Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Punjab PCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa chief meet Sonia Gandhi on wealth tax issue

NEW DELHI: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa today met party chief Sonia Gandhi to voice concerns over the proposal to impose wealth tax on agricultural land.

A delegation of Congress leaders from both the states as also some MPs from Rajasthan and UP have planned to meet Finance Minster P Chidambaram in this regard.

After the meeting with Gandhi, Bajwa said it was urgent for them to apprise the leadership of the "ill-effects" on farmers of the proposed amendment before it became a law.

Bajwa had said in Amritsar yesterday that Punjab Congress leaders have impressed on the party leadership not to go ahead with the imposition of the tax as it would affect a large number of farmers in Punjab and the response of the leadership was "positive" on the issue.

It has become a big issue in both the states as Shiromani Akali Dal, which heads the government in Punjab as well Indian Lok Dal ( INLD), the opposition in Haryana, have also expressed strong reservations against the proposed amendment under which proposed wealth tax will be levied on farmers whose land falls within 8 km radius of the municipal limits.

SAD and BJP have decided to hold statewide dharnas on the issue on May 2 in Punjab.

Meanwhile, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had a separate meeting with party MPs from Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Manipur and discussed organisational matters.