The Hindu : Launch `no tax campaign', Prakash tells weavers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 24, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Launch `no tax campaign', Prakash tells weavers

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELLARY April 23. M.P.Prakash, senior leader of the All-India Janata Dal (AIJD) and MLC, has urged weavers and readymade dress manufacturers to launch a "no tax campaign" to register their protest against the imposition of excise duty on their products.

Speaking to presspersons here today, Mr. Prakash said that hundreds of workers had been rendered jobless due to the stop in production.

Mr. Prakash said he had suggested this to weavers at Banahatti and Rabkavi during his recent tour of Bijapur District and the response was encouraging. He also wanted the readymade dress manufacturers to adopt the idea.

Condemning the lathicharge on weavers in Bangalore recently, Mr. Prakash said his party supported the cause of weavers.

He criticised the State Government for deciding to implement the value-added tax (VAT) system. Mr. Prakash said the Commercial Tax Department was not fully prepared (for the new system) and the maintaining of accounts etc., was cumbersome for artisans and others.

"In the absence of trained personnel in the department, VAT will be a failure. When some States, including Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, have announced that they would not implement VAT, why should Karnataka do that. The Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, should make things clear," he said.

Mr. Prakash wanted the Secretary, Tungabhadra Board, to furnish details of the availability of water in the reservoir along with the quota of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

He said releasing water to Andhra Pradesh while people in Karnataka were suffering for want of it was unscientific. He demanded steps for releasing water to villages and towns on the banks of the river.

He took exception to Maharashtra not releasing water into the Bheema from the Ujani Dam and sought to know why the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, was silent on the issue.

Mr. Prakash expressed surprise over the claim by the Chief Minister, while reviewing the drought-relief work in the district, on providing employment to 33,000 peop

le every day in Bellary District. "I am at a loss to understand the basis of the calculation," he said.

On why he did not attend the review meeting, Mr. Prakash said: "Having being in the government, we know that the dates of such meetings are fixed on ad hoc basis".

While agreeing that he should have attended the meeting, Mr. Prakash said he was busy with the merger process of the Janata Dal factions.

Earlier, Mr. Prakash visited Sirguppa town where seven persons died and 86 huts were gutted on Monday, and consoled the families of the bereaved.

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