Personnel Tax

The BJP in it’s manifesto says :

3. Our forces are performing a service to the nation and deserve better pay and privileges.

Towards this end, the BJP is committed to the following measures: a. The pending issues of pay and privileges will be revisited and resolved to the satisfaction of the defence forces. The modalities for setting up a separate Pay Commission for the forces will be expedited; b. All personnel of the Army, Air Force and Navy, as also paramilitary forces, will be exempt from paying income tax on their salaries and perquisites;

This promise is listed under the ” National security: Fear shall no longer stalk this land ” section of the manifesto.

In what way does the tax exemption improve the national security ? Why does it have to be a tax exemption ? If there is going to be a separate pay commission, why not increase the pay and tax at the same rate ? A greater gross income with tax would make the job more attractive than a lower gross income and no tax.

The BJP justifies the promise with “Our forces are performing a service to the nation and deserve better pay and privileges”. How do you define ‘service to the nation’. Does a surgeon who saves hundreds of lives every year or the scientist who developed the weapon carried by these forces  perform any less service ? Or is being in the line of fire the criteria ? What about the CRPF or the state police that fights naxals everyday ?

R.

Blog with a point

The point of this blog is many-fold :

1. To talk about politics (preferably Indian politics), and talk about how screwed up things can get

2. To talk about political figures, because in India, no one votes for parties, we vote for the people. (We even buy stocks of companies with ‘Awesome’ heads, so why not politics?)

3. To ponder over the ironies which have been encountered in Indian politics.

More folds can be added if necessary. More contributors can be added too, if anyone enthu.