New Delhi [India], June 22 (HBTV): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the next meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is tentatively scheduled for mid to late August.

GST Council proposes exemption for specific services offered by Indian Railways to the general public, as well as for intra-railway transactions.

The sale of platform tickets and services such as retiring rooms, waiting rooms, cloakroom facilities, and battery-operated car services are now exempt from GST.

This session aims to address the pending agenda items from today’s meeting.

Today’s GST Council meeting was marked by several key decisions aimed at easing the compliance burden and providing relief to taxpayers.

FM Sitharaman said, “Todays GST Council meeting has taken a lot of decisions on trade facilitation, easing compliance burden and relief to tax payers in terms of compliance easing out.”

Among these, significant measures were taken to facilitate trade and simplify processes for businesses and individuals alike.

The GST Council recommended waiving interest penalties on demand notices issued under Section 73 of the GST Act for fiscal years 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20.

The Council approved an extension for availing input tax credit (ITC) on any invoice or debit note.

Furthermore, accommodation services valued up to INR 20,000 per person per month, provided for a continuous period of at least 90 days, will also be exempt.

This exemption will benefit hostels and similar accommodations run by various social and community organizations.

The Council recommended the phased rollout of biometric-based Aadhaar authentication for GST registration applicants across India.

The Council recommended a uniform GST rate of 12 percent on all milk cans, regardless of their material (steel, iron, aluminium), to eliminate disputes.

A uniform GST rate of 12 percent was recommended for solar cookers, whether single or dual energy source, reflecting the Council’s support for renewable energy initiatives.

Sitharaman reiterated the central government’s intent to bring petrol and diesel under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework.

However, the Finance Minister clarified that this move requires consensus among the states, as they play a crucial role in determining the rate of taxation.

The 53rd meeting of the GST Council, presided over by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, took place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today.

(ANI) This is a syndicated news feed. HBTV has edited it for clarity.