April GST collections cross Rs 94,000 crore
New Delhi, June 1: Revenue collection under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in April crossed Rs 94,000 crore and was higher than the average monthly collection of Rs 89,885 crore during 2017-18, the government said on Friday.
"The total GST collection for May (April revenue collected in May) is Rs 94,016 crore, which is higher compared to average monthly collection of Rs 89,885 crore of 2017-18," Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said in a tweet.
"This reflects better compliance after introduction of e-way bills," he added.
As per the figures released by the Finance Ministry, out of the Rs 94,016 crore, Rs 15,866 crore was collected as Central GST (CGST) and Rs 21,691 crore as State GST (SGST). Rs 49,120 crore was collected as Integrated GST (IGST) and Rs 7,339 crore as cess.
Adhia said the number of returns filed for the month of April had also gone up to 62.46 lakh as against 60.47 lakh filed for March.
"Though current month's revenue collection is less compared to last month's revenue, still the gross revenue collection in the month of May is much higher than the monthly average of GST collection in the last financial year (Rs 89,885 crore)," an official statement said.
It added that the March revenue figure (collected in April) at Rs 103,459 was higher because of year-end effect.
The Ministry added that Rs 6,696 crore has been released to the states as GST compensation for the month of March.
"Therefore, the total GST compensation released to the states for the FY 2017-18 (beginning July) has been Rs 47,844 crore," it added.
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Smriti Irani being considered as BJP face for Delhi poll campaign, other names also on table: Report
Delhi: The increased involvement of Smriti Irani in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activities in Delhi has stirred discussions within the party's local unit regarding her potential candidacy in the upcoming 2025 assembly elections. For the first time in a decade, the BJP is considering projecting a face for its Delhi election campaign, with Irani's name among those in contention.
The recent meeting included discussions about several potential names who could be the face of the BJP for their Delhi poll campaign, including Irani, who previously lost the Lok Sabha election in Amethi to Congress's Kishori Lal, a senior BJP leader told The Indian Express. Other names mentioned include Praveen Khandelwal, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Manoj Tiwari, and Bansuri Swaraj. “Several possibilities are on the table, including fielding Smriti ji, regarding whom the national leadership is in the process of taking the final decision. Or, the party may bet on an incumbent Lok Sabha MP popular enough to pull the party through the Delhi Assembly elections. If an MP gets elected CM, they may then be replaced by a former Union Minister,” added the BJP functionary.
An insider revealed to the publication that the saffron party is contemplating a unified campaign strategy for the Delhi elections, marking a significant shift since the party last did so in 2015. This topic was addressed among senior leaders during a meeting held at the party's DDU Marg headquarters on the same day that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal resigned as Delhi Chief Minister, handing leadership to Atishi. The source revealed that the Union Ministers present in the meeting asked for suggestions on whom the party could project as the face of its Delhi election campaign based on various criteria.
In addition to selecting a campaign face, BJP leadership is reportedly also considering a larger role for its Delhi MPs, keeping adequate caste and community representation in mind.. “As far as the MPs are concerned, they are being assessed based on their popularity as well as the caste and community they belong to. The party may go in for significant organisational changes in Delhi during Navratri in October after the conclusion of the Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections,” a BJP leader told IE.
