The businessmen in AP are facing a peculiar problem. Having borne the brunt due to the Corona induced lockdown, they are now being burdened with the J-tax. It is being collected from small and big businessmen by YSRCP activists to mark the birthday of CM Jaganmohan Reddy. Interestingly the party MP Raghu Rama Krishna Raju wrote a letter to YS Jagan informing about the J-tax being collected for his grand birthday celebrations. It is learnt that the collections are in the range of Rs 5000 from small businessmen to Rs 1 lakh from big businessmen. Meanwhile, opposition parties allege that an estimated Rs 1,000 crore has been collected in the name of J-tax.
Raghu Rama Krishna Raju also said that there was no objection to celebrate CM’s birthday, but in the name of celebrations, the party should not get disrepute. He also requested the CM to ensure that such fund collections be stopped. On the other hand, party activists celebrated the birthday in advance to hog the limelight. Many YSRCP leaders even arranged a massive cut out of Jagan in Kakinada to perform a palabhishekam and garland it.
While MP Vijay Sai Reddy organised a cricket tournament in Visakha. It is learnt that the leaders have collected J-tax on a large scale. The opposition parties have alleged that about Rs 100 Crore were collected in the form of J-tax. The leaders are not leaving the opportunity to collect funds. However, a section of the YSCP leaders expressed displeasure that the party would get disrepute with such deeds.
The comments of Raghu Rama Krishna Raju have created a furore. He alleged that the government started distribution of loans of Rs 10,000 for the small vendors in the name of Jagananna Cheyutha scheme, but before the vendors could get loans J-tax was being collected from them. The government has done nothing for small vendors and has only directed banks to provide loans, but in reality, loans are not being provided, alleged Raju.
It is learnt that the YSRCP leaders of corporator cadre collected Rs 30 lakh in the name of birthday celebrations. There are even allegations that the leaders spent just Rs 5 lakh and that the remaining Rs 25 lakh have been swallowed by them. The businessmen who are already facing the problems due to low business and taxes are dejected over J-tax being collected by ruling party leaders.
