GST collection slides below Rs 94,000 crore
New Delhi, Sep 1 : Revenue collection under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) dropped to Rs 93,960 crore in August as against Rs 96,483 crore collected in July.
The government said a major factor for the dip in tax revenues could be "probable postponement" of sale of items on which tax rate was reduced by the GST Council in its July 21 meeting. The reduced rates were to come into effect from July 27.
"Since it would have taken some time for the market to pass on the benefit of reduced taxes, consumers might have postponed their decision to buy, expecting the benefit. The actual impact of reduction of rate of taxes would be observed only from next month onwards as the rate reduction would have got affected only in last few days of the month," the Finance Ministry said.
It added that even past trends show that August collections are lower than the July collections.
"Even past trend of indirect tax collection shows that while July collections are 8.2 per cent of the total annual collections, August collections are at a lower level of 7.7 per cent of the total annual collections. This is another reason for lower collections during the month of August as compared to that in July," it said.
As per the data released by the Ministry, the total gross GST revenue collected in the month of August (for the month of July) stood at Rs 93,960 crore, of which Central GST was Rs 15,303 crore, State GST Rs 21,154 crore and Integrated GST was Rs 49,876 crore. An additional Rs 7,628 crore was collected as cess.
The total number of GST returns filed for the month of July up to August stood at 67 lakh, slightly higher than 66 lakh returns filed in July (for June).
The last date of filing return of July has been extended till October for Kerala.
"The total revenue earned by the Central and state governments after settlement including provisional settlement of Rs 12,000 crore in August is Rs 36,963 crore for Central GST and Rs 41,136 crore for State GST. For the bi-monthly period June-July, compensation of Rs 14,930 crore has been released to the states," an official statement said.
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Gehlot changes profile pic to 'Save Aravalli', asks Centre to reconsider definition
Jaipur (PTI): Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday urged the Centre to reconsider its definition of the Aravallis, warning that any damage to the mountain range posed a serious threat to the ecological future of north India.
Gehlot, a former Rajasthan chief minister, changed his social media profile picture in support of the nationwide 'SaveAravalli' campaign amid growing debate over mining and environmental safeguards in the Aravalli Range.
It was his symbolic protest against the new interpretation under which hills lower than 100 metres are no longer being recognised as part of the Aravalli system, he said.
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"The Aravalli cannot be judged by tape measures or height alone. It must be assessed by its ecological importance," Gehlot said, adding that the revised definition raised "a big question" over the future of north India.
Appealing to the Centre and the Supreme Court, Gehlot said the issue must be reconsidered in the interest of future generations and environmental security. He also urged citizens to participate in the campaign by changing their display pictures online to draw attention to the issue.
He said the Aravalli range functioned as a natural green wall against the expansion of the Thar desert and extreme heatwaves, protecting Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Opening up smaller hills and so-called gap areas for mining would allow desertification to advance rapidly, he warned.
Gehlot also flagged concerns over air pollution, saying the hills and forests of the Aravallis acted as the "lungs" of the National Capital Region by checking dust storms and absorbing pollutants.
"When pollution levels are so alarming even with the Aravalli standing, one can imagine how disastrous the situation will be without it," he said.
Highlighting the water crisis, the former chief minister said the rocky terrain of the Aravallis played a crucial role in groundwater recharge by channelising rainwater underground.
"If the hills are destroyed, drinking water shortages will intensify, wildlife will disappear and the entire ecology will be pushed into danger," he said.
Gehlot argued that, from a scientific perspective, the Aravallis was a continuous chain and that even smaller hillocks were as vital as higher peaks.
