The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), bowing to the demands of industrial category consumers, issued fresh demand notes without including the GST component. However, the plot owners have expressed their refusal to pay the charges until the pending tax is abolished.
MIDC had encountered strong opposition from plot owners in MIDC areas who have refused to pay pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) charges along with the newly issued demand notes for water charges.
MIDC had initially failed to collect GST charges on its services, including water, fire, drainage, and plot transfers, but had recently decided to recover the tax amount from consumers. This sudden change in approach has been met with discontent. President of Butibori Manufacturers’ Association, Nitin Lonkar, emphasized the need for the government to intervene and roll back the collection of pending taxes. Lonkar also mentioned that a delegation of entrepreneurs’ associations will meet with Maharashtra Minister of Industries, Uday Samant, to address this matter.
The consumers, who have received bills ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1 lakh, argue that they should not be held accountable for the delay in GST collection and should not be compelled to pay the tax. While some relief has been granted, the opposition insists on a permanent resolution to the issue.