“Tax Holiday” to hill states anti Punjab and Anti industry decision- Khaira 

Jalandhar, 17 August: The leader of opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira condemned the decision of the central government to further extend the tax holiday for 10 years to hill states. He lashes Modi government for taking a discriminatory decision for the industry of Punjab. Addressing the media at Jalandhar he said that it is extremely painful to learn about the latest decision of the Modi government to further extend for another ten years the tax holiday to the neighbouring states of J&K, Himachal, Uttrakhand etc. This decision is not only erroneous but is gross discrimination with the state of Punjab, its industry and the agriculture sector with farmers committing suicides in large numbers. Khaira said the Vajpayee government in 1999 that first initiated complete tax benefits of central excise duty, sales tax, income tax etc. to the said hill states. This policy was further carried forward by the Dr. Manmohan Singh led Congress government for 10 more years. Now again, the Modi government has decided to extend tax benefits to the hill states for another 10 years. He said the industry of Punjab is on the verge of collapse, due to such discriminatory and partial behaviour of successive central governments. Capt. Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister Punjab, has recently revealed that almost 30,000 industrial units of Punjab have either shut down or moved to the hill states to avail these whopping tax benefits. Punjab Industryhase to suffer more after this anti Punjab decision by GOI.  the agrarian economy of Punjab is also facing a colossal debt of Rs. 1 lac crore, due to which farmers and laborers have committed suicides in large numbers. The farmers of Punjab are also suffering due to the anti farmers policies of the government. Khaira blames all the traditional parties Congress, BJP, Akali Dal responsible for the decline of industry in Punjab and he demands GOI to reverse its decision to exempt tax to the hill states.