BARIPADA: Deputy Speaker of State Assembly Sananda Marandi opposed the GST on Sal leaves. He demanded that the Centre should withdraw the tax, he said at a press meet.
He said the new tax regime has affected buyers and sellers who now have to pay `5 as GST for Sal leaves worth `100. The profit has dwindled with the traders passing on the tax burden to the forest dwellers.
Though the GST on Sal leaves was reduced from `18 to `5 after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik raised the issue with Union Finance Minister, it has not lessened the burden of the tribals who have no other source of income.“We have urged the Government to take steps to free Sal leaves of GST,” he said.
Stay up to date on all the latest Odisha news with The New Indian Express App. Download now
