GST to blame for current fiscal crunch, says Sidhu
Thursday, 05/10/2017
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/gst-to-blame-for-current-fiscal-crunch-says-sidhu/477640.html
Amritsar : Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu today blamed the current economic mess in the state on the GST saying that it was the fallout of hurriedly implemented new tax format by the BJP-led Union Government.
“After the passage of two quarters of this fiscal, the state received only Rs 450 crore out of its total share of Rs 1,800 crore from the Centre for the current financial year,” he said.
After a long gap since he resigned from the BJP, Sidhu flayed the saffron party and termed it a non-entity in the state. He claimed that BJP’s Gurdaspur candidate Swaran Salaria was no match to Congress’ Sunil Jakhar.
He said the saffron party was left with a couple of MLAs in the state who exercised power even less than a jathedar.
Similarly, he said the Akali Dal was facing character crisis in their leadership. He recalled that once the party was led by leaders such as Master Tara Singh, Harchand Singh Longowal and Darshan Singh Pheruman, all men of high character.
He accused SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal for promoting leaders like Sucha Singh Langah and Bikram Singh Majithia at the cost of Akali stalwarts like Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala.
Gives Rs 15 lakh for crop loss
Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu gave a sum of Rs 15 lakh from his own pocket to farmers whose wheat crop on 202 acres was damaged due to a short circuit in four villages of Ajnala in April. A matching financial aid to the tune of Rs 8,000 per acre would be given by the govt
