Only GST Council can take call on GST for petroleum products

Kolkata: State Finance minister Amit Mitra said on Monday that it is the GST Council chaired by Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman that can take a call on imposing GST on petroleum products. He reiterated that she (the Union Finance minister) cannot relegate it to the states.

"The Union Finance minister is the chairperson of the GST Council, so she has to bring the agenda and discuss with the states their respective standpoints when it comes to GST on petroleum products. How can she say states will do it?" Mitra said in response to a poser on the sidelines of the state Budget that was placed at the Assembly on Monday.

Sitharaman, while addressing a press conference in the city on Sunday, had said that GST will be applied on petroleum products once the states and the GST Council together agrees to bring the products under the ambit of GST.

"It is up to the state and the GST Council to take the call when they want it. As and when the GST Council takes the call and have a rate decided, it would be added (on the products). Whenever the states would be ready to bring in petroleum under GST, another amendment won't be required," the Union minister had said.

Sitharaman held a day-long discussion in two sessions in the city on Sunday, first with the trade and industry bodies and the next one with professionals and chartered accountants about the Budget that was announced on February 1.