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Traders up in arms against govt for imposing toll tax carrying goods into state

Subodh Bhasin. Dated: 9/15/2017 1:15:21 PM

Subodh Bhasin
Jammu, Sep 14
Despite the fact that Jammu and Kashmir have come under the GST regime from the month of July along with the rest of the country and strong voices have been raised from several organization to abolish the double taxation system, there seems to be no end to this system as the authorities are still imposing toll tax on trucks carrying goods into the state.
The state, which implemented the GST in the J&K after adopting due procedure within seven days after it was implemented across the country, is still charging toll tax at Lakhanpur, the gateway of Jammu and Kashmir.
Chamber of Commerce has also given a deadline to the state government to ablish the double taxation before September and threatened to launch a strong protest demonstration if the administration failed to abolish the tax. During his recent visit to J&K, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh taking the matter into consideration has directed Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh to take necessary steps at the earliest to abolish the toll at Lakhanpur as it defied the notion of ‘One Nation, One Tax’.
The Jammu and Kashmir Government, which implemented the GST in the state seven days after it was implemented all over the country, is still levying toll tax at Lakhanpur, the gateway of Jammu and Kashmir.
The directions were given after Chamber of Traders’ Federation (CTF) in a meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh raised this issue requesting him to direct the state government for implementation of “One Nation One Tax” in letter and spirit and also submitted their memorandum to him.
Several organization in the past have held protest demonstrations several times and were assured by the state government for taking necessary steps yet nothing concrete has been done by the state government.
Trade bodies said the imposition of the toll tax on goods sends out a message that Jammu and Kashmir is not part of 'One nation, One tax' regime under the Goods and Services Tax.
Now traders of Jammu Kashmir are hopeful that with the directions from Rajnath Singh the state government will abolish the double taxation system at Lakhanpur Toll Plaza.