Punjab Minister Manpreet Badal writes to FM, wants GIC suggestions accepted by GST Council

Punjab finance minister Manpreet Badal has written to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanding that the recommendations of the Goods and Services Tax implementation committee (GIC) be approved by the GST Council as the committee did not have powers to make rules.

While seeking an opinion of the law ministry or the attorney general on the matter, Badal said that bureaucrats in the committee did not have the authority to judge the observations of council members.

“On one hand, we are making decisions of overarching significance that impact taxpayers by means of subordinate law, on the other hand, refraining from seeking even the approval of the council, as mandated by the charter of the GST laws,” he said.


Badal was referring to decisions of the GIC including cancellation of registration, tax compliance amendments and waiver of penalties, which were placed before the GST Council on May 28 only for information of the council rather than approval.