Amit Mitra: GST not prepared for a roll out in July

Kolkata: Crossing sword with the Centre over the implementation of the GST, state finance minister Amit Mitra attacked the Modi government on Tuesday and claimed that the Centre was imposing taxes on the essential commodities according to its whims. He demanded that the GST must not be implemented from July 1.

Addressing a press meet at Nabanna, the state secretariat, along with parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee he said, “We had requested the Centre at a meeting on the GST to waive the tax from foodgrains. That has been accepted. It’s a great gift to the common people. However, we are yet to get many such.”

Dr Mitra argued, “Those who work under the GST framework are expected to get a relief of 40 per cent. But the new rules of the GST have not been prepared yet. The Centre also lacks infrastructure. So the GST should not be implemented from July 1. The Centre is levying tax on small industries, publishing, leather industries, essential food items and vegetables on the pretext of GST. Our protest against it will continue. The movement will continue also till the end.”

He informed that he would raise the state government’s concerns on the GST on June 3 when Union finance minister Arun Jaitley would hold a meeting with all the state finance ministers.

Mr Chatterjee pointed out that there should be no hurry by the Centre over the GST. He observed that the Modi government should work considering the fate of the common people of the society. “The Centre has imposed a tax up to 28 per cent on different industries. Our movement will continue,” he added.