Finance Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu on Saturday said he would raise the issue of granting exemption to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) under the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) at the GST Council meeting in New Delhi on Sunday.
Addressing the media, Mr. Ramakrishnudu said the TTD, being a premier religious institution, had been granted immunity under VAT, which was under the purview of the State government. Now that the Union Government wants to enforce the GST from July 1, it has to be examined whether the TTD falls under the ambit of the dealer definition.
Heeding to the requests of Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the Centre had already exempted ‘prasadams’ being provided/sold at various temples in the country from the GST.
Tirumala-based TTD JEO K.S. Srinivasa Raju, in his representation, listed the reasons for seeking exemption to the TTD that provides free meal to tens of thousands of devotees every day under its ‘Nitya Annadanam’ scheme and leases out its cottages and rest houses to the devout at nominal rent on day-to-day basis. Till date, the TTD has not paid any sales tax. It has no dealer registration either.
Mr. Ramakrishnudu said he would take to the notice of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is also Chairman of the GST Council, the representations he received from various institutions, including the TTD, seeking exemption under the GST.
Earlier, Mr. Ramakrishnudu took part in the ‘kalyanotsavam’ performed inside the temple.
Published - June 10, 2017 11:55 pm IST
