Congress will review the five slab GST: Rahul Gandhi

Making  a searing attack on the multiple interest slabs of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) imposed by the  Modi-led NDA government, that has  burdened  especially the  small- and  medium-sized businesses,  AICC president Rahul Gandhi said that  his government will review the five-slab GST  by bringing  the interest rate under a uniform   table, if elected to power in 2019.  The “Gabbar Singh Tax” would be restored to GST that would help small-scale businessmen, he said Mr Gandhi  is on a two-day visit to Hyderabad,  his first stop in the city was a meet with women of  Self Help Groups  who congregated  at  Shamshabad on Monday afternoon. In a 60-minute    question and answer session,  Rahul took six questions from women  all concerning issues of interest- free loans, employment, health, education and pension scheme. 

Ms Madhavi from Sanga Reddy  raised the issue of 'Vaddi Leni  Runalu' (interest-free loans), she told Mr Gandhi, that the TRS government has not released funds to the banks for the last two years and the ‘Vaddi Leni Runalu’ has become a  burden to  4.5 lakh SHGs. The arrears amounting to Rs 1,050 crore has to be paid to banks by the TRS government. What will the Congress government do if elected, she asked. 

In a reply to Madhavi, Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, he said, “The Modi sarkar  has cancelled the debt of 15  industrialist amounting to 2.5 lakh  crore and bailed them out of financial burden,  while rich business doers get multi-crore loans but  the  farmers and commoners  have to struggle for financial assistance. Modi promised to give employment to 2 crore youth while KCR said  10,000 jobs will be created, four years down of nothing has materialised.

Telangana is under the grip of a single family who solely  benefit financially. The Congress will strengthen the women at grass-roots level by improving the credits and also waiver farmer loans'.  “PM Modi increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP)  for Farmers  across India by  Rs 10,000 crore but the Congress Government in Karnataka waived Farmer debts of Rs 30,000 crore,” he said.