BJP Floor leader P. Vishnu Kumar Raju has made a scathing attack on Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, alleging that the latter was favouring Telangana.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Mr. Raju said the AP Assembly had unanimously passed an amendment to the AP Agricultural Land (Conversion for Non Agricultural purposes) Act 2006 lowering the rate of tax from 9% to 3% and from 5% to 2% in the GVMC and VMC areas. The amendment to the Act was adopted in November 2017 and sent for the Governor’s assent. The Governor, however, did not take any action. Neither he informed whether he had any reservations in this regard, the BJP MLA said.
The Governor also raised many queries when AP promulgated an Ordinance lowering rate of land conversion tax in 2016. Subsequently, the GoM and the Cabinet approved the amendment Bill and introduced in the Assembly which was adopted unanimously. Notwithstanding this, the Governor had not taken any decision, he alleged.
In comparison, the Governor gave his assent to Telangana’s proposal within a short period and GO 4, dated January 5, 2016, was issued. His “inaction” with regard to the A.P.’s proposal was pushing the State into a corner. AP was losing its edge over Telangana in ease of doing business and industrial development etc.
The land conversion rates in Telangana were cheaper compared to AP as the new tax structure has already been in vogue there. The prospective entrepreneurs and industrialists were in a dilemma whether to invest in AP or not, he said. “We will not hesitate to lodge a complaint with the Central government if the Governor continued his style of functioning and did injustice to AP.”
