Meet on July 17 to seal fate of check-gates: Sarma

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, July 15: A meeting of heads of departments that run check-gates with State Fince Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma slated for July 17, 2017 is going to seal the fate of check-gates in the State in post-GST.
Sarma was on record saying recently that there would be no check-gates in the State in post-GST. The Transport Department of the State closed three of its check-gates on July 13. Talking to media in the city on Saturday, Sarma seemed to have incorporated some short of flexibility in his earlier statement, and said: “The meeting of July 17 is to decide the fate of check-gates. The State Agriculture Department, however, charges 1 per cent cess on its products. If the check-gates are closed how will the department get the cess? In such an event the State government has to compensate the Assam State Agriculture Marketing Board failing which it can’t pay salaries to its 1,100 employees. The Transport Department has nothing to with GST.”
When asked as to why fall in prices of some commodities is not being noticed despite GST implementation in the State, Sarma said: “GST has an anti-profiting clause that may land one into jail. However, the Union Fince Minister has asked us not to be tough on the first three months so as to let traders to be friendly with the new system. We won’t spare anyone after three months.” 

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