Delhi traders call GST on pre-packed food 'anti-people', demand withdrawal

Traders in the national capital have opposed the GST Council's decision to tax pre-packed and labelled food items, and termed it an "anti-people move".

Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) chairman Brijesh Goyal said this is the first time since Independence that dal, rice, flour, cereals, curd, and lassi among other items, that used to be tax-free, have now been taxed.

The GST Council, the highest decision-making body on the levy of Goods and Services Tax, last month accepted most of the recommendations of a group of ministers from states on withdrawing exemptions to rationalise the levy.

It was decided in the meeting that pre-packed and labelled meat (except frozen), fish, curd, paneer, honey, dried leguminous vegetables, dried makhana, wheat and other cereals, wheat or meslin flour, jaggery, puffed rice (muri), all goods and organic manure and coir pith compost will be brought under the GST net.

"We are against this decision and it should be rolled back. This will prove to be detrimental for the common man and traders. This is an anti-people move," Delhi Grain Merchant Association president Naresh Kumar Gupta told PTI.

Wholesale and retail grain markets in the city had remained closed on Saturday as traders observed a bandh against the government move.

The CTI has also called a maha panchayat of traders on Wednesday in protest against this.