Swachh Bharat cess a severe blow to common man: Gogoi

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said the recent decision of the Centre to levy 0.5 per cent Swachh Bharat cess on taxable services has dealt a severe blow to the common man.
The central government in the name of economic reforms has adopted anti-people policies, Gogoi said in a statement here.
Instead of imposing taxes on the common man to mobilise funds for Swachh Bharat campaign, it would have been wiser to involve people actively through other ways to make the campaign a success, he said.
"With the aim of capturing power, the Modi-led government made plenty of promises to the people which have not been fulfilled. The prices of essential commodities have been spiralling out of control hitting the common man hard," he said.

"The BJP had to bite the dust in the Bihar elections only because of its anti-people policies. The humiliating defeat the BJP suffered in Delhi and Bihar elections have failed to open its eyes and the recent hike in the prices of essential commodities is a pointer," he said.
Petrol and diesel prices have soared despite fall in their prices in international markets, Gogoi said.