New Delhi, Sep 19 (UNI) A Bill, which seeks to extend the deadline for paying taxes and duties as relief during the pandemic and giving tax exemptions for the PM Cares Fund, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Saturday.
Replying to the debate on the proposed legislation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Bill was brought in to replace the Taxation and other Laws (Relaxation of Certain Provisions) Ordinance, which was promulgated in March, to help the common man during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bill seeks to extend the deadline for paying taxes and duties, including extending time limits for filing returns and linking PAN with Aadhaar, as relief during the pandemic and giving tax exemptions for the PM Cares Fund.
She said the Ordinance provided these relaxations, in view of the spread of the Novel Coronavirus pandemic in India.
'Ordinance needed to provide relief, prevent penalty, prosecution due to late payment non-compliance of some requirements due to COVID,' she said.
The Minister went on to say that the PM CARES fund is registered, although the PMNRF was not registered.
She demolished every Opposition argument against the PM Cares Fund.
Coming in huge defence of her deputy Anurag Thakur, she argued that when Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru set up the Prime Minister National Relief Fund, he had thought it fit only to include the Congress President and no one else.
The Minister asked them to refrain from 'rumour-mongering'.
Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur said the PM cares Fund was working with full transparency and legality.
He said,' PM-Cares Fund is absolutely transparent. It has been set up under the law, registered as Trust under 1908 Act. An independent auditor appointed, it's the same auditor who audits PM National Relief Fund. Nobody is forced to donate to this fund.'
The Taxation and Other Laws(Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill,2020, introduced on Friday, was passed with voice vote.
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