WEDNESDAY, MAY 08, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao, announced that a Congress-led government would prioritise the recovery of pending dues, amounting to crores in Goods and Services Tax (GST), from BJP-associated crony capitalists. The recovered funds, estimated at almost Rs 5,000 crores, would be directed towards the welfare of the common people, he added.
Alemao outlined the various outstanding dues, including GST on casino gambling, green cess, rural welfare cess, mining dues, and power bill arrears, which the government aims to recover.
In response to BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde's remarks on inheritance tax, Alemao accused the BJP of misleading the public. He emphasised that the focus would be on reclaiming illegally accumulated wealth from crony capitalists who finance the BJP's misinformation campaigns, redirecting it towards the welfare of ordinary citizens.
Alemao criticised the government for deliberately neglecting the recovery of approximately Rs 271 crore from mining companies. He asserted that large sums, such as Rs 263 crore owed by Adani, Vedanta, and JSW for rural welfare cess, remain outstanding. “The government is intentionally delaying the recovery of green cess from companies associated with crony capitalists,” he alleged.
Questioning the BJP's accountability, Alemao queried why inquiries weren't made to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant regarding the recovery of Rs 1,400 crore from industrialists and commercial establishments in unpaid electricity bills. He also challenged the government's inaction regarding the recovery of GST from casino operators, estimating pending dues to exceed Rs 5,000 crore
