Cable TV networks in Telangana not paying GST since 2017: PIL

HYDERABAD: A public interest litigation petition (PIL) filed in Telangana High Court seeks the cancelling of licenses of cable television networks, direct-to-home (DTH) service providers, unencrypted satellite networks, internet protocol television (IPTV) providers and multi system operators (MSO’s) for allegedly violating provisions of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act. 

The PIL alleged that the Central tax authorities have failed to collect GST from these networks who have been evading the tax collected from the consumers since 2017. In Khammam town alone, the said television networks have collected about Rs 1.44 crore GST from the subscribers since 2017 and are not paying the same to the tax department, it stated. 

Petitioner N Rama Rao, a social worker from Wyra in Khammam district, submitted that the said networks have violated the provisions of GST Act by not registering themselves with an intention to evade the tax collection. According to the information  available under the Right to Information Act, most of the MSOs in Telangana are converting the tax collected from subscribers into black money. 

The secretaries to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ministry of Finance, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, tax authorities concerned, and various cable operators are named as the respondents.