ST people exempted, but Centre trying to levy income tax from

The opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and the Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of trying to impose income tax from the Scheduled Tribes like the Mizos, though tribals are exempted from paying income tax.

The ZPM and the Congress have forged an alliance to contest the Lok Sabha election and an assembly by-poll in Mizoram to be held on April 11.

Addressing a joint press conference here, leaders of the ZPM and the Congress alleged that the Modi regime was trying to levy income tax from the Mizos through Tax Deduction at Source (TDS).

Though the leaders did not elaborate on this, the ZPM had earlier this month raised the issue in Mizoram assembly.

 

Scheduled Tribe people were exempted from paying income tax under section 10 (26) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, but the Ministry of Finance recently issued a notification instructing public sector banks to collect 10 per cent of annual interest from Rs 10,000 or above, ZPM legislature party leader Lalduhoma had said in the assembly on March 13.

Mizoram's population is 1,091,014, according to the 2011 census and about 95 per cent of it belong to Scheduled Tribes. This is the highest concentration of tribal people among all the states of India, the state government's website says.

State Congress spokesperson Lallianchhunga and ZPM youth wing leader Saithuama Mangpa charged the Modi government with robbing the poor people by penalising bank account holders who cannot maintain a balance of Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000 in the rural and urban areas respectively.

The BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has been indulging in anti-poor and anti-people policies since coming to power in 2014, they said.

The two parties appealed to the people not to support the BJP and the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), which is a constituent of the NDA, in the forthcoming polls.