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Jaya demands probe into beneficiaries of Chidambaram and Maran's wrong policies

All India Anna DMK general secretary J Jayalalitha today demanded that the Centre institute an inquiry into the benefits gained by several people through the actions taken by former finance minister P Chidambaram and former industry minister Murasoli Maran.

In a statement in Madras, she alleged that Chidambaram and Maran had encouraged foreign industry at the cost of domestic industry, causing a loss of several billions of rupees to the nation.

She alleged that the wrong policies pursued by Chidambaram had also led to industrial units facing closure and workers and cotton growers resorting to mass suicides.

Chidambaram, in last year's Budget, had raised the excise duty on goods produced by indigenous industry, but reduced the import duty on goods from abroad, leading to decline in production and exports and a revenue loss of Rs 105 billion to the exchequer in the last one year, she charged.

She alleged that Chidambaram's erroneous taxation policy had affected textile units which buy cotton to manufacture yarn and several thousands of cotton growers throughout the country were subjected to misery and agony, unable to earn a livelihood as their produce remained unsold.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government had announced an increase in import duty, besides steps to protect the indigenous industry and bring prosperity into the workers's lives. The decision was designed to make good the revenue loss to the exchequer, besides paving the way for increased income to the government, she added.

UNI

EARLIER REPORT:

Thambidurai to order probe against Chidambaram

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