Southern States - Kerala   

Assembly passes Finance Bill

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM JULY 24. The Assembly on Thursday passed the Kerala Finance Bill that gave effect to the financial proposals in the budget for the current year.

The Bill was adopted with an amendment, moved by the Finance Minister, K. Sankaranarayanan, that some of the provisions incorporated in the Bill regarding entry tax will have effect from July 1. Other provisions will have effect from April 1 as usual.

The Bill, reported by the Subject Committee, incorporated changes clarifying the definition of items such as scanning machine for charging of entry tax. The item is now expanded to include photo imaging machines. Tax on body of motor vehicles will cover components, parts, accessories and kits. Taxable electrical goods will include electrical instruments, apparatus, appliances, hotplate, lighting bulbs, electric earthen wire, porcelain and other accessories and component parts either as whole or in part.

The other items coming under entry tax are computer paper, caustic soda, battery other than dry cell and button cell and medical equipment, hospital equipment and surgical equipment other than consumable or disposable goods including dental chair. Readymade garments and hosiery goods, weighing machine, weighing bridges and parts and accessories thereof, automatic teller machines, automotive LPG and liquefied natural gas will also attract the tax.

Replying to the third reading of the Bill, the Finance Minister said that Government would not spare any efforts to prevent tax evasion at check posts. It was determined to collect all the revenue due to it.

Denying Opposition criticism about the Government losing revenue on chicken brought from other States owing to a notification issued by the Government, the Minister said the revenue from the item had increased from Rs. 6.5 crores in 2000-01 to Rs. 20 crores in 2002-03.

The Leader of the Opposition, V.S. Achuthanandan, said Rs. 900 crores out of the Rs. 1,039 crores allocated to the local self-Governments was taken back. If the money was to be spent before April, it should have been released in advance. The action of the Government had paralysed the local bodies.

The CPI leader, K.P. Rajendran, said that while the Government sanctioned bars freely, it did not have money to start Maveli stores.

The Janata Dal leader, Neelalohitadasan Nadar, said the Bill incorporated proposals that were not in the Budget speech.

The House later passed the Bill by 79 votes to 38.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Karunakaran stands by his demand
• HC adjourns plea against hartal
• Finance dept. action comes under a cloud
• `GO to maintain financial discipline'
• `KAU land grabbed for tourism project'
• No tampering with Shariat: Sait
• Marad probe row figures in House
• Uniform civil code: mixed reactions to SC suggestion
• Bid to check graft in ST dept.
• LDF walkout over lathicharge
• No intention to hurt local bodies: Minister
• Assembly passes Finance Bill

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu