Rajnath Singh, who heads the seven-member BJP committee appointed to study the recommendations of the Kelkar panel, told The Indian Express today that he would submit the report to party president M. Venkaih Naidu by Jan 18.The committee seems to be more concerned about the politcal implications of the measures suggested by the Kelkar committee than statistical data. A member of the committee said, ‘‘We are inclined to recommend that the Government not only continue with the present income tax concessions to the salaried class but also double the standard deduction slab from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh in line with the BJP’s poll promise.’’ Kelkar had met Rajnath here on January 10 to explain his recommendations and their implications.The BJP committee has firmly shot down the proposal to levy income tax on farmers. It is also in favour of special interest rates on savings of pensioners and widows. The Government, said another committee member, cannot turn its back on the people who depend only on the interest on their savings for a living.
