Bhubaneswar, Aug 5: After the Goods and Service Tax (GST) Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on August 3 with 203 votes in its favour, Odisha’s Finance minister, Pradip Amat yesterday said that the Centre should approve the State to apply green tax on minerals and polluting items and the money from the green tax would be utilized in the areas where minerals are extracted.
He also said that Odisha wants the power to levy tax on tobacco and related items in addition to GST. Amat demanded that the Central government must provide compensation to Odisha for the loss it had incurred due to the Central Sales Tax system till 2016-17.
In the mean time, Saswat Mishra, Commercial Tax Commissioner of Odisha, said that the GST which is comprised of the Union Finance Minister and Finance Ministers of the States, would decide as to which goods and services will attract how much percentage of tax, after which the system will be implemented across the country. Whereas, Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra said that, due to opposition of BJP, the first GST bill, introduced by the UPA government had failed to get clearance and the Congress had insisted for some changes in the bill which had been introduced by BJP government.
Odisha would not get much benefit under the GST Act, informed, Panchanan Kanungo, Former Finance Minister.
