GST Council imposes no new taxes on essential items

According to Nirmala Sitharaman, the GST Council has not imposed any new taxes on essential items.

In the pre-GST era, almost all states taxed such products in some form or another.

The minister was responding to a brief discussion on price rises in Rajya Sabha.

According to Sitharaman, the GST Council has not imposed any new taxes on essential items.

Prior to the GST regime, almost every state, including West Bengal, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Kerala, imposed levies on items such as pulses, flour, curd, paneer, and buttermilk.

The minister was referring to a pre-GST tax on a food item in West Bengal.

The opposition attempted to raise a point of order, and his party later staged a walkout.

Sitharaman also stated that there is no GST on crematoriums, hospital beds, or intensive care units.