Bhopal: 4% VAT on goods sold in para-military canteens

BHOPAL: The state government has decided to tax commodities sold in canteen stores for serving and retired personnel of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Assam Rifles (AR) and Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) and their families at concessional VAT rate of 4%. This facility was provided to personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) since the last fiscal. Announcing this in his budget speech, finance minister Jayant Mallaiya said that these personnel deserve special consideration as “they protect the borders of the country”.