Note Ban Ki Kahani: An Industrialist’s Letter To Modi Goes Viral
“In 10 years, the country will again witness a rise in black money. Will a similar policy be re-introduced?”
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The Quint’s reader Saloni Puri shared a Hyderabad industrialist’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the demonetisation policy. He posed questions regarding the issues of tax paying as well as bribery that has plagued the government’s system. Read on:
Dear Modi Ji,
My name is Venugopala. I have a small industry in Balanagar, Hyderabad, which has a turn over of about Rs 2,00,000 a month. It comes to Rs 24 lakh per year. Honestly, after all the exemptions, I should be paying about Rs three lakh worth income tax to the government. But I only pay Rs 30,000. Why?
I was born in a middle class family and after putting in hard work, I managed to perform well in school. Initially, I worked to earn a living but after saving every paisa, I reached a level where I managed to set up my own industry.
About Rs one lakh is enough to take care of my family’s needs and the other Rs one lakh I invest (either in gold, shares or buying land).
Out of the amount I spend on my family, about Rs 30,000 goes to the government in one form of tax or the other. While buying groceries to electronics, I pay around 20 to 30 percent via tax.
Even for a litre of petrol, about Rs 30 goes to the government as tariff. When I purchased a car, about Rs 1.5 lakh was levied. For a plot, I had to pay Rs one lakh as registration fee. The colony where I reside does not even have a proper road and yet I paid Rs 50,000 as development fee.
To protect my family from exuberant treatment charges, I opted for a health insurance policy and even for that, I was shamelessly charged a service tax.
Are We Not Being Ripped Off, Sir?
What is this government doing for us in return?
Do we have the confidence that our children will learn anything if they were admitted to a government school? How sure are we of the treatments that people receive in the government hospitals? Other than country's defence sector and limited infrastructure-related projects like constructing roads, where are the rest of the development works on? Buy a car and we pay the road tax followed by the toll tax. Are we not being ripped off, Sir?
Why is our money is so cheap, sir? Why should we pay taxes? If my factory requires uninterrupted power supply, I need to pay a bribe (I spend Rs 10,000 every month).
How can I show this bribe in white, sir?
For this simple reason, we hate paying taxes. This does not mean that I have no social responsibility.
I contributed Rs 10,000 for the army fund. I pay Rs 20,000 every year to an orphanage in my neighbourhood and gave a donation of Rs one lakh in my father’s name when people of my village wanted to renovate a school. But sorry, I don’t have the same heart when it comes to paying taxes.
Black Money Will Again Return To Haunt Us
Now, since you’ve taken this call, I will pay 30 percent as tax for the Rs 10 lakh that I need to exchange. But can you guarantee that I won’t have to pay the Rs 10,000 as bribe every month? Or will you permit people to take them in the form of cheques?
Will you also bring forth an act where various political party leaders will take funds in the form of cheques? Will those funds be ever revealed to public?
We will not pay taxes for the luxurious life of politicians or for the salaries of the government employees, sir.
In another 10 years, the country will again witness a huge rise in black money. Will a similar demonetisation policy be re-introduced? This is not why we elected you, sir. You need to win our trust and utilise the taxes we pay in a proper manner. We are ready to support you, and are waiting to see you act!
Yours truly,
A fan and a voter
(This is a personal blog and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
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