AP Petroleum Dealers-cum-Tank Truck Operators Welfare Committee has demanded that the State government immediately withdraw VAT on transport of diesel, petrol and LPG cylinder trucks.
Speaking to media persons here on Thursday, committee president Y.V. Eswara Rao said that the State government forced them to pay 12.5 per cent VAT on petrol trucks from 2003. He said that they had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Transport Minister Botcha Satyanarayana and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu urging them to abolish the VAT on the trucks. He alleged that the Commercial Taxes department officials issued GOs to pay VAT and froze their bank accounts.
He alleged that State was the first to impose VAT on transport trucks in the country. He said that they met the Commercial Taxes officials on April 11 in this regard, but the efforts were proved to futile on their demands. He said that over 6,000 trucks, 1700 LPG cylinder trucks were plying in the state.
Eswara Rao threatened that if the State government failed to concede their demands, they would launch indefinite strike from April 16 across the State. General Secretary M. Kumara Swamy, Treasurer J. Suresh, Rajive Amaram and N. Krishna were also present. (NSS)