GST & note ban: People of India will give befitting reply, says Mitra

Kolkata: Criticising the hasty step of the Modi government in implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the state Finance minister Amit Mitra said: "People of India will give a suitable answer at the right time for the consequences they faced due to demonetisation and implementation of GST without developing proper infrastructure."

Mitra was speaking at a programme organised by six chambers of commerce of the state to highlight the economic and infrastructural development Bengal has witnessed in the past few years.

Partha Chatterjee, the state Education, Parliamentary Affairs and Science and Technology and Biotechnology minister, was also present in the programme.

Mitra said people from across the country had suffered due to demonetisation. It had even claimed several lives and it had badly hit the country's GDP.

"So the people of the country will give appropriate answer to all these at the right time," said Mitra adding that the GST was basically for the benefits mainly of the medium scale enterprises. But the way it has been implemented has left a deep negative impact on them instead of helping them out.

When asked that the Modi government would celebrate their decision of demonetising high value notes, Chatterjee said: "Hasty implementation of GST and demonetisation led to the loss of common people. So the people will mourn on the day instead of celebrating."

It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had criticised the Centre's decision of demonetisation on the same day it was announced.