Pinarayi alleges hidden agenda behind finance bill to help liquor companies

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan said the assembly session that concluded yesterday saw the true face of a government that shields corruption. Addressing the media, he alleged that the finance bill was passed by disregarding the rules and conventions of the assembly.

‘When the revised budget schedule was presented in the assembly, it did not include the finance bill. The government itself had not made that clear earlier, which meant that no new tax proposals were under consideration at that stage. The government reiterated the same stand in the advisory committee as well.

However, during the second phase of the assembly session after the budget presentation, the finance bill was quietly inserted into the agenda to validate a tax concession for liquor companies. The opposition had adopted a cooperative approach towards the smooth conduct of the assembly proceedings. However, what we witnessed was a series of attempts to mislead the house and present misleading information.

There was a hurried attempt to pass the finance bill in an irregular manner and in violation of parliamentary procedures. The bill was included in the agenda without any prior notice, purely based on vested interests. It was nothing short of a backdoor insertion.

There was a hidden agenda to help certain liquor companies and the opposition opposed this. There were an unnecessary haste and stubbornness to get it passed from government’s side. The chief minister himself insisted on pushing it through. He was determined to ensure tax concessions for liquor companies by any means. This will lead to a sharp increase in liquor consumption across society, as cheaper liquor becomes available. Although the proposal was included in the budget, the chief minister had earlier said that the final decision would be taken by the UDF. However, all those claims have now turned to a farce,’ alleged Pinarayi.