Gujarat's Finance Minister Vaju Vala on Tuesday announced one-time sales tax settlement scheme-2012 in the state legislative assembly.

The scheme provides for waiver of interest and penalty on payment of pending sales tax dues of Rs 20,000 to upto Rs 1 crore, Vala said. Tax dues of upto Rs 20,000 with interest and penalty shall be fully waived under the scheme, he said.

The scheme shall be in force for six months between April 1 and November 30, 2012. However, those having sales tax dues of over Rs 1 crore would not be eligible for this scheme, Vala said.

Speaking about the scheme, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Arjun Modhvadiya alleged that the state government was offering relief in taxes to big corporate groups, while realising tax from small shop-owners.

He alleged that the state has offered tax sops amounting to over Rs 9, 570 crore over a period of 20 years to a single corporate group.