The state president of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Jamil Ahmed, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request a slew of tax and payment waivers and deferments to take pressure off the ordinary citizenry during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ahmed’s exceedingly optimistic list of wants and desires included the waiver of all electricity bills from April 1 until the lockdown ends, small firms/companies to be allowed to retain 10 percent of GST payable for the next one year, waiver of interest payments on loans for at least six months, all monthly instalments to be put on hold for six months with no levy of interest for the delayed payment, employees’ share of provident fund and ESIC contributions to be borne by the government for six months, waiver of schools fees (in public and private schools), waiver of house rent by private landlords “on humanitarian grounds”, income tax relief, 50 percent reduction in property tax for commercial establishments and extra financial help for poor families.
