Pune: A novel initiative to deal with the
scourge of black money has been suggested by the Confederation
of NGOs in Rural India (CNRI), urging the Government to create
a cadre of social workers who would work as informants to
intimate the authorities about those in possession of
unaccounted or black money.
"Government should announce that a cadre of social
workers (informants) will be created all over the country and
they will intimate the Government after 31/03/2012, if anybody
is in possession of unaccounted or black money. Such
informants will be treated as social workers and will be paid
10 per cent of the amount disclosed by the defaulters", Mohan
Dharia, former Commerce Minister and Chairman of CNRI , has
petitioned to Union Finance Minister in a note submitted for
pre-budget consideration for 2012-13.
Releasing the contents of the note, Dharia told agency that
Government should categorically state that such defaulters
will be treated as anti-nationals and will be criminally
prosecuted with a punishment of 5 years rigorous imprisonment,
in addition to confiscation of all the assets and money
belonging to them.
"It is learnt that more than Rs 20 lakh crores of rupees
are in the form of black money in India and billions of rupees
in Swiss or other foreign banks. With this measure Government
shall have crores of rupees available for development
purposes. There cannot be any reason for resorting to deficit
financing or any debt now burdening the Government," Dharia,
a former deputy chairman of Planning Commission said.
Special Fast Track Courts (SFTC) should be set up for
speedy trials of such corrupt anti-national people.
Noting that both the Planning Commission and Central and
State Governments have conceded that gap in between rich and
the poor has been widening every day, he said to bridge the
gap, Government should levy luxury tax on all excessive
properties held by them.
"Those who hold more than 3,000 sq ft built-up area
should be asked to pay Rs 5 per additional sq ft having in
possession. Similarly those who are having more than 10,000
sq ft open area should pay Rs. 5 per additional sq ft held by
them.", he suggested in the note sent to Union Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Dharia said luxury tax should be applicable for all the
cities having population of more than 5,00,000. Similarly it
should be levied on all articles such as limousines costing
more than Rs 10 lakhs according to the prevailing market price.
"Luxury Tax should be applicable every year. This could
fetch more than Rs 1 lakh crores of rupees every year to the
Government exchequer," the former union commerce minister
said expanding on details of the pre-budget discussion note.
Those who have huge assets, properties and ornaments
should be covered under the Luxury Tax to generate additional
revenue and also help in bringing down the huge gap between
rich and the poor, he added.
Referring to possible effects of global warming ,the CNRI
said India could face acute shortage of food-grains and
drinking water after 40-50 years and suggested following
measures to counter it:
(a) All lands including massive waste or degraded lands
should be brought under some cultivation within a span of 10
years through time bound programme of Scientific Micro
Watershed Management.
(b) All lands under culture should be made more
productive by using hybrid varieties, modern science and
technology. This programme could take care of additional
food-grains required for the country.
(c) It is necessary to have nearly 33% of the area under
green cover. Time bound programme of 10 years should be
undertaken for afforestation, horticulture and other species
including grasses for green cover.
(d) By making wastelands productive, additional
productivity through existing land under culture and
afforestation, it would be possible to generate employment to
millions of our people in rural areas.
"Unplanned, haphazard and ugly urbanization has created
several problems for cities. Neglect of rural areas have
virtually destroyed rural India and people are fleeing to
cities in search of employment or to get amenities like water,
education, sanitation or security for the down-trodden.
It has, therefore, become inevitable to enrich our rural
areas by developing natural resources like water, soil, cattle
wealth, fisheries on 7,000 KM of our sea-shores and huge water
reservoirs created in the country. Simultaneously planned
horticultural, medicinal plantation programmes could generate
wealth and also ample employment opportunities", it
emphasised.
Reverse Migration "Back to village" as preached by
Mahatma Gandhiji is the only effective solution to solve the
problems of villages and also cities, the note said.
"If my two suggestions regarding bringing out black money
and levy of Luxury Tax are sincerely implemented, there cannot
be any dearth of the money for the above mentioned programmes
to be developed. Budget should not be treated as merely debit
and credit account, but it should be an effective instrument
for economic transformation", Dharia, who was recently
felicitated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his work in
field of rural development and afforestation, observed.
PTI
