Karnataka will lose revenue but welcomes GST reforms: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that Karnataka is likely to lose between Rs 15,000 crore and Rs 20,000 crore annually due to the recent reforms in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system. However, he added that the state government supports the decision in the larger interest of the people.
In a statement issued on Friday, Siddaramaiah welcomed the GST Council’s move to simplify the system, saying it would reduce the burden on taxpayers and traders while cutting down on procedural hurdles. At the same time, he demanded that the Union Government release Karnataka’s rightful share from the GST compensation cess, which is still being collected.
“This is not some new invention of the Narendra Modi government. When the flawed GST was hurriedly introduced by the NDA in 2017, opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi had already called for essential corrections,” Siddaramaiah said.
He recalled how the Congress had repeatedly warned that the so-called “Gabbar Singh Tax” would ruin small traders by imposing heavy compliance costs and pushing them into financial hardship. “For the last eight years, we kept raising this issue, but the Prime Minister chose to ignore it,” he remarked.
The Chief Minister expressed concern that the GST system leaves states with little power. While the Centre holds one-third of the voting rights, the states together have two-thirds. Any reform requires a three-fourths majority, which gives the Union Government the power to block changes despite opposition from all states, he explained.
According to him, the Modi government has been using this authority to stall reforms for the last eight years. “The Centre’s support for the current reforms is not because of concern for the people, but because of mounting pressure from the states,” Siddaramaiah said.
He further added that if the reforms had been implemented earlier, citizens would not have suffered under the burden of a complicated tax regime. “It is now the responsibility of the Union Government and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to ensure that the benefits of these reforms actually reach the people,” he stated.
Siddaramaiah also urged the Centre to prevent traders and companies from misusing the new system for excess profits. He said the state government remains committed to strengthening people’s purchasing power, expanding the tax-paying base, and driving inclusive economic growth so that prosperity is shared by all.
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23-year-old woman found dead at Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): A 23-year-old woman was found dead in her house in Delhi's Prem Nagar area, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, an official said on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Anjali Singh, was found motionless in her room on Monday by her sister and her neighbour.
Police said her father, Vinod Kumar Singh (51), told them that he and his wife were away at work at the time of the incident, while their son and the other daughter were also not at home at the time of the incident.
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According to the family, the room in which Anjali was found was locked from the inside. The door was later forcibly opened by a neighbour and her sister with the help of a crowbar.
Her body was found lying on the bed inside the room, police said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that Anjali had allegedly hanged herself using a piece of cloth tied to the ceiling fan.
It is suspected that the noose eventually might have loosened or torn off, resulting in her being found lying on the bed.
Family members informed the police that Anjali was a final-year student of a librarian science course from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). About a week ago, her final-year examination results were declared, and she had failed, following which she had been under depression, they said.
The family has not raised any allegation of foul play, police said, adding that no suicide note or external injury marks were found on the body during the initial inspection.
Inquest proceedings have been initiated in the matter as per the law. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death, and further investigation is underway, police added.
