Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday said the Diwali festival had come early because of the relaxation in GST rules that brought some relief to small and medium businesses.
Modi sounded the poll bugle for assembly elections in Gujarat due to later this year by addressing a gathering in the temple town of Dwarka after laying the foundation stone for a four-lane bridge costing Rs9bnb linking Dwarka with the island religious tourist centre of Bet Dwarka.
“Today, everywhere it is being said that Diwali has come 15 days ahead due to the decisions taken in the GST Council (on Friday). I am happy,” he said at the beginning of his two-day Gujarat visit.
Modi said the decision to slash tax rates on 27 products under the Goods and Services Tax provisions and give relief to small traders, businessmen and exporters was the government’s Diwali gift and was in keeping with the government’s promise to review the working of the new tax regime from time to time.
“We had said we will study all aspects relating to GST for three months, including the shortcomings. And thus, the decisions were taken with consensus at the GST Council,” he said.
Accusing the previous Congress government of stalling development projects in Gujarat, Modi recalled the difficulties the state faced he was the chief minister.
“Despite my best efforts, I could not make them to wake up from their slumber,” the prime minister said.
Modi stressed that his government would continue giving priority to development by enhancing connectivity, and took a dig at his critics, especially in the wake of a viral social media campaign “Development has gone crazy”, targeting his government.
Modi said development would continue to be the driving force of his initiatives.
“This generation may have suffered poverty but we would take development to such heights that future generations do not get to see poverty. The world’s attention is being drawn to India. People are coming to invest here. All this will bring opportunities for the people of India.”
However, rebel Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav attacked the central government, saying the amendments in the GST were just an “eye wash” because the general public is totally out to criticise the government’s policies.
He also said that the 2019 general election would be fought on the “economic issue”.
“The amendments in the GST announced by the Finance Ministry on Friday are meant just to divert the attention of the people from the real issues,” Sharad Yadav said at a press conference in New Delhi.
He also said that due to hasty implementation of the GST and demonetization, over 30 to 50mn people have lost jobs in different sectors.
“After demonetisation and GST, production of industries, sale and purchase by traders and other businesses have been reduced to the extent from 20 to 80%,” he said, adding that the most affected sector has been real estate and due to that a number of labourers have returned to their villages.
He also referred to farmers committing suicide across the country.
Lashing out at the government over new return rules and norms on GST, the rebel JD-U leader asked: “Has the entire country become computer friendly? Is power is available for 24 hours everywhere?”
“This government is only doing a patch-up work and soon we shall take a big step against it.”
He also said that the government has not said how many times a trader can face imprisonment for filing wrong information by mistake.
“This is the worst inspector raj that the country will ever face,” he said.
He also said that the 2019 general elections this time will be held on the economic issues as the country is facing a crisis.
He described as “unjust” the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) order to move Delhi’s designated protest site from Jantar Mantar to Ramlila Maidan, and demanded that the order be cancelled.
Yadav also said that a national council meeting of the party has been called today, which will be attended by the party’s state presidents.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitates one of the trainees under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan scheme at the dedication ceremony of the newly constructed building of the Indian Institute of Technology IIT, Gandhinagar in Gujarat yesterday.
