Pondicherry against implementing VAT from June 1

PONDICHERRY: Pondicherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy said on Wednesday the territorial administration had not agreed to implement the value added tax (VAT) from June 1.

Denying an opposition DMK charge that the administration had accepted to implement VAT, he told the assembly that the administration had not expressed its willingness to adopt VAT from June 1 at a recent meeting of the Finance Ministers.

The chief minister''s clarification came during the course of his speech in reply to demand for grants to sales tax and few other departments in the assembly.