Traders in winter capital Jammu on Saturday demanded that the toll tax collected by Jammu and Kashmir government at Lakhanpur entry point into the state be abolished.
In a statement issued today the traders federation warehouse Jammu said the collection of toll tax at Lakhanpur in Kathua district on goods entering the state defeats the very purpose of 'one nation, one tax' after the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the country.
The statement said the collection of Rs 800 to 900 crore in the name of state toll tax at Lakhanpur toll plaza annually is ultimately to be borne by the common man as this results in unavoidable hike in prices of trade goods.
The traders said the special status granted to the state should have been used for the welfare of the people and not for collecting taxes under the pretext of state toll tax.
"GST has been the dream of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, but it s very objective is defeated by collection of state toll tax at Lakhanpur wh ich is over and above the GST levied on trade goods", the traders said.
The federation has appealed that the state governor, Satya Pal Malik should take the matter seriously and order immediate abolishing of state toll tax at Lakhanpur.
--IANS
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