New Delhi, July 20 (FN Agency) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Wednesday demanded the Centre to immediately roll back the hike in Goods and Services Tax (GST) on food items. “We strongly condemn the unprecedented burdens imposed on the people through the GST hikes on all essential commodities such as pre-packaged rice, wheat, milk. “These hikes must be immediately rolled back,” CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in a series of tweets. Taking a dig at the ruling BJP over the matter, Yechury said, “Independent India abandoned the policy of the colonial British government tax on food items.
In these last 75 years food items like rice, wheat, pulses, like curd, paneer, meat, fish, jaggery were never taxed. This is the Modi government’s ‘gift’ to the Indian people in this 75th year (Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav).” “Instead of taxing the super rich, Narendra Modi government is giving them further tax concessions/loan waivers. Many luxury goods that should have been taxed heavily have modest GST. Gold purchases are taxed at 3 per cent, diamonds at 1.5 per cent, but food items have a GST of 5 per cent or more!,” he said.