LBT In Amravati. traders to pay Rs.10 as LBT

LBT In Amravati. traders to pay Rs.10 as LBT | LBT Tax In Amravati 

The traders in Amravati have chalked out a unique way to protest Local Body Tax (LBT). They have decided to pay just ` 10 as LBT from June 1 onwards, if the State government does not abolish the new tax till the month end.

They have also warned to vote against the ruling Cogress-NCP alliance in the forthcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.

"We won't vote for Congress-NCP in coming elections if the LBT is not abolished by May 31. Besides, all the traders will pay ` 10 as LBT from June 1," said the president of Chamber of Amravati Merchants and Industries, Suresh Jain.

Recalling the regime of BJP and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Jain said the BJP-Sena government in 1999 had abolished Octroi in 228 municipal councils. The then government did not replace the Octroi with any new tax. There are 26 municipal corporations in the State, where Octroi was not abolished. Now, the present government has replaced it with Local Body Tax in 25 municipal corporations.

"Barring Mumbai, the new tax has been implemented in all remaining municipal corporations of Maharashtra," he lamented.

The association asserted that LBT has not yielded fruitful result. However, it has increased the burned of taxes on traders. The State government earned ` 15,000 crore from VAT. The revenue zoomed to ` 65,000 crore last year. In spite of it, the government, which has assured the traders to remove LBT after increasing one per cent VAT, did not abolished the local body tax.

"The Federation of Associations of Maharashtra (FAM) has urged the government to abolish LBT and increase the VAT by one per cent. Government increased the VAT but LBT was not abolished," he said adding that government earned ` 12,000 extra by increasing the VAT by one per cent. In spite of it traders problem was not addressed and LBT continued in all 25 municipal corporations where it was implemented.

On July 1, 2012 when the LBT was implemented the municipal commissioner has assured the traders that the new tax would be in accordance to the octroi. However, the rate at which LBT is levied on the traders is much higher than octroi, lamented Jain.