Finance Minister O.P. Chaudhary held a special review meeting of ‘GST Savings Festival’
Raipur / In a special review meeting of the ‘GST Savings Festival’ held in Nava Raipur, Finance and Commercial Tax Minister Shri O.P. Chaudhary instructed to ensure that the benefit of reduced GST rates reaches the citizens of the state quickly. He said that the benefit of the reduction in GST rates should directly reach the common public, so that every family can get real savings and traders can get relief.
In the meeting, Finance Minister Shri Chaudhary reviewed the condition of all markets in the state in detail and took feedback from the officials. He instructed that the benefit of the reduction in GST rates should reach consumers transparently. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, historic reductions in rates have been made under “GST 2.0”, with the aim of providing relief to citizens and facilitating trade. It is the responsibility of the state government that the benefit of this reform reaches the public in a timely and honest manner.
It is noteworthy that a significant reduction has been made in the rates of common use items — about 99 percent of items have now been brought under the 5 percent GST slab. This decision is directly leading to significant savings for consumers. For example, savings of Rs 60,000 to Rs 1,20,000 are possible on agricultural machinery like tractors. Also, there has been a significant reduction in the prices of clothes and daily use items, which will considerably reduce the annual expenses of the common people.
It is noteworthy that the GST 2.0 reforms, implemented from September 22, 2025, aim to directly benefit common Indian families. Significant relief has been provided in the health sector under these reforms. Personal life and health insurance premiums are now GST-free, which will save families thousands of rupees annually. The GST rate on most medicines, medical equipment, and diagnostic kits has been reduced from 12% to 5%, while many life-saving drugs have been made completely tax-free.
These reforms have not only provided relief in health expenses to common citizens but have also had a positive impact on the household budget.
Finance Minister Shri Chaudhary told the GST officers of all districts to ensure that no item is sold at old rates. If any old stock is available, new revised rates should be marked on it and items should only be sold at new rates, so that the benefit of the reduction in GST rates directly reaches the consumers. He also said that daily reporting of the ‘GST Savings Festival’ will be ensured and he himself will regularly review it at the state level, so that the benefit of “GST 2.0” reforms can reach every citizen of the state.
This meeting was held in the presence of Finance and Commercial Tax Minister Shri O.P. Chaudhary, Finance Secretary Shri Mukesh Bansal and Commissioner, State Tax Shri Pushpendra Meena. All senior and regional officers of the department were present in the meeting.