Bommai confident of resolution on GST compensation issue

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday expressed confidence that the issue of GST (goods and services tax) compensation payout to States would be resolved at the 47th meeting of the GST Council beginning in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

“We had a detailed discussion on this (GST compensation) earlier. The final decision has to taken in the GST Council alone. I am confident that it will happen,” Bommai, who is slated to leave for Chandigarh later today, told reporters.

The Council is likely to make changes in GST rates on a handful of items and may go with the recommendation of the officers’ panel to maintain status quo in rates of over 215 items.

Headed by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising representatives of all States, the Council is meeting after six months.

Apart from rate rationalisation, it is expected to see a stormy discussion around compensation payout with Opposition-ruled States aggressively pushing for its continuation beyond the 5-year period which ends in June.