September 18, 2020
Saugata Roy opposes introduction of The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Under Rule 72(1) of the Rules of Procedure, I beg to oppose the introduction of The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020. Other members have pointed out objections to various provisions of the Bill. I want to point to mainly section 4 where a particular fund known as the <interruption by the Speaker>
Sir, achha hai ki aap ne kanoon bata diya aur is ke baad koi bhi naya sadasya jo Bill ka virodh karenge, usko pata chalega ki kaise kisko anumati milta aur kaise Adhayksh par sab kuch nirbhar karta hain. Aap ka Chair ka jo mahima hai, usko sab ko utha ke rakhna farz hain, aur aap ka jo power hain woh theek se aap istemaal karenge yeh mera irada hain, asha hain.
Some relaxations have been given in taxation proposals, some extra time has been given in view of the pandemic, and therefore I am not objecting to those portions.
My objection is to Section 4 of the Bill where references have been made. After the word ‘fund’, the words and brackets ‘or the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assurance and Relief in Emergency Situation Fund (PM CARES)’ shall be inserted.
This is a totally new concept of money gathering; this is subscription gathering by the PM’s office. The PM already has a National Relief Fund and he also has the Cancer Patient Fund. So what is the need for the PM CARES Fund? As has been pointed out, there will be no audit by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India into the affairs of the fund. Is liye I propose that the PM CARES be abolished and all the money that has gathered in it, a huge sum of money, be transferred to the Prime Minister’s National Relief fund.
Whoever wants to be benefitted by the Prime Minister, let them apply to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund and not to the newly-minted entity called PM CARES Fund. That is why I opposed this Bill, which includes the words ‘PM CARES fund’.
