CM Mohan Charan Majhi to attend GST, finance ministers’ meet

BHUBANESWAR : Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will embark on a four-day visit to Delhi and Rajasthan beginning December 19 to attend the 55th meeting of the GST council to be held at Jaisalmer on December 21.

Being the minister in charge of finance, Majhi will also join the pre-budget consultation meeting of finance ministers of states and Union Territories to be chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on December 20, official sources said.

The state government, which had asked for higher allocations of central funds to the state to accelerate infrastructure development at the last meeting held in New Delhi on June 22, may reiterate the demand for enhanced assistance for development of cyclone-resilient infrastructure, more green energy projects and housing under PMAY for rural and urban areas besides central support to carry forward Subhadra Yojana under which it is giving Rs 50,000 to all eligible women for ease of living.

In the last meeting of finance ministers attended by deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo, Odisha had also demanded higher allocation under the scheme for special assistance to states for capital investment (SACI) to further accelerate infrastructure development.

The other demands of the state were establishment of a second AIIMS at Sambalpur, expeditious completion of national highways, especially the coastal highway, and capital region ring road (CRRR) projects.

Official sources said the GST meeting will focus on several key topics including the GST framework for life and health insurance, tax rate rationalisation and revisions to GST slabs.

In its last meeting, the GST council had constituted a group of ministers (GoM) to look into the issues pertaining to GST on life and health insurance. The members of GoM are from Bihar, UP, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya, Goa, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Gujarat.

The GoM submitted its recommendations to the Centre and all states on December 16. These proposals will be examined by the council at the Jaisalmer session, the sources added.

The chief minister will return to New Delhi on December 22 and is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Health Minister and BJP national president JP Nadda and other dignitaries to invite them to the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention to be held from January 8 to 10 and Utkarsh Odisha conclave on January 28 and 29 in the state.