Bhopal: To replace a complicated mix of state and federal taxes, the government introduced a single goods and services tax (GST) across the country from midnight of June 30. One week of GST regime has passed. Some supermarkets are yet to implement GST while government-owned supermarkets in the city are closed from July 1 till now to make it GST-compliant.
Free Press visited some supermarkets or bazaars in the city like Hyper City in DB Mall, Vishal Mega Mart, Aapoorti and Bajrang and Priyedarshani Super Market and spoke to people who came out for monthly purchases of household goods on the seventh day of GST regime to know if they found prices of goods higher than earlier.
People holding long bills in their hands said price of each item was up by Rs 15 to 30, while there were others who said it was unchanged. Some said they didn’t have any idea about GST; others said it was very confusing, complex and impractical. Some of them also said GST was good but the tax should be implemented on other goods like petrol, diesel and wine.
AL Vjjainia
retd manager in SBI
I purchased four items including daliya, rawa, maida and flour but the rate is as usual. I didn’t find any change in its price. No GST is mentioned in our bill. It is good plan of government to introduce single tax across the country but it is impractical. I think tax should also be implemented on other goods like petrol, diesel and wine. The government is promoting cashless transaction but I don’t think it is possible of small traders like cobblers. I think government should link Aadhar to voter ID to check fake voting.
Sayoni Jadhav
student
We purchase household goods every month form the supermarket. The bill is so long that we are confused as to rate of which item has gone up or down. But overall we can say the rate is higher than earlier due to GST. We purchased 65 items and got a cumulative difference of Rs 500. GST is good but way of implementation is not good.
Akhilesh Tiwari
manager in a coaching centre
Yes, the price of all items including pulses, rice, flour and other groceries are up by Rs 15 to 30. It is good initiation by the government but only one or two months later its benefit will reach the public. I don’t know much about GST. Sarkarein to kuchh bhi karti rahti hai…
Manisha
doctor
I have purchased a few items, so I can’t tell you exactly whether the price has increased or decreased. The tax is technically so complex that I don’t think anybody could tell you the basic differences correctly. GST is good but it is creating confusion not only among businessmen but common man too.
Anita Chaudhary
homemaker
Actually we do purchasing as per our budget. So I didn’t pay much attention to the GST effect. I purchased a few items including clothes but didn’t find any big difference in rate. But yes, GST is added in bill.
Nikita
engineering student
After GST implementation, I am doing shopping for the first time. I purchased some grocery items but the price of each commodity is more than earlier. It is up by Rs 6 to 10 on each item.
Ramprakash Nema
businessman
I didn’t understand the formula of GST till now. The rate is same, nothing’s changed. I purchased two pillows on same rate which I did two months ago.
