GUWAHATI, June 3 � The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has strongly condemned the decision of the Centre to hike the service tax from 12.36 per cent to 14 per cent and described the decision as �unjustified.�
While the common people are made to see red by the �BJP-led Central Government with various anti-poor and anti-people steps, it has provided a big relief to the tune of Rs 5.50 lakh crore to the corporate sector by lowering the income tax slab from 30 per cent to 26 per cent.� Only to compensate the loss being incurred by the public exchequer, the BJP-led Central Government has hiked the service tax exorbitantly, the party alleged.
In a statement here today, APCC vice president and in-charge of its media cell Ripun Bora alleged that the anti-poor and anti-people policies of the BJP-led Central Government have been dealing a big blow to the common people of the country at a time when the BJP is celebrating its one year in power with much jubilation.
The common people of the country have been facing untold hardship due to the skyrocketing prices of the essential commodities. But to divert popular attention from its failure, the BJP has resorted to its old trick of mouthing confounding slogans � like �Year One � Beginning a Lot� (Sal Ek � Suruat Anek). However, the tall claim of Achhe Din made by Narendra Modi in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections has now emerged as a farce, Bora said.
The BJP�s �Year One � Beginning a Lot� slogan has also become a mockery of the truth. The slogan has automatically emerged as �Year One � U-Turn a Lot,� for in the post-Lok Sabha election period, the BJP and Narendra Modi have taken a totally opposite stand on various issues.
With the hike in the service tax, the rail fares, mobile and telephone bills, costs of the Internet service, transportation services, bank and insurance service, entertainment service, marriage and marriage hall service, etc., the prices of the essential items will shoot up, said Bora.
He further said that an additional two per cent tax has also been imposed as service tax, on top of the 14 per cent service tax, for the Swachh Bharat campaign.
