Increase in tax hits transport industry hard

While the central budget reduced taxation on cars the state budget has increased duty from 4-7 per cent, which is biting the transport industry.

Subhash Jadhav President of the Kolhapur lorry operators association said that the new taxation is so prohibitive that purchasing of new cars would be restricted and buyers would prefer to purchase from other states where duty on cars is much lower that that in Maharashtra.

And Legalised permit rooms are feeling the heat of taxation on their business.

Baba Nimbalkar, president of Kolhapur Permit Room Association has said that additional taxation on liquor would not diminish number of drinkers, rather it would divert the poorer drinkers to illegal liquor dens.

Maharashtra Finance Minister Jayant Patil assured that imposition of VAT would remove octroi but it has not been removed, said Subhash Vora, BJP president in Kolhapur.

He has also disclosed that the budget has no provision for development and removal of unemployment.

Govind Pansare the CPI general secretary said that the budget has not provided special allocation for preventing farmers' suicides.

No provision for employment or prevention of commercialisation of education as also failure to encourage basic primary education - these are deficiencies indicate that the Budget has no scope for the common man in Maharashtra.