Mandya: District N Cheluvarayaswamy on Wednesday emphasised that the authority to determine Goods and Services Tax (GST) rests solely with the Union govt.“Imposing taxes on small traders will create unnecessary hardship. It is the Centre’s responsibility to address and correct this,” he said. Responding to BJP’s criticism regarding the issuance of notices to traders by the Commercial Tax Department, Cheluvarayaswamy dismissed the opposition’s comments. “The BJP has neither achievements from the past nor a vision for the future. Their remarks are baseless and lack humanity. The Commercial Tax Department is acting in accordance with Union govt directives,” he contended.The minister also addressed accusations of biased MLA fund distribution. “Every MLA was allotted Rs 50 crore. This allocation isn’t linked to the upcoming Assembly session. Even BJP MLAs received Rs 25 crore. When the BJP was in power, Congress MLAs were given nothing. At least now, everyone received some support,” he stated.On BJP’s allegation that the state govt is misleading the public by forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the Dharmasthala case, Cheluvarayaswamy said, “The SIT was formed following demands from various organisations and activists. There’s nothing wrong with launching an investigation—it helps prevent speculation. The BJP is needlessly politicising the issue. I will not entertain their accusations.”
