Union finance minister P. Chidambaram has given an assurance that no wealth tax would be imposed on the agricultural land in the country. This was stated by the Haryana chief minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, after emerging from a meeting with Mr Chidambaram in New Delhi on Monday.
“The finance minister has assured that he will make a statement on the floor of the House while replying to the Finance Bill and no wealth tax will be imposed on agricultural land, whether within the municipal limit or outside the municipal limit”, Mr Hooda, who led a delegation to finance minister, said.
Concerned over the move to impose wealth tax on farm land, Mr Hooda had taken the initiative of leading a high-level Congress delegation of Union Ministers, MPs and MLAs from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Orissa and Delhi, to the finance minister.
The delegation included Union information and broadcasting minister,Mr Manish Tewari, Union minister of state for external affairs Preneet Kaur, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Pratap Singh Bajwa, Punjab, Leader of Opposition, Sunil Jakhar and many other leaders.
The delegation submitted a representation urging the Union finance minister on behalf of the Indian National Congress to “intervene for withdrawal of the proposed amendment, and issue a clarification to the effect that urban land does not include agricultural land, and no wealth tax is liable to be paid”.
The delegates also requested Mr Chidambaram to issue administrative directions to the Income Tax Department not to issue fresh notices seeking payment of wealth tax qua agricultural land.
Mr Hooda said Mr Chidambaram reiterated that the UPA Government was committed to the policy of protecting the interests of the farmers and therefore, nothing would be done against their interests.