GST council meet: Harish seeks exemption on several products

HYDERABAD: Welcoming the proposals to revise tax invoice rules, finance minister T. Harish Rao on Saturday asked Union finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman to consider exempting GST on several products.

Rao and senior officials were participating in the 48th GST Council meeting
via video conference.

Rao brought several issues to the finance minister’s notice stating that 46,000 reservoirs provide water to 25 lakh acres of land in Telangana state.

The government takes up maintenance of the reservoirs every year. He asked
the Union minister to exempt GST on repairs works of water reservoirs.

“Milling and transport services play a key role in the smooth supply of the
Public Distribution System (PDS). The Centre has imposed GST on these
services which pose a financial burden to the state government.  We categorically opposed imposing 18 per cent GST on beedi leaves. We want this
to be withdrawn,” Rao said.

GST officials assured to resolve the issues.