Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise, and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday stated that a total of 70,311 dealers have benefited from the One Time Settlement Scheme-3 (OTS-3), launched in November 2023 to address and streamline legacy tax issues.   Cheema highlighted that the OTS-3 initiative has added a significant Rs 164.35 crore to the states treasury. This contrasts sharply with previous OTS-1 and OTS-2 schemes, which together generated only Rs 13.15 crore from 31,768 cases.   The scheme offered substantial relief to dealers with outstanding dues. Specifically, 50,903 dealers with arrears up to Rs one lakh received a 100 percent waiver on tax, interest, and penalties, resulting in a total waiver of Rs 221.75 crore. Additionally, 19,408 dealers with arrears ranging between Rs one lakh and Rs one crore benefited from a 100 percent waiver on interest and penalties, along with a 50 percent waiver on tax, amounting to Rs 644.46 crore in total waivers.   Cheema explained that the scheme covered cases up to the assessment year 2016-17, targeting arrears up to Rs one crore. Dealers who applied under OTS-3 submitted original statutory forms under the CST Act, 1956, and the waivers were calculated accordingly. Applicants were also given the facility to submit additional statutory declaration forms to further reduce their tax liabilities. Punjab suffering because Centres refused to cede states just demands: Sukhbir PNS/Longowal   Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday said that Punjab was suffering because successive Central Governments had refused to cede the just demands of the State, including restoration of its river water rights and transfer of Chandigarh and Punjabi-speaking areas.   Sukhbir, paying glowing tributes to Sant Harchand Singh Longowal at a mammoth conference held to commemorate his martyrdom, said: Sant ji made the supreme sacrifice for the cause of Punjab but was betrayed by the Centre which refused to implement the promises made to him as well as the people of the State.   Even now, Sant Longowal is being betrayed by both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which had both compromised the States stand on its river waters as well as transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab, he said.   Sukhbir, while speaking from his heart, said: It is time that the Sikh quom recognizes its own and identifies traitors like Bhagwant Singh Mann who is not ready to speak against Dera Sirsa head Gurmeet Ram Rahim or even give sanction for the latters prosecution under section 295-A. He also asked people to think about the massive mandate they had given to Bhagwant Mann, adding he forsook you after becoming Chief Minister and never visited you when your fields were flooded or even otherwise.   Urging people to reject those who were trying to weaken the Panth, the SAD president said you have listened to Bandi Singh Gurdeep Singh Khera yesterday. It is very much clear as to who should be released from jail first — persons like Bhai Gurdeep Singh Khera, Balwant Singh Rajona and Devinderpal Singh Bhullar, who have been incarcerated for terms as long as 30 years; or those who have been detained since one year only.   Asserting that a person who had been in jail for one year could not lead the Panth, Mr Badal said I do not want a repeat of the circumstances which led to the martyrdom of Sant Longowal. He asserted that Khera had also exposed the so-called Panthic leaders like Simranjit Singh Mann who had used the Panth to further their own interests and done nothing for the community.

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