Sidhu raises pitch for action on Fastway, Capt bats with caution

WAR ON ‘CABLE MAFIA’ Local bodies minister shoots off letters to departments of excise and taxation, public relations, both under CM, underlining ‘tax evasion’ by the company

Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has declared a war on the “cable mafia” by slapping notices for tax evasion on Fastway Transmissions, a company, he claims, enjoyed patronage of the previous Parkash Singh Badal government.

On the last day of the budget session that ended on June 23, Sidhu, while replying to a query raised by Congress MLA Sukhjinder Randhawa in the state assembly, had alleged that Fastway did not pay his department (local government) any roadcutting charges for laying cables in Punjab.

He then gave details of the evasion of other taxes by the multisystem cable operator, pegging the total “scam” at ₹684 crore, including service tax, entertainment tax, sales tax, unpaid charges for digging of roads for laying cable and charges and interest thereon for using poles of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited

(PSPCL).

Since service and sales tax fall under the purview of the excise and taxation department and entertainment tax under department of public relations, both under the CM, Sidhu’s department has written to the CM on June 23 — a copy of which is with HT — to take necessary action on the local government minister’s speech.

Though the entire speech of Sidhu has been annexed to the

letter with details of the tax evasion, Amarinder, in his recent interactions with the media, has feigned ignorance about Sidhu’s allegations, saying he will ask secretary, local government, for the details.

Sidhu said he has written to the CM as the excise and taxation and public relations departments fall under him. “I sent the letters on the day of my speech (June 23) in the assembly. A deliberate mechanism was working to support Fastway. It’s not Sidhu’s fight but Punjab’s fight against the cable mafia. The company has evaded central taxes running into crores for which it was issued several recovery notices,” Sidhu said.

The minister said he had spoken to the CM on the issue before his assembly speech and has not been able to discuss it after it. “I and CM are on the same page on the issue. He has not interfered in my department nor has he encroached upon my line of duty,” Sidhu told HT.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Amarinder evaded a direct reply to questions on Sidhu’s allegations against Fastway.

Congress sources claim it is the growing resentment among party MLAs over the government “not going after the business interests of the Badals” that forced Sidhu to write a letter to the CM. “The CM is inaccessible even to Congress MLAs while Sidhu is going out of the way to take up our issues,” a senior MLA said, pleading anonymity.