Will oppose Centre's plan to levy GST on online transactions, research grants: Minister Atishi
New Delhi, Sep 8: Delhi Finance Minister Atishi on Sunday said the AAP government will oppose the Centre's alleged plan to levy GST on payment gateway transactions below Rs 2,000 and research grants.
The GST Council on Monday is expected to deliberate on a host of issues, including taxation of insurance premiums, the Group of Ministers (GoMs) suggestions on rate rationalisation, and a status report on online gaming.
The council is chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprises state ministers.
Addressing a press conference, Atishi said the decision to impose GST (goods and services tax) on online transactions below Rs 2,000 would have severe consequences for numerous startups and small businesses across the country.
She stressed the BJP-led central government's plan would place excessive financial strain on the country's entrepreneurial community.
The minister said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dispensation feels that implementing such a tax on smaller transactions will hinder the growth and development of the startup ecosystem and negatively impact the operations of small-scale enterprises.
Atishi said the central government has been continuously saying that it is promoting digital transactions and a cashless economy.
"However, their hypocrisy is evident as the central government is bringing a proposal in the GST Council meeting tomorrow that online transactions below Rs 2,000, which were exempted from GST until now, will now be taxed," she claimed.
"When we buy something online using debit cards, credit cards, or net banking, if our transaction is below Rs 2,000, it is not subject to GST. If the transaction exceeds Rs 2,000, it attracts a GST of 18 per cent on the payment gateway fees," she explained.
This means that small online purchases, made via debit or credit card, will also be taxed. Most of these payments happen through some payment gateway like Razorpay, CCAvenue, or BillDesk, she said.
Atishi said they would also oppose GST on research grants in the meeting.
"No country in the world imposes GST on research grants given to educational institutions because they do not see research as a business, but as an investment in progress of the country," she said.
"All developed countries of the world invest a large part of their GDP in research. But in the last 10 years, under anti-education BJP, the research budget has been reduced from Rs 70,000 crore to Rs 35,000 crore," she said.
She claimed that six educational institutions, including IIT-Delhi and Punjab University, were sent GST notices of Rs 220 crore.
"The government is reducing the research budget and imposing GST on educational institutions if they get research grants from private entities. This is completely wrong and we will demand that research grants given to educational institutions be exempted from GST," she added.
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UP: BJP MLA falls on rail track while flagging off Vande Bharat train
Etawah (UP), Sep 16: BJP's Etawah MLA Sarita Bhadauriya fell onto the railway tracks while vying to wave the green flag for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express here on Monday.
Purported videos of the incident surfaced on social media.
The incident occurred amidst a crowded platform as the train arrived around 6 pm. The 61-year-old second-term BJP lawmaker was among a host of people holding the green flag as they stood at the platform, the video showed.
Following the virtual inauguration of the Vande Bharat train by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the train, numbered 20175, was flagged off by the Rail Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu from Agra.
When contacted by PTI, BJP's Etawah unit treasurer Sanjeev Bhadauriya said, "The MLA was helped off the track and she then waited for some time at the platform for the flag-off event."
"Later she consulted doctors and is resting at her home now. She did not suffer any visible physical injuries. If there is any internal injury, it is yet to be confirmed," Bhadauriya said.
The train made stops at Tundla before arriving at Etawah station. Upon its arrival, a commotion ensued on the platform as various political figures, including Samajwadi Party MP Jitendra Douwhare, former BJP MP Ram Shankar, and current MLA Sarita Bhadauriya, gathered to participate in the flag-off, the videos showed.
As the train's horn signalled its departure, the platform became chaotic with supporters jostling for position. In the ensuing melee, the MLA was pushed off the platform and she fell onto the railway tracks in front of the train, it showed.
The train was stopped in time by bystanders, preventing a major accident. Bhadauriya was quickly rescued from the tracks by the police and taken to the hospital, according to eyewitnesses.
Talking about the operation date for the Vande Bharat Express, PRO Prashasti Srivastava from the Agra division of the railways said that the date will be announced soon.
The train will cover the distance between Agra and Varanasi in approximately seven hours. The return train will operate as number 20176 from Varanasi to Agra, while the Agra-Varanasi service will be number 20175.
Etawah, UP: The flag-off ceremony for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express faced chaos due to heavy rush, and BJP's Etawah Sadar MLA, Sarita Bhadoria, fell in front of the train pic.twitter.com/p10CfbDIF0
— IANS (@ians_india) September 16, 2024
