Even as petroleum dealers in the state have threatened to go-ahead with their stir against the high taxes imposed on petroleum products by the state government from tomorrow, the latter seems to be in no mood to relent with Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal categorically stating today that the state could not reduce its taxes.
“The Punjab Government is prepared to withdraw all state taxes on petroleum products provided the Government of India meets certain conditions. We do not have enough economic support from the Centre. Most of the revenue earned as taxes on petroleum products goes back to the Centre. The Centre takes away 98.7 per cent of central taxes collected from Punjab,” he said.
He said if the Centre raised Punjab's share in central taxes to even five per cent, the government would withdraw all state taxes on petroleum products.
Petroleum dealers across the state, under the aegis of the Punjab Petroleum Dealers Association, have announced that beginning tomorrow, they will not buy fuel from the oil marketing companies, for three days.
The dealers are demanding that the state government should withdraw the 10 per cent surcharge and octroi on petrol and diesel. Though the threat of this stir has failed to move the Punjab Government, officials of the state-run oil marketing companies- the Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation- have begun parleys with the dealers, asking them to hold a dialogue with government functionaries, rather than taking the matter into their own hands.
SRC.http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110707/punjab.htm
SRC.http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110707/punjab.htm
