State Government Misleading on GST Notices, Alleges Opposition Leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy
Bengaluru: In a strong move to counter alleged harassment of small traders by the state government, the BJP will launch a helpline – 8884245123 – from Monday, 21 July 2025, to address grievances and offer clarity on tax-related matters. This announcement was made by Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy at a press conference held at the BJP state office, Jagannath Bhavan.
Confusion Over GST Notices
Narayanaswamy slammed the Congress-led state government for issuing ambiguous GST notices to small vendors and traders, many of whom operate on minimal margins and limited knowledge of tax laws. He pointed out that while the central government's policy mandates GST registration only if turnover exceeds ₹40 lakh for goods and ₹20 lakh for services, the state GST department has allegedly sent notices even to traders below these thresholds.
“Traders are not tax evaders. They lack clarity, and the government has failed to educate them. Instead of helping them comply, the state has created panic among poor traders.” He Said.
Demand for Clarity and Fairness
The BJP leader accused the government of creating “tax terror” by not verifying whether the UPI-based bank transactions were purely business-related or included personal or loan-related transfers. According to him, the GST department has not evaluated the nature of the transaction before issuing notices based on digital transaction data from platforms like Paytm, PhonePe, and Google Pay.
Narayanaswamy also stressed the urgent need to establish awareness campaigns to educate traders on GST policies and compliance.
Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables Exempt from GST
BJP Economic Cell Convener G.S. Prashant clarified that items like flowers, fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, water, and bangles are exempted from GST. He said, “Even if someone does ₹10 crore business in these items, GST registration is not required. Yet, notices have been wrongly issued.”
He alleged that the state GST department is misusing third-party information without verifying it on the ground. He called it a violation of legal procedures, saying that before any notice is sent, officials must confirm whether GST applies to the trader's business type.
Massive Legal Concern Over 14,000 Notices
The BJP has demanded that the 14,000 GST notices served to small and street vendors be withdrawn immediately, terming them unconstitutional and unlawful. They emphasized that 90% of traders fall under state GST, and the government has failed to publicly advertise or educate this majority.
The press meet was attended by Rajya Sabha MP Lehar Singh, Chikkaballapur BJP District President S.V. Ramachandra Gowda (Seacal), BJP Medical Cell Convener Dr. K. Narayana, BJP Financial Cell Convener G.S. Prashant, and former BJP state spokesperson G.V. Krishna.
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