Mangaluru: Minister for Food and Civil Supplies U T Khader urged the traders, shopkeepers and dealers to pass on the benefits of the reduced GST rates on around 175 items to the end users.

Briefing reporters here on Monday, he said that Legal Metrology department would initiate action against the dealers and traders who have failed to pass on the benefits to the consumers by charging the MRP fixed before reduction of GST.

The state government officials have been directed to conduct a raid on the rates/prices of various products especially those on which GST has been reduced at the 23rd meeting of GST council. Officials would check the prices of products before and after reduction in GST rates. The GST council had reduced tax rate to 18 % from current 28% slab on around 175 daily use items, he said.

In its letter, dated November 16, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, department of Consumer Affairs, Legal Metrology division stated “Following the reduction in the rates of GST on items, permission has been granted under Sub Rule (3) of the rules of 6 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011, to affix an additional sticker or stamping or online printing for declaring the reduced MRP for the pre-packaged commodity. In this case, the earlier label/sticker of MRP should be visible. The relaxation will be applicable in the case of unsold stocks manufactured packed/imported after July 1, 2017, where the MRP would reduce due to the reduction in the date of GST post-July 1, 2017. The order would be applicable upto December 31.”

Stating that GST is the best policy, the minister said that it is badly implemented by the Union government. After knowing the loopholes in the implementation and in the wake of elections, the GST Council has reduced the rates on a few products.

Following the directions by the state government to check all the dealers, malls on whether they are passing the GST benefits to consumers, the Legal Metrology officials have inspected 22 places and five cases have been booked under Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011, in Mangaluru. A penalty of Rs 2000 per partner will be levied. For the subsequent offence, the officials will file a case in the court, the minister said.

Ration cards

The minister said all the 15.5 lakh ration card applicants will get ration cards by December 15. About 8.52 lakh ration cards have already been printed and posted to the residential address of the applicants.

Shobha flayed

U T Khader slammed Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje for demanding an apology from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for not including Dr B R Ambedkar’s photograph in a government advertisement to mark the Constitution Day.

He said that the BJP leaders do not have any issue to raise. Hence, they are engaged in silly politics. By upholding the principles laid down by the Constitution, the Siddaramaiah-led state government in Karnataka has initiated welfare programmes for the backward classes. The BJP legislators did not allow any fruitful discussion in the Assembly session at Belagavi. “It looked like they had attended the session with an intention to disrupt the session, demanding the resignation of Ministers K J George and Vinay Kulkarni.”