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KTR hopeful of GST reprieve
The government would have to bear the increased GST as the courts would give orders if the contractors file cases. With the demand of the State, the Centre had reduced the GST from 18 per cent to 12 per cent and the State wanted exemption of ongoing projects from GST, he said.
Hyderabad: Industries Minister K T Rama Rao on Wednesday said the Telangana government would wait for the response of the Centre on objections on 18 per cent GST on infrastructure projects.
In an informal chat with the press representatives, the Minister said the next meeting of the GST Council would take place on September 9 in Hyderabad and they had been expecting a positive response from the Centre. “If the Centre do not give respite, then moving the court will be considered,” Rama Rao said.
He said with the imposition of 18 per cent GST on the drinking and irrigation projects, the cost of the projects being taken up by the government had risen by Rs 19,000 crore.
The Telangana government has taken up projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore including Rs 1 lakh worth projects in irrigation, Rs 48,000 crore worth Mission Bhagiratha, Rs 18,000 crore worth double-bedroom project and several others in other sectors. The VAT on them was 5 per cent before the introduction of the GST and the project costs were calculated on this basis for budgetary allocations.
The government would have to bear the increased GST as the courts would give orders if the contractors file cases. With the demand of the State, the Centre had reduced the GST from 18 per cent to 12 per cent and the State wanted exemption of ongoing projects from GST, he said.
The Minister said States like Bihar had agreed with the objections being raised by Telangana and if all the States adopted similar lines, the Centre might have to accede to the demands of the government.
He said Tamil Nadu government objected to the higher GST on tamarind, Rajasthan on marbles and Kashmir on almonds. Telangana objected to high rate of GST on beedies, textile and others.
Speaking on the Metro Rail, the Minister said the government had decided to invite Prime Minister for inauguration of Nagole and Miyapur corridor. The Prime Minister is expected to come to Hyderabad on Global Entrepreneurs Summit, Indian Science Congress and another international event.
The government is endeavoring to complete Nagole-Miyapur corridor by the end of November of this year to throw it open to traffic. He said the Chief Minister had written a letter to the Prime Minister inviting him for the launch of the project.
The Minister made it clear that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) would win the next elections and the Congress was much aware of it. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao would be in the office till 2029, he said.
He said that president of Telangana Congress N Uttmkumar Reddy did not accept his challenges during the GHMC and Palair elections. He refuted the reports that some of the TRS MLAs and MPs were in touch with the BJP.
Rama Rao said he had no differences with the Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao, adding that he was appreciative of Harish’s hard work in the Siddipet constituency. A big railway project would come to the State soon, he added.
