Amit Mitra, Finance Minister of West Bengal has alleged on twitter that GoI led the anti-people move & IMPOSED GST on VACCINE, MASK,hand sanitizer, OXYGEN, PPE, oxymeter, Covid test kit, Remdesivir, RT PCR machine R His voice been IGNORED during 44th GST Council Meeting on 12th June 2021. He said that he has recorded his DISSENT by letter and called the event as Unprecedented and Slow death of the only body of cooperative federalism i.e GST Council.
Mr. Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affair replied to above allegations on his twitter account as follows:-
There is a letter circulating in some sections of the media by Sh Dr Amit Mitra Ji, FM West Bengal. I would like to set the record straight; the facts are as follows:
In my over two years of attending the GST Council, I have never seen FM @nsitharaman ji cut off anyone during the Council discussions. She has patiently given each & every speaker as much time as they needed, even if it meant discussions went on for long hours.
During the GST Council discussions today(June 12),it seemed as if the Finance Minister from West Bengal did not have a stable VC connection. Revenue Secy repeatedly informed him his line was breaking,that he was not properly audible & to turn off his video fr better connectivity.
Further, during the speech made by the Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister, nobody heard Dr Mitra ji speak up nor did he ask to have his opinion heard. Other members can attest to this.
At the end of the discussion, when FM @nsitharaman ji asked the Council whether anyone would like to speak & add their comments, Dr Mitra ji again remained silent and did not speak up.
The Finance Minister has never stifled dissent in the GST Council. It is unbecoming of a senior member of the Council to suggest that this has happened. The GST Council embodies the collective spirit of all states towards debate in a healthy manner; it has been & shall continue.
