"People are very happy about this": Union Minister Nityanand Rai lauds GST reforms

Patna (Bihar) [India], September 22 (ANI): Union Minister Nityanand Rai on Monday praised the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates implemented by the government, highlighting their positive impact on everyday citizens.
Speaking in Patna, Bihar, Rai emphasised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of making essential items more affordable for the poor and middle class. Rai mentioned that poor people, farmers, labourers, and the middle class will greatly benefit from these tax cuts.
"In PM Modi's vision, there has always been this approach that everyday items should be cheaper. So, for the poor and the middle class, PM Modi has made things cheaper... When cheaper items are available, it will have a great impact on people's lives and they will benefit... People are very happy about this," Nityanand Rai told reporters.
The 56th GST Council meeting decided to rationalise GST rates into two main slabs: 5% and 18%, merging the previous 12% and 28% rates. Everyday items are expected to become more affordable, which will positively impact people's lives.
Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary said that under PM Modi's leadership, the "GST festival" has begun and mentioned that the government will interact with common people to inform them about the reduction in GST rates.
"Under the leadership of PM Modi, the work of celebrating the GST festival begins today, and we will meet each and every shopkeeper and provide information about the rate reduction in GST and ask them whether they are giving it at the correct rate or not. The common people should benefit from this, and we have to celebrate this festival," Samrat Choudhary told reporters.
The reform in the Goods and Services Tax structure, which was approved during the 56th meeting of the GST Council earlier this month, is set to come into effect from today. The current four-rate system will be replaced with a streamlined two-slab regime of 5% and 18%. A separate 40 per cent slab has been retained for luxury and sin goods.
This new framework is expected to ease compliance, reduce consumer prices, boost manufacturing, and support a wide range of industries, from agriculture to automobiles and from FMCG to renewable energy. It is intended to lower the cost of living, strengthen MSMEs, widen the tax base, and drive inclusive growth.
In the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and dairy sector, major brands like Amul and Mother Dairy have announced substantial price cuts, reflecting the full benefit of the GST reduction.
Items like milk, butter, ghee, paneer, cheese, ice cream, snacks, and frozen foods have been brought under the 5 per cent slab, due to which 100 g of Amul butter will now cost Rs 58 instead of Rs 62, and Ultra High Temperature milk (UHT) has dropped to Rs 75 per litre from Rs 77. Mother Dairy has also slashed prices on milkshakes, paneer, ghee, and frozen products. (ANI)