Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said he conveyed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah the concerns among the trader community about the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) coming under the purview of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
He will also raise the issue in the next meeting of the GST Council, Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio, told the legislative assembly here. NCP leader, who joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state earlier this month, was replying to a question by Congress's Prithviraj Chavan during a discussion on the Maharashtra Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023. I brought this issue to Amit Shah's notice (during the recent Delhi visit). I told him that if this goes forward, it could create trouble for many, especially traders, Pawar said.
Shah told me that he was also aware of the traders' apprehensions and the government will take steps to ensure no injustice is done to anyone, the minister said. While raising the issue, Chavan, a former chief minister, asked Pawar to speak in the GST Council about the fear of traders in the state that they would face harassment from agencies like the Enforcement Directorate due to the Centre's decision.
The amendment bill, passed by the assembly, was in line with the amendments brought in by the Center in the GST Act regarding data archival policy, input tax credit and returns and tribunals, among other things.