GST on essential items: CPI-M hits Agartala streets

The protestors demanded the government withdraw the decision as already the common people are passing through tough times.

CPI-M took out a protest rally in Agartala on Tuesday against the recent decision of the GST council to hike the prices of several daily essential items with the imposition of 5 per cent GST when pre-packaged and labelled.

The CPI-M protestors stated that this is an extra burden put on the poor and common people of the country by the BJP-led NDA government under PM Modi who they alleged has taken this step to assist the corporate houses of the country.

The protestors demanded the government withdraw the decision as already the common people are passing through tough times.

Noteworthy here is the GST council has decided to impose GST at the rate of 5 per cent on several daily essential items including pulses and cereals like rice, wheat, and flour when branded and packed in a unit container.

Other items such as curd, lassi, and puffed rice too would attract GST at the rate of 5 per cent when pre-packaged and labelled. The decision to hike GST on these items was taken in the recently held 47th GST Council meeting in Chandigarh.

However, a single package of these items containing a quantity of more than 25 Kg or 25 litre would not fall in the category of a pre-packaged and labelled commodity for the purposes of GST and therefore would not attract GST.

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