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Presiding
over a pre-Budget meeting with representatives of
industries, agriculture, universities, PHD Chamber of
Commerce and Confederation of Indian Industry, Mr.
Birender Singh said there should be a better and improved
infrastructure in the State without which sustained
development was not possible. He praised the
industrialists and the members of chambers of commerce and
industries for extending full cooperation which resulted
in a 100 per cent increase in the tax collection during
the last three years.
While
asserting that no tax had been imposed in the State since
the introduction of VAT, he said rather some taxes had
been rationalised and reduced to provide benefit to the
traders as well as the people of the State. He assured
them that all the suggestions and opinions received from
them would be taken into consideration and these would be
incorporated into the Budget.
He
said even though the growth rate of the State was 10.3 per
cent, the benefit had not reached the poor.
Urging
agriculture scientists to give more thrust to research and
development of new varieties of foodgrains and pulses, he
lamented that for the past ten years no path-breaking
achievements had been made so far as research by the
agriculture scientists was concerned.
Source
: The Hindu, India, dated 13/02/2008
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