Anna, Ramdev not experts to talk of black money

BANGALORE: Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj said on Sunday said that Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev do not have any authority to talk on black money.On the sidelines of the Conclusion Ceremony of 150 years of Income Tax in India here on Sunday, Bhardwaj asked: “Do Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev have any expertise in taxation? They do not have any authority to speak on bringing back black money that is stashed abroad. The laws were defective and the people had stashed money abroad as they were insecure. If we enact good laws the money will remain in the country.” When asked about the Lokyukta report on illegal mining and the allegations of his phones being tapped, Bhardwaj said: “The Lokayukta is the aggrieved party and if he complains I will act in accordance with the law.The Governor is a signatory authority and I cannot do anything unless people complain to me. If Lokayukta feels that I am competent authority and sends a copy of the report I will do whatever has to be done. At present the Supreme Court has taken cognizance of the mining issue and Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh should be under scanner.” Commenting on the Lokayukta’s statement that he is banking on the Supreme Court’s intervention if the state government rejects his report, Bharadwaj said the SC will intervene when things go beyond a certain limit.On some of the politicians evading taxes, Bharadwaj said that there is a demand for probity in public life all over the world and that will ensure that everybody, including politicians, comply with the laws which includes paying taxes.Bhardwaj said that during the licensing regime, people were insecure and lot of money was stashed abroad and many Indian corporate houses established big enterprises abroad.State ExcelsChief Commissioner Income Tax ML Agrawal said that that the department had collected `4.46 lakh crore as tax in 2010-11 and is around 46 per cent of the revenue for the Union treasury and 6.13 per cent of the GDP. Karnataka and Goa zone had collected around `40,000 crore in 2010-11 and that is around 9 percent of the total IT collected in the country.