Flash floods in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, and Yamunanagar districts resulted in significant financial losses to commodities, textile enterprises, and both furnished and unfurnished furniture, amounting to millions of rupees in damages.
Following these substantial losses, entrepreneurs, particularly those in Ambala, Shahbad, Pundri, and Yamunanagar, are hopeful that the Haryana government will consider easing certain regulations related to GST return filing and provide financial assistance through various government-sponsored programs.
Meanwhile, residents of Ambala city attribute the delay in taking appropriate flood control measures to an ongoing fight between the city’s two power centres mayor, Shakti Rani Sharma, and MLA Aseem Goel.
Simultaneously, entrepreneurs of the Ambala cantonment area blamed the flooding of the entire industrial sector for inadequate drainage infrastructure during the construction of the national highway.
After making significant investments, industrialists face various options. However, amidst the challenges posed by waterlogging in every unit and the damage to essential operational units and tools such as computers, it becomes crucial to address the filing of returns.
Therefore, it is imperative that the government grants a six-month relaxation period for filing ESI/PF statements and GST returns. Aashawant, the president of the Ambala unit of the Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industries, believes that it is an opportune time for the government to acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of honest taxpayers.
When contacted, representatives of the association for the wholesale clothing market in Ambala also emphasised the extensive financial losses amounting to lakhs of rupees.
Each showroom filled with at least two to three feet of water, leading to significant losses for retailers, estimated to be between Rs. 2 lakhs and Rs. 3 lakhs, according to Harish Ahuja’s preliminary estimate.
