribution from the government either for smartening of the tax administration or plugging the loopholes in the evasion of the VAT.
Going by the figures in the advertisement itself when Congress took over reins, the economy was in a shambles. However, with the progressive policies of the then Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh the revenue collections kept on consistently increasing from 3 per cent in the first year to 11 per cent in the second year and 17 percent in the last year.
Compared to that, the rate of revenue collections saw a massive decline during the Akali-BJP regime as is evident from the figures in the advertisement itself. From a 17 per cent increase in the revenue collections during Congress regime it came down to 14 per cent.
By drawing up imaginary figures the Akali-BJP government cannot fool the people of the state who are by now quite aware as to what situation they have pushed the state. While Punjab is on the brink of bankruptcy the publicity department of the Akali-BJP government is trying to make people seek solace with imaginary and falsely presented figures, by spending massive sums of money on advertisements.