Hyderabad: The Forum for Good Governance (FGG) has challenged the practice of the state government paying income tax for the chief minister, deputy chief minister, ministers, and other officials holding cabinet rank.
The forum argues that this arrangement is unconstitutional and should be terminated immediately.
Citing the Andhra Pradesh Payment of Salaries and Pensions and Removal of Disqualification Act, 1953, the FGG, in a letter to the chief secretary signed by its president M Padmanabha Reddy, contends that using public funds to pay income tax for these officials violates the principle of equality before the law.
This practice, they claim, imposes an undue burden on the state exchequer.
The forum also highlighted discrepancies in tax calculations, referencing the 2014-15 financial year when Rs 15.3 lakh in income tax was paid on behalf of the chief minister, despite his taxable salary being only Rs 2.8 lakh.
They urged the chief secretary to investigate these discrepancies and disclose the total tax paid for ministers, noting that several states have already discontinued this practice.
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