Private ambulance operators on strike in Haryana over imposition of Passenger and Goods Tax

Chandigarh: As the private ambulance operators went on strike on Tuesday to protest the imposition of Passenger and Goods Tax (PGT) on them, the state government clarified that it has not imposed any kind of tax on ambulance

services.

There are around 8,000 private ambulances that operate across Haryana including the National Capital Region (NCR)

each day and the strike adversely affected the medical services as many of these are attached to private as well as

public hospitals.

Representatives of the the private ambulance operators union claimed that their vehicles were being impounded and

drivers harassed by the district administration across the state and they are asked to pay the tax or face action.

Meanwhile, Haryana Finance Minister Abhimanyu said that the present state government has not imposed any kind of

tax on ambulance services. In a meeting held with ambulance operators here, after which they decided to take back the strike, Abhimanyu said the ambulance operators "are in confusion".

"The tax they are talking about was imposed by previous government in 2011 and the present state government has

decided in principle to take it back. Ambulance services are based on No Profit-No Loss basis," he said, according to an official release.

Regarding pending tax, the minister said that the government is considering the matter sympathetically and would

soon take a decision on it.