SGPC hails Centre’s move to refund GST on langar items

AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday welcomed the Centre’s move to refund its share of Goods and Service Tax (GST) on purchase of food items for langar and appreciated the efforts made by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to persuade the Union government in this regard.

SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal said the gurdwara body and the SAD had been making persistent efforts to get a GST waiver. “The Centre’s decision is result of these efforts,” he said while thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Appreciating the Badal family in this regard, he offered special thanks to former Punjab CM and SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal, party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal for taking up the issue with authorities concerned. In a statement issued here, Longowal said the Centre’s move will prove to be a big financial help for the SGPC and other religious bodies. Notably, the Punjab government has already waived off its share of GST on the purchase of langar items.

SGPC spokesperson Diljit Singh Bedi said Rs 3.2 crore has so far been paid as GST on purchase of items for the Golden Temple langar. “The government should also decide to return the amount.”

We thank PM Modi as the Centre’s move will prove to be a big financial help for the SGPC and other religious bodies. GOBIND SINGH LONGOWAL, SGPC president

HARSIMRAT BLAMES MANPREET FOR DELAY

Meanwhile, Harsimrat Kaur Badal hailed the move as historic and thanked the central government for making the announcement. In a statement issued in Bathinda, she, however, blamed Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal for the delay in Centre’s decision, saying Manpreet never took up the matter in the GST Council meetings.

AUJLA QUESTIONS SAD FOR TAKING CREDIT

Welcoming the Centre’s decision, Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla questioned the SAD leadership for taking credit for it.

Aujla, who has also been raising the issue in Parliament, alleged that Harsimrat had threatened to resign as Union minister when she came to know that the Centre’s policy in this regard is about to be announced.

POLICE SAY ACCUSED WAS IN TOUCH WITH PAK SMUGGLERS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND USED TO SMUGGLE DRUGS TO DELHI AND CHANDIGARH