“It is not just the BJP-ruled states which are opposing the implementation of GST, even the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has refused to implement it,” Patel said during a debate on budgetary demands of Finance Department.
Citing a report of the National Institute of Public Financial Policy , released in December last year, Patel said Gujarat would incur a loss of over Rs 3,000 crore upon implementation of GST, while the loss to the country was pegged at over Rs 31,000 crore.
“We had suggested to the Centre that Information Technology (IT) infrastructure should be put in place before the roll-out of GST, otherwise it cannot be implemented,” Patel said.
He claimed that 25 meetings with the Centre so far had failed to resolve the objections raised by the states.
“GST roll-out will be beneficial for luxury products, while the tax on essential goods like wheat, cotton, cumin, handicrafts is likely to go up, hurting the common man,” Patel said.
Modi needs to take due diligence decision because this is economic decision and not the political one. Karunanidhi should follow GST regime too but they both can suggest and give feedback.