New Delhi: Days after media reports hyped that the Narendra Modi-led BJP Government had imposed 18% tax on Gangajal under the Goods and Services Tax regime, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes has dismissed the news as fake.
It stated in a release on the social media platform, 'X' (formerly Twitter), that "Gangajal is used in pooja by households across the country and puja samagri is exempt under GST."
It elaborated that the issue of imposing GST on Gangajal was "discussed in detail in the 14th and 15th meetings of the GST Council held on 18/19th May 2017 and 3rd June 2017 respectively," and it was decided to keep all puja samagri (including Gangajal) in the exempt list.
It clarified that this is not a new development, but in force since the introduction of GST itself.
The BJP-led Central Government, which brought the GST Act in force, was receiving flak from various quarters for the alleged tax on Gangajal - which Hindus hold pious.
President of the Indian National Congress Mallikarjun Kharge had recently attacked the government on the news during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Uttarakhand. He had said in a post on Twitter that the alleged move "portrayed the BJP government's hypocrisy."
