Bhopal: Proposed GST on eatables; social activists, retired bureaucrats spearhead campaign

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): To raise the voice against proposed GST on eatables, a group of intellectuals, retired bureaucrats and social workers have come on a platform to launch a social media campaign. They have demanded the government to recall the proposal for levying GST on eatable items in the larger interest of the common man. They have penned down an open letter to the Prime Minister to raise their concern.

Among those who are part of this social media campaign are former principal chief commissioner of Income Tax, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and well known Gandhian RK Paliwal, Padam Shri award recipients Babulal Dahia and Vijay Dutt Shridhar, secretary Gandhi Bhawan (Bhopal) Dayaram Namdev, some well known scribes, social workers etc.

Speaking to Free Press, RK Paliwal said that a large number of people live under Below Poverty Line in the country. GST on unbranded eatables will have a cascading effect on Women Self Help Groups and farmers who sell packaged food items, he opined.

“It’s being said that GST would not be applicable on packets above 25 kg but which common man buys pulse more than 25 kg. Many women SHOs sell packed wheat flour and they are now deemed to become jobless as people would rather prefer to buy loose food items,” he added.

He asserted that the social media campaign is garnering overwhelming response from people of all walks of life and from across the country.

Recall the proposal

Through this social media campaign, demand is being made to recall the proposed GST on food items. The open letter says that it was on July 18 that the GST Council proposed to impose GST by the rate of five percent on wheat flour, pulses and other edible items. As per the proposed new rules daily consumables such as packed wheat flour, pulses, curd etc will attract GST. The tax on eatables will increase inflation further and will break the backbone of common people, read the letter.