Congress leader Ranjeet Ranjan criticized the government on Tuesday for implementing three different GST rates on popcorn, calling it an unnecessary move that diverts attention from pressing issues.
She expressed her discontent with the decision, stating, “The government should be ashamed of imposing such high GST.”
Highlighting the agricultural roots of popcorn, Ranjan noted, “Cultivation of maize (source for popcorn) takes place in Bihar and other parts of the country, and people sometimes give it for free.”
The Congress MP also criticized the BJP-led government for the rising cost of living. She remarked, “Earlier, Rs 2000 worth of vegetables lasted a month, but now they barely last a week.”
Jairam Ramesh Calls GST Tax Slabs on Popcorn Absurd
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh echoed the criticism, calling the three tax slabs for popcorn under GST “absurd.” In a post on X, he stated:
“The absurdity of three different tax slabs for popcorn under GST, which has unleashed a tsunami of memes on social media, only brings to light a deeper issue: the growing complexity of a system that was supposed to be a Good and Simple Tax.”
Ramesh further elaborated on the flaws in the GST system, citing widespread evasion, fraud, and misclassification of goods. He said:
“GST evasion is significant, input tax credit fraud is common, and the number of bogus companies set up to ‘game’ the GST system runs into thousands. Tracking of supply chains is weak, the registration process is flawed, and compliance requirements are still cumbersome.”
He also pointed out alarming data from the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), which revealed GST evasion of Rs 2.01 lakh crore in FY24. Ramesh added:
“With the Union Budget now just 40 days away, will the PM and FM summon the courage to launch a complete overhaul and institute a GST 2.0?”