Uttar Pradesh: Ordinance to stop payment of state ministers' income tax by govt tabled

Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday tabled an ordinance in Legislative Assembly to stop payment of state ministers' income tax by exchequer, an expense it is bearing for past 40 years. In September, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had asked ministers to start paying ir own income tax.

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Ordinance ensures that cabinet ministers will pay ir own taxes

direction followed criticism in media of a law enacted in 1981 which ensured that state ministers don't pay any income tax mselves. amount goes to income tax authorities from state exchequer every year. ordinance, if promulgated, will ensure that chief minister and all or UP ministers pay ir own taxes.

"Uttar Pradesh Minister (Salary, Allowance and Miscellaneous Provision) (Amendment) Ordinance was tabled in UP Assembly by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna. It pertains to stopp of payment of income tax by state government payable by ministers on ir salaries," UP Justice and Legislative Affairs Minister Brijesh Pathak told PTI.

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Uttar Pradesh Ministers'' Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Act, 1981 was enacted when Vishwanath Pratap Singh was chief minister of state.

Chief ministers who never had to pay taxes due to this law include Yogi Adityanath, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Kalyan Singh, Ram Prakash Gupta, Rajnath Singh, Sripati Mishra, Vir Bahadur Singh and N D Tiwari.

In last financial year, state government paid Rs 86 lakh to foot ministers'' tax bill, a senior Finance Ministry official said.

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