Kendu Leaves: BJD demands GST exemption on kendu leaves | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Opposition BJD on Monday reiterated its demand for not imposing Goods and Services Tax (GST) on kendu leaves. At a press conference, former BJD state secretary and former advisor to Kendu Leaf Welfare Board, Sanjit Mohanty, criticized the Union govt’s policy on imposing 18% GST on kendu leaves.
“BJD has been opposing the imposition of 18% GST on kendu leaves from the very beginning.Nearly 1.5 million kendu leaf pluckers, 90% of whom are women, in the state rely on this for their livelihood,” Mohanty added.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Mohanty said, “The saffron party had promised in its 2019 election manifesto to completely remove GST on kendu leaves if they came to power.”
Responding to the matter, BJP spokesperson Sujit Kumar Das said, “Our government is committed to the development of all sections of society and steps are being taken proactively in this matter.” TNN
We also published the following articles recently
After receiving a Rs 32,400 crore GST notice, Infosys reported that Karnataka authorities have withdrawn a similar notice and directed the company to correspond with DGGI. Nasscom highlighted that this issue, impacting multiple companies, involves the reverse charge mechanism on services between Indian head offices and foreign branches.
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee requested Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to rescind the GST on life and medical insurance premiums, citing increased financial burdens on citizens. Following a similar appeal from Nitin Gadkari, Banerjee stressed this tax could deter policy uptake. Trinamool staged a Lok Sabha walkout, urging the Center to revoke the tax swiftly.
The INDIA bloc parties discussed demanding the withdrawal of 18% GST on life and medical insurance premiums, initially raised by TMC in Rajya Sabha. Opposition parties, including TMC, DMK, and Shiv Sena (UBT), threatened street protests if the government does not comply. Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari also urged reconsideration of this tax.
