JOIN USGST is not a uniform taxation system, says U T Khader
Goods and Services Tax (GST) implemented by the Central Government is merely a consolidation of indirect taxes. The slogan by the government, ‘One Nation: One Tax’, is fake, said Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader.
Addressing media persons at the Circuit House in Mangaluru on Sunday, he stated that the BJP had opposed the proposal to implement GST during the tenure of the UPA in the Centre.
“GST is only a policy that enables the consolidation of indirect taxes. In spite of the implementation of the GST, Income Tax, custom duty, export and import duties and other types of cess would exist.
Conducting a programme on GST implementation at the Central Hall of the Parliament at midnight is a show-off and not a historical step as it is claimed to be,” Khader said.
“One could recall that historical steps like Right to Information Act, Food Security Act, MGNREGS were brought into force during the tenure of the UPA,” said the minister.
Alleging that the Central government has not done anything for the progress of poor during its three-year tenure, the minister said that the GST implementation is one of the ways of the Central government to conceal its failures.
Indira Canteen in B’luru
Khader said that preparations are in full swing to open Indira Canteens at 198 wards of BBMP in Bengaluru starting August 15.
The prices of food items will not be hiked at Indira canteens, in spite of the rise in food prices due to GST. The state government will itself bear the tax burden.
The Central government has given its consent to the state’s decision to distribute free gas stoves to prioritised families who are obtaining free LPG connections from the centre.
“The ‘Anila Bhagya’ programme by the state government has been implemented as a substitute to the Ujwala scheme of the Centre. The beneficiaries will get free LPG connections and gas stoves. The development of the software towards the implementation of the project is underway,” Khader added.