GST council meeting today: Punjab to oppose inadequate representation from states in GSTAT

The Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal is the forum of second appeal in GST laws and the first common forum for dispute resolution between the Centre and states. Being a common forum, GSTAT will ensure that there is uniformity in redressal of GST disputes and, therefore, in implementation of GST across the country.

Though states’ GSTATs would hear complaints regarding SGST, only chief secretaries of states are members of the state appellate tribunals, the rest of the members being dignitaries of prominence. “We have an objection. Why should there be just one member when the complaints will be regarding the state’s GST? We will raise it in the GST council meeting today. This is taking away the rights of the states. They should be given more rights. This will be our line,” a government functionary said.

He added that the state government was also seeking more rights to the state on preventing evasion of GST. “For the states where GST was evaded on gold, e-billing has been made mandatory. Punjab’s steel industry is based on scrap. E-billing own scrap should also be made mandatory. We will raise this also.”