Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (Sad) President Sukhbir Singh Badal has said that like Punjab Roadways, who has failed to pay RS 280 Crore tax in the last eight years, there are many transportation companies in Punjab who fail to pay taxes but the state government targets the bus Owned by the Badal family despite cleaning all delayed taxes.
“I have received information based on RTI laws that say 99.99% of transportation companies, including the PRTC, failed to pay taxes.
While I have paid full tax.
Why can’t they stop another bus,” he raised this question in the interaction with Tii.
Sukhbir said his family was one of the oldest transporters in Punjab.
The company was formed in 1947 and has never failed to pay taxes, he claims.
It was all because of the Covid-19 pandemic which hit the transportation sector badly, because the state government put various restrictions.
“When Covid occurs, the state government closes the company for the first six months.
Now, taxes are rising on us.
So after one year, they say we will release these taxes.
Then we start paying taxes,” he added.
In February this year, the state government re-imposed covid restrictions and ordered buses to run at a capacity of 50% and to stop operations on Saturdays and Sundays.
“So that means you run transportation with a capacity of 30%.
But they make you pay 100% tax,” he added.
All transportation companies write to the Punjab government that it cannot charge their full tax when it has placed various restrictions on them.
“Me is the only company that still continues to pay a tax of 50%.
During the last three months we have paid 100% and in the last 15 days I have paid tax balances too.
Now, they cancel my company’s permission and one more company when We have saved taxes, “he added.
When the transport company has approached Punjab and Haryana High Court, Sukhbir refused to comment further, stating that the problem was sub-yudice.
He said even the bus owned by Congress leaders also failed, but he did not want to raise the problem because he did not want to beg and give interests to transport Amarinder Minister Singh Raja.
Garring made the bus estimated when they were parked outside the bus stand, because there was no room inside.
“He put 30 buses, and the next day got 17 buses released, because you can’t save it.
But he won’t tell you the other side of the story,” Sukhbir said.