28 per cent GST tax slab should go, says Sisodia
New Delhi, July 21 : Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said that the government should either completely abolish the 28 per cent tax bracket or reserve it only for "sin goods."
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 28th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting, he said: "I believe 28 per cent tax should be only for sin goods, in fact, the government should completely abolish the 28 per cent tax bracket."
Sisodia, who holds the Finance portfolio, said that the Delhi government has also "adopted the returns model by Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani", which will require taxpayers to file a single GST return, replacing three returns - GSTR 1, 2, 3 and the summarised return GSTR 3B.
Under the earlier system, returns filed under forms GSTR-1 (sales) and GSTR-2 (purchase) were automatically matched with GSTR-3 to ensure that the claims made by the taxpayer were correct. Currently, taxpayers are filing GSTR 3B and GSTR 1 and claiming input tax credit.
But, according to the Nilekani model, input tax credit will be available only after uploading invoices.
Sisodia said that after the amendments, "the taxpayers with a turnover up to Rs 5 crores will only have to file quarterly returns now."
He further accused the central government of allegedly taking Rs 3 crores of funds originally assigned for Delhi.
"This issue was also taken up by Pondicherry in the meeting. The central government cheated Delhi by keeping Rs 3 crores of GST funds originally assigned for the national capital," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Fisherman killed in crocodile attack in Odisha's Kendrapara
Kendrapara (Odisha) (PTI): A 48-year-old fisherman was killed in an attack by a saltwater crocodile in a village on the fringes of Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapara district, a forest officer said on Wednesday.
The forest and fire brigade personnel later retrieved the maimed body from a river.
The incident took place at Baulakani village in Mahakalapada forest range when the fisherman, Deba Kumar Mandal, was dragged into the water by a crocodile while he was casting a fishing net on Tuesday afternoon. His body was retrieved on Wednesday, the officer said.
Though the incident occurred outside the national park limits, the deceased fisherman's family would be covered under an ex gratia compensation payment scheme after post-mortem examination, Varadaraj Gaonkar, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, said.
As per the revised ex gratia compensation for human fatalities arising out of conflict with wild animals, the forest department will provide a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the bereaved family, he said.
Human-crocodile conflict in areas close to the national park has resulted in the loss of four human lives in the last 12 months.
The national park is home to 1,858 saltwater crocodiles in its water bodies and river system. No crocodile death has been reported in the last one year, the DFO said.
