'Govt. can raise Rs. 3,660 cr. without new taxes'

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 2. The Opposition LDF has accused the Antony government of having misled the people of Kerala with `exaggerated figures and half-truths' about the State's fiscal position and claimed that the State can raise additional revenue of Rs. 3,660 crores during 2001-02 without imposing fresh taxes and higher user charges for public utilities.

The LDF has come up with its version of the fiscal scenario and revenue prospects in an `alternative document' to the White Paper on State Finances issued by the UDF regime. The document was `presented' to the Assembly by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. V.S. Achuthanandan, through a submission during zero hour today. He, along with leaders of other Opposition parties, later released it for publication at a news conference. Mr. Achuthanandan cautioned the Government that it would have to face public ire if it went ahead with imposing new levies and hiking user charges.

Quoting from the `alternative document', Mr. Achuthanandan said the State Government would get additional revenue of Rs. 2,000 crores from the sale of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) by the Kerala State Beverages Corporation under the new liquor policy announced by the LDF government. Similarly, the Government could raise additional resources of Rs. 1,250 crores during 2001-'02 from Sales Tax, Stamps and registration fees and vehicle taxes, he said.

Mr. Achuthanandan accused the UDF government of having pegged the additional resource mobilisation target for 2001-'02 at a low Rs. 750 crores when tax collection even at the pace at which it was done at the time of exit of the last UDF government in 1996 would fetch a much a higher amount. The revenue from the National Savings Scheme would also be at least Rs. 410 crores as against the Rs. 250 crores envisaged in the White Paper.

The Leader of the Opposition pointed out that the State had suffered a loss of Rs. 2,825 crores under various heads during the last four years on account of the discriminatory attitude of the Centre and the liberalised import policies. Dwelling at length on the comparative performance of the LDF and UDF regimes on the development front, Mr. Achuthanandan pointed out that while Plan expenditure during the five years of UDF rule was Rs. 5,815 crores, that under LDF rule was Rs. 15,401 crores. The capital expenditure alone under the two Governments showed that the LDF had performed better with a total capital expenditure of Rs. 5,308 crores against a mere Rs. 1,937 crores spent by the UDF between 1991-'96.

Coming out strongly against hike in power tariff, Mr. Achuthanandan said the KSEB's annual revenue deficit figure of Rs. 1,925 crores shown in the White Paper was grossly exaggerated.

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