Chandigarh, Dec 24 The Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Wednesday, launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, saying an atmosphere of open loot, intimidation, and fear has been established in the name of Goods and Services Tax (GST).
State BJP General Secretary Anil Sarin said the claim made by Finance Minister Harpal Cheema of a 16 per cent increase in GST revenue "is nothing but manipulation of figures and a deception of the public".
He added that by projecting a collection of Rs 17,860 crore from April to November, the state government "is trying to mislead the people of Punjab".
The reality, he said, is that GST refunds of traders have been deliberately withheld for months.
"Files have been lying unattended since May, while the AAP government is masking its failure by showing inflated and false revenue figures."
He alleged the GST Department has been instructed to conduct multiple inspections, up to four per trader, and to carry out targeted recoveries of nearly Rs 100 crore every month.
Officials are allegedly intimidating traders in the name of penalties, issuing a barrage of notices, and using state Intelligence to pressurise and choke businesses.
BJP leader Sarin said the AAP government itself has admitted that collections through state Intelligence have increased from Rs 321 crore to Rs 618 crore.
"This clearly proves that money is being extracted through fear, coercion, and intimidation, which cannot be termed tax reform under any circumstances," Sarin told the media here.
The BJP leader raised a direct question: "If revenue is genuinely increasing, why are teachers, health workers, National Health Mission employees, urban local body staff, and pensioners are being forced to take to the streets for their salaries and pensions?"
This, he said, proved that Punjab's treasury "is empty and the state government has completely failed".
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