Punjab govt not refunding its share of GST for langar

Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday accused the Congress government in Punjab of not refunding its share of GST charged on purchases made by the apex Sikh religious body SGPC for langar.

This is in "sharp contrast to the responsibility and gravity" with which the Centre addresses issues of Sikhs, including its "gesture of reimbursing the GST on purchases made by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for langar for the Sangat", she said in a statement.

The Centre has released Rs 57 lakh as a refund on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) charged on raw materials used to prepare food at 'langars' -- community kitchens -- in gurdwaras, including the Golden Temple.

The central government has always released its share of the GST to the SGPC in this regard but the Amarinder Singh government in Punjab is "refusing to pay its share despite repeated assurances at the highest level", Badal claimed.

The Union minister, who represents the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the NDA government, said, "The pendency has now touched a whopping Rs 3.27 crores."

Badal said it is a matter of "shame that after snatching the people's rights and backing out of every promise he (Singh) had made before the elections, the chief minister is not sparing even the Guru’s abode".