STATE TIMES NEWS
LEH: District Congress Committee (DCC) Leh alleged that BJP ruled Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Leh didn’t bother to go into the details of proposed GST legislation in advance in context of Ladakh and discuss in public domain.
As the whole old tax system of the country is going to shift into the widely talked GST regime from 1st of July, 2017 and the Jammu and Kashmir State will be joining the new system by its endorsement through proper legislation by the end of this month.
“Had there been serious initiatives, Ladakh could have many reliefs due to its Schedule Tribal status and the prevalence of extremely difficult geo-climatical conditions. The GST Act has a provision that for the well off States in the country, filing of returns by its traders up to Rs.20 lakh is exempted and for the smaller and Northern States, its limit is only Rs.10 lakh under a heading ‘Threshold Exemption’. Had there been a demand, Ladakh could have put under the Rs.20 lakh category under a special consideration and our numerous traders could have fallen under this category,” President DCC Tsering Samphel said in a statement.
He added that here is a provision of ‘Composition Levy Scheme’ under which annual turnover up to Rs. 50 lakh of traders, manufacturers and restaurants are liable to pay tax at the rate of 0.5 per cent, one per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively, a request for extension of the limit of annual turnover from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore could have genuinely pleaded for Ladakh.
“There is a tax slab of five to 28 per cent in the GST on different goods and services, Ladakh could have struggled to put under the five per cent slab on all goods and services with facility of Input Tax Credit (ITC) also. GST implementation wholly dependent on-line system and e-filing of monthly returns are mandatory.
Had there been a timely move, Ladakh could have relaxation for six monthly e-filing of returns on account of non existence and acute faulty internet facility in Ladakh.
It is unfortunate that Ladakhis are going to miss a train due to the abject negligence, paucity of political acumen and lack of sensitivity of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil,” Samphel criticised.