Over 50,000 taxmen to write to PM, seek GST amendments

At least 50,000 letters will be sent by indirect tax officials to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to ensure successful roll-out of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

A decision in this regard was taken during a meeting of representatives of All India Association of Central Excise Gazetted Executive Officers and those from Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise).

"We have decided that each employee working under Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) will write a letter to the Prime Minister seeking his intervention for the successful GST. "There are about 85,000 indirect tax employees working at various levels across the country, and at least 50,000 letters will be sent to the Prime Minister within next two days," said Anup Kumar Srivastava, president of IRS Officers' Association.

He said through letters, the Prime Minister will be requested to revisit some of the decisions taken by the GST Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in its meeting on 16 January.

"There are certain issues concerning economic interests of the nation and concerning such a large work force like ours, who have been working for GST tirelessly for last 10 years and we want that these are resolved immediately to make roll-out of GST successful," he told PTI.

The GST Council had in its meeting agreed to give states the powers to levy tax on economic activity within 12 nautical miles of territorial waters and to administer 90 per cent of the tax payers with under Rs1.5 crore annual turnover.

The indirect tax employees unions are demanding that the GST Council decisions be reviewed. They have also expressed concerns over Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) - a private company set up to provide information technology infrastructure for the implementation of the new tax regime, saying that it should be put under the CBEC.