Finance Minister Etala Rajender has allayed apprehensions about shortage of common salt in the State and expressed concern that vested interests were trying to create confusion among the people by such propaganda.
Talking to mediapersons at the Secretariat on Sunday, the Minister said these interests were trying to take advantage of the fluid situation prevailing in the country after the announcement of demonetisation of high value currency by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spreading falsehood related to shortage of salt.
“Such propaganda will continue if people are not cautious. There is no cause for alarm regarding supply of salt and the Central Government has issued a clarification in this regard,” he said.
People should inform the authorities about those indulging in such propaganda as also bring to the notice of the Government instances of hoarding of essential commodities. He suspected that vested interests were trying to defame the Government by such propaganda and asserted that the Government was determined to curb such anti-social elements with an iron hand.
Income disparities
The Minister cautioned people against falling prey to vested interests who would take advantage of the shortage in supply of currency notes by charging higher amounts from them.
Mr. Rajender who later inaugurated the Chartered Accountants Forum of Telangana said the question of scrapping the higher denomination currency would not have arisen had the number of CAs in the country been proportionate to the needs of our economy.
The country had scores of people who abandon their studies and opt for work for earning two square meals a day and at the same time, huge amount of wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few. “The situation is against the Constitutional mandate that fruits of development should reach all sections equitably,” he said. In this context, he advised the CAs not to encourage tax evasion and instead, educate the people to remit their taxes in time.
People should be wary of vested interests trying to exploit the situation of currency scarcity
