Kolkata: Countering Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s comment that it was for the states and the GST Council to decide on bringing petrol and diesel under the ambit of Goods and Services Tax (GST), West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra said on Monday that she cannot put the onus on somebody else as she chairs the council.
“She is saying this is something the GST Council is deciding. That’s a collective body led by the Centre. The honourable Finance Minister chairs the GST Council. So she cannot put it on somebody else,” Mitra said.
He also asked Sitharaman to bring the matter on the council’s agenda if she was interested in bringing petrol and diesel under GST.
“She is the chair. So if you are interested, you bring such an agenda, discuss in a federalist polity as to who will do what. How can she say that states must decide,” Mitra asked.
Addressing a presser here on Sunday, Sitharaman had said that it was up to the states and the GST Council to take a call as to when they want to bring petrol and diesel within the ambit of the indirect tax regime.
