Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Mahesh Poddar today said despite operational inconveniences in Goods and Services Tax (GST) it is a landmark system adopted in the country; however, the businessmen seem to evade paying tax on many occasions.

Speaking on the occasion of a siary unveiling programme of Jharkhand Electrical Traders’ Association (JETA) here on Sunday Poddar said, “As it is known by all that every government tries its best to prevent tax evasion and businesses also always put utmost pressure evading from paying taxes to government that is why some people criticise the

Central government on bringing GST. It is one of the biggest achievements of the BJP government.”

Lauding the efforts of the government to launch GST, Poddar said, “We know that the business community has faced a lot after launching of GST but in very short span of time the government has cleared a numbers of loopholes. Gradually are people acclimatizing with the system. GST has brought a large numbers of people under the tax umbrella and it has also immensely increased the national tax collection.”

Commenting on demonetization, the MP said, “Businessmen are saying that it has dented their businesses but the common people have faced a lot by demonetization. The businessmen community should not think only about their profit.

 They should also think about the nation and society. After demonetization the number of income tax payee increased to 46 per cent.

Times are changing gradually. Businessmen did not get respect in society earlier, but now society has different view on the community and the time will come when they will get respect from society it is sure and a very big change in Income Tax Law will come very soon” he added.

While speaking on the issue of purchase policy of Industry Department of the State, Poddar said, “This is not the fault of the government that there is provision in the purchase policy of the State government that those contractors working as turnkey basis has to purchase Jharkhand manufactured things.

There is need to improve awareness about government policies and it is duty of the businessmen community to disseminate awareness among people.”

While speaking on the issue of the ongoing development work of the government Poddar said, “It is very big change that the government has electrifying villages as four year earlier when the BJP government formed 38 per cent villages remain not electrified. A massive work is going on sanitation as making a large numbers of toilets is a very big task and almost entire country covered under Open Defecation Free.”

On the occasion Deputy Mayor RMC Sanjeev Vijayvargiya, Federation of Jharkhand Chambers of Commerce and Industry president Deepak Maru were also present on the occasion.