Chandigarh, June 7, 2020 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today demanded immediate waiver of fixed charges for all industrial and trade establishments for the three-month lockdown period besides allowing both sectors to retain State share of GST for this period.
In a statement here, SAD spokesman and former President of its Beopar Wing – N K Sharma said he had started a series of meetings with representatives of the trade and industry on the directions of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and the overwhelming consensus was that in case the Congress government did not extend any concessions to the industrial sector it would go back by 20 years.
“Punjab, which had earlier faced indebtedness amongst its peasantry, will now experience this amongst the trade and industry. Small traders, including petty shopkeepers, hardware sellers and professionals like photographers and barbers have been most affected. A cycle shop owner has already committed suicide and there is a sense of utter despair amongst the trading community at large”.
Stating that instead of helping the industry, the Congress government was playing cruel jokes with it, Mr Sharma said the government had promised not to levy fixed power charges on establishments which had been closed during the lockdown but had not kept its word. He said similarly instead of waiving power bills of shop keepers whose shops had been shuttered for two months, the government had issued power bills to them on average basis.
The SAD Spokesman said it was incumbent on the government to provide a healing touch in this hour of crisis. “The least it can do is give relief where possible including allowing the industry and trade sector to retain State GST share for three months.
Similarly, the government should not charge rent from shops leased out by Municipal Corporations and Committees during this period. Water charges as well as Property tax for this three-month period should also be waived off”.
Mr Sharma said there were also great resentment among the people that instead of giving relief where needed, the Congress government had given a relief of Rs 673 crore to liquor contractors and Rs 150 crore to the sand mafia.
He said this was the reason why as many as 32,000 industrial units had not restarted their operations till yet. He said the major reason for this was shortage of labour which the government had virtually forced out of the State by not distributing central ration to them. He said the bicycle and textile industry of Ludhiana had been most affected although the effect was felt all over the State.
The Akali leader said it was shocking that instead of offering some package to these units so that they could restart operations, the Congress government was asking them to take loans from the Rs 20,000 crore subordinate debt fund announced by the centre. “This has demoralized the entire sector as most industrialists are unable to pay their present instalments and are in no position to take further loans”.
Mr Sharma assured the trade and industry that the SAD would raise their voice in appropriate forums including approaching the State Governor on this issue to force the Congress government to resolve their grievances and extend due relief to them.
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