West Bengal government asks other states to support their objections related to GST roll out

Mitra heads the committee of representatives from different states which was created for the GST bill.

Like Tuesday, Mitra today also highlighted certain tax rates as the sole reason behind the objections brought by the state government and wondered whether all the states are actually ready for the roll out of the bill in their assemblies.

The GST is expected to roll out from July 1.

Mitra confirmed that he will take up the matter during his meet with the union finance minister Arun Jaitley and also asked other states to join.

The state government of West Bengal emphasised the tax levied on shoes and cinema as the some of the main areas of disapproval.

"They had said that rubber and plastic shoes would be taxed at 12 percent. We have proposed that shoes costing up to Rs 500 should be tax-free. Why should slippers worn by poor people be taxed?" Mitra said.

Speaking about the rates proposed for cinema by the central government, the state finance minister said: "Now the Centre is thinking of imposing a 28 per cent tax. We will fight this. If regional films are taxed at 28 per cent, won't they be finished? Single screens in the district will shut down, people will lose jobs."

Each state needs to roll out the state-GST in their respective assemblies to enforce it.

22 of the total states have already rolled out the state-GST in their assemblies.

Mitra, at a press conference yesterday. highlighted the proposals of the Centre to levy GST on items like wigs, shoes and vernacular films as the sole reason for the opposition.