The 46th meeting of the Central Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, chaired by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has unanimously decided to put off GST on textiles for now.
It may be noted that the TRS vociferously opposed the move to raise GST from five per cent to 12 per cent stating that it would badly affect the weaver community and textile industry. The weaver community was under severe pressure owing to Corona pandemic with no work orders and sales. Many were forced to commit suicide.
It was the TRS government that came with a lot of initiatives such as waiver of loans, placing orders for Batukamma sarees and distribution of clothes to the poor during Ramzan and Christamas besides extending financial assistance.
Telangana IT & Industries minister Mr K T Rama Rao has written letters to the Centre and also articulated his concern for the weaver community.
The ruling BJP leaders too joined him in opposing the move to increase GST on textiles. It was none other than the Gujarat BJP unit president C R Patil and Union minister Darshan Zardosh. They demanded that the Centre reduce the GST on Textile by five per cent from 12 per cent GST on the textile industry.
The Centre’s recent decision to increase the GST on handloom textiles by 12 per cent has drawn widespread criticism. Governments in all states also opposed the decision. Leaders of the handloom community geared up to hold protests against the central government’s decision.
Mr Rama Rao also took to Twitter on the issue to reach out to the large public and demanded the withdrawal of the proposal to reduce the GST on textiles.