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The real motive of Swachh Bharat is a cleaner, greener India. Since its inception, this campaign has caught the attention of young and old alike. All over India there is a Swachh Bharat wave going on. Every other day something new related to this topic is happening around us. All was well but then came November 6. The government notified about the Swachh Bharat cess on all taxable services which has been implemented from November 15. This cess implies that we are now paying 14.5 per cent service tax instead of the earlier 14 per cent. So, we are paying 0.5 per cent extra to the government to keep India clean. Will it help? Does paying the cess guarantee cleaner surroundings? No it doesn't. The labourers are still going to spit paan on road, children will still throw chocolate wrappers here and there royally ignoring the dustbins. They don't even know anything about the cess. Youngsters these days sit in their cars and enjoy roadside food. Do they bother to stop the car when they see a dustbin and then throw the paper plates? They don't. They just throw it out of the moving car. If one's conscience isn't motivated enough, no outward force can be of help. What does the tax guarantee? Who can say that this cess in its true sense will be used for Swachh Bharat only? It's just an additional burden for the common people who are already crumbling under the ever increasing price of basic commodities. The government is already levying a number of taxes upon the common man. But are they actually used for the purpose they are meant for? Moreover, can't a part of other taxes be used for Swachh Bharat? Of course it can. But only if our system is transparent enough. Alas, let's keep on paying taxes and hope for a cleaner India which according to me is a distant dream, unless each Indian takes it to himself to stay motivated and educate others around so that all of us can together move towards a better India. Jai Hind.
Simran Kaur Sidhu MSc Maths
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