Packaged food to show GST rates on paper slip till Sept

Bhubaneswar: The State’s Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister Surya Narayan Patro today said traders have been asked to sell packaged food items with new rates pasted on them as the Goods and Sales Tax (GST) has come into effect.

Talking to media, the minister said, “Action will be taken against traders if they are found selling packaged food items without pasting new rates after applying GST. They need to paste new rate slips till September after which products will be available with new rates printed on them.”

To ensure that the State government’s directive is followed by traders, a team of supply officers and food inspector will conduct surprise checks in different localities, the minster elaborated.

He added the Centre has already given deadline till September to companies dealing with packaged food items to print GST rates on the products.

The minister informed price tag for non-packaged food items remains unchanged after the GST came into effect.

“National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries will continue to get rice and wheat as per monthly quota for July and August from dealers of their area,” Patro stated.