GST council set to amend alcohol tax laws, enable dispute settlement
New Delhi: In a bid to streamline taxation and resolve persistent disputes, the GST Council is gearing up to amend tax laws concerning extra neutral alcohol (ENA), a key component in liquor production. These changes aim to clarify that ENA should not be subject to GST, potentially bringing much-needed relief to the spirits industry by avoiding dual taxation.
The amendments, slated for review at the upcoming GST Council meeting, follow recommendations from a committee tasked with drafting legislative changes to ensure ENA remains outside the GST regime—a decision first taken at the GST Council’s 52nd meeting on October 7 last year, according to two people with the Centre-state discussions. clarifying ENA's tax status.
Industry experts have welcomed the move, emphasizing its potential to bring uniformity in taxation and operational clarity to alcohol producers nationwide.
“Making sure that ENA is taxed only under the excise duty regime and bringing clarity to the GST laws to that effect will bring relief to the industry and help in reducing litigation as the taxation of this commodity will become uniform across the country,” said Rajat Mohan, executive director at accounting and advisory firm Moore Singhi.
Moreover, the Council is set to discuss empowering the GST Appellate Tribunal to handle cases related to GST-driven profiteering, a responsibility currently overseen by the Competition Commission of India.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
