WBPCC slams Mamata for threat to take to streets

"After the central decision of Irrevocable Tax Compensation Scheme (2002-03) under NDA government, many states abolished state sales tax and surcharges on cess and opted for VAT regime. But successive governments in West Bengal under Left Front regime and also under Mamata Banerjee decided to stick to old system of high percentage of local taxes," PCC chief Pradip Bhattacharya said in a statement.

Bhattacharya said both took recourse to Centre-bashing instead of rationalizing the local tax structure to give relief to the common people.

He said that the Union Finance ministry had written several reminders in last two years that states should adopt the VAT system and the fuel subsidy would stop any moment because the cap of Rs 1,90,000 crore fuel subsidy was taking away valuable resource which otherwise should be used for rural development programmes for the poor people.

The WBPCC president said that the current tax compensation calibration gave relief on petrol prices to more people in 11 states than burden lesser number of people in seven states.

More importantly, same process has given relief to majority of people on account of kerosene price and LPG price, he said.

"The chief minister often declares that she will go to the streets to protest the price hike of petrol without revealing to the common people of Bengal that she actually is one of the causes of high fuel price in the state, he added.

Stating that fiscal discipline was the key word to rejuvenate economy, he said "West Bengal government will be better of paying more attention to their challenges of financial discipline instead of the periodic ritual of Centre-bashing."