CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government today decided to allow the brick industry in the state to pay VAT on lump sum basis on the pattern of Haryana.

A decision to this effect was taken at a high level meeting held here Saturday under the  Chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal  with the a 20- member delegation  of the Punjab   Brick kiln  Owners  Association led by its president  Kuldip Singh Makkar. It may be recalled that the brick industry in Punjab was paying lump sum sales tax many years prior to the imposition of the VAT system which replaced   sales tax.

The Chief Minister directed the State Chief Secretary to hold a separate meeting of the representatives of Brick Industry with the Department of Food & Supplies and Industries    to sort out their other demands including the withdrawal of notification issued on September 11, 2003 imposing all sorts of restrictions thereby abolishing Inspector Raj  and imposition of lump sum royalty on Haryana pattern according to the size of the kilns.

Sarbjit Singh Makkar, MLA Adampur pleaded the case of brick kilns association and assured full support and cooperation to the state government. He also urged the Chief Minister to revise the rates of brick industry keeping in view the steep escalation in the cost of gravel, coal and wages of the labour.

Badal assured the association that the genuine demands would be considered sympathetically and also asked the Chief Secretary to convene a meeting to revise the rates of the brick industry.

Prominent amongst others who attended the meeting included; Chief Secretary Mr. R.I. Singh, Financial Commissioner Taxation Mr. S.S. Brar, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr. D.S. Guru, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. K.S. Cheema and Excise and Taxation Commissioner A.Venu Prasad.