''Additional tax burden in Guj budget to widen rich-poor gap''

Ahmedabad, Feb 25 (PTI) The Gujarat Congress todaycriticised the BJP government for the 2011-12 budget and saidthat the additional tax burden of Rs 524 crore imposed on thepeople would widen the gap between the rich and poor in thestate.

"People expected relief in professional tax and VATand several other fields. It would have brought relief topeople in the Golden Jubilee year of the state. But stategovernment has introduced new taxes that are going to causeinflation," Leader of the Opposition in the state assemblyShaktisinh Gohil said here.

"Gujarat has maximum rate of VAT in the country.

Relief in that could have brought down prices. But governmenthas not bothered to give relief in the VAT," he said.

"In addition to very high rate of VAT, there issurcharge on it. Nowhere else in the country surcharge ischarged on VAT. People had expected relief in this, butnothing has come out," Gohil added.

"Additional tax burden of Rs 524 crore imposed on thepeople would widen the gap between the rich and poor in thestate," he said.

Gohil described the budget a jugglery of figures andalleged that a deficit budget has been presented as a surplusone. .