Transporters criticise centre's policies

Lucknow, Nov 28 (UNI) Advocating that transport industry be kept outside the purview of the Value Added Tax (VAT), All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners Association president Chitranjan Das today said following ''centre's short-sighted'' policies, the sector was in doldrums.

''People associated with the transport trade are already reeling under the burden of several taxes...implementing VAT in UP would mean further harassment,'' Mr Das said at a press meet here this evening.

''The traders are also suffering owing to different rules and regulations in different states. The state governments are unable to solve the overloading problem. They are not able to abide by the Supreme Court directions with respect to overloading,'' he underlined.

He said transporters are service providers. Their job is to transport consignments. They have got nothing to do with goods manufacturing and purchase, therefore, the trade ought to be kept outside VAT.

UNI