TS Labour Minister slams Centre over GST on beedi industry

Minister Ch Malla Reddy wondered why the Centre was collecting GST on beedi when most workers make it at their dwellings

Hyderabad: Labour Minister Ch Malla Reddy on Friday accused the Central government of failing to waive GST on the beedi industry in the State. During the 17th, 18th and 20th GST council meeting, Finance Minister T Harish Rao requested the Central government to waive the GST and explained the problems being faced by the beedi workers, the Minister said.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao also wrote a letter to the Central government urging it to lift GST on the beedi industry. However, nothing concrete has been done in this regard, he said in Telangana Legislative Council here. He wondered why the Centre was collecting GST on beedi when most workers make it at their dwellings.

Malla Reddy said the State government was giving Rs 2,016 Aasara pension to the eligible beedi workers. Listing out various initiatives taken up by the State government for the welfare of the workers, he said two government hospitals in erstwhile Karimnagar district were rendering services to workers. Around 1,23,230 workers availed health facilities in 2019-2020 and 85,462 workers in 2020-21, he said, adding that the Central government was reimbursing transport expenses of beedi workers.

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